Independent Kashmir?

It was on the 25th of August 2008, that Kashmir was sans newspaper. The same scene happened once in 1953, but the conditions were never too grave. It was the Army that abstained media from covering Kashmir and this raised a question that is independent India synonymous to India without Kashmir? The valley has been constantly demanding its independence, but the condition was never so worse. Or the first time Delhi is in a position of teaching a lesson to separatists with the help of the army.

Whatever be the reason, it’s important to get back to the history to answer this question. Back in 1987, the then Govt. started its viciousness in the Vidhan Sabha elections. Badgaon district’s Amira-Kadal Vidhan Sabha elections seemed one sided with Md. Yusuf Shah as the winner. However, Md. Yusuf Shah was framed to make way for National Conference’ Farooque Abdullah.

However, Md. Yusuf Shah was framed to make way for National Conference’ Farooque Abdullah. Congress was the framer of the whole conspiracy, and the result was obvious, Md. Shah lost. Not only this but also his four polling agents, Hamid Sheikh, Ashfaq Majid, Mir and Yasin Malik were imprisoned. The results gave way to the demand of independence. As soon as Md. Yusuf Shah came out of the jail, independence was his only demand. Yusuf Shah was in the state of true agony and that made him a rebel. He opened an armed rebel and demanded independence.

Md. Yusuf once aspired to become a doctor, eventually became a fanatic. His inner fire and conflict transformed him into Sayyed Salauddin, who founded Hijbul Mujahiddin. Too lost in his Jehadi dreams, he became the head of the union of thirteen terrorists organizations

The demand for independence by Sayyed Salauddin echoed in the entire Kashmir valley but it was only in 1989 that it got recognized. Ironically, the game played by the Congress Govt. back, reverted back in this year. On 8 December 1989, Rubia Sayyed, daughter of the erstwhile Home Minister was kidnapped by Yusuf Shah’s polling agents. They were the same agents who were jailed along with Md. Yusuf Shah during the elections. It was a day light abduction and no one in the valley ever imagined its possibility. But, sadly it happened.

Consequently, the Home Minister, held meetings with people like T.N.Sheshan, Commerce Minister Arun Nehru, IB Director M.K.Narayanan and NSG’s Deputy General Ved Marwah. Ved Marwah was immediately sent to Srinagar, followed by I.K.Gujral and Arif Md. Khan. In lieu of Rubia’s release, Md. Yusuf Shah demanded the release of 5 terrorists, Hamid Sheikh, Md. Altaf Butt, Sher Khan, Javed Ahmed Zargar and Md. Kalwal.

Interestingly, the govt. never showed signs of where Rubia was. Neither did it ever tried to find out the people behind the conspiracy. Importantly, the IB chief was also the country’s Defense consultant. However, this made no difference.

At that time of crisis, the Govt. was trying to resolve this self dispute. The Govt. feared of failure and was confused. The whole conflict zone created due to Rubia’s abduction in a way opened various gates of settlement. Everyone significant to the country had to say something or the other thing. There were people like Mufti Sayyed and M.K.Narayanan. Then there were people like, Journalist Zafar Miraj and Abbas Ansari. By this time, The Congress Gov. had realized it safe enough to free the terrorists and hence did the same. It was self assured that everything’s fine and that nothing else can go wrong. Ironically, on the day of Rubia’s release, Kashmir was elated and every Kashmiri hopeful of their independence. The reason was clear. They were celebrating the release of the terrorists.

Ved Marwah in his book Uncivil War, elaborately describes the whole scene of Rubia’s release and the liberation of the terrorists. He explains that the whole of Kashmir was celebrating the release of the terrorists like a festival. The Army, the police force, the ministers, no one was untouched. The Kashmir valley welcomed the incoming of terrorist rule. The Govt. was on its feet and everyone was overboard.

In spite of what happened, the underlying politics played by the Govt. didn’t come to an end. Firstly, the Joint Director Saxena was made the Director General of Jammu Kashmir Police. The state police however was not convinced with this decision. The Congress Govt. was overpowered. The law and order in Kashmir became questionable. Consequently on 20th December 1989, Union Bank of India was robbed. This was followed by the murder of security personnel of Allahabad Bank on 21st December. The police force was targeted by the terrorists between 20th and 25th December. A bunch of them died. Krishna Gopal and two other IB officers were murdered in January. In the due course it was blindly believed that all this happened because the DGP and other senior officials of police were not in Srinagar to handle the situation. Rather, they were in Jammu. The politics didn’t even stop here. None of the officials demanded by Farooque Abdullah were sent to the state. And the Govt. hence concluded that Farooque was inefficient and wasn’t doing anything.

As a result of all this, Jagmohan was made the Governor and Farooque resigned on 18th January 1990. The condition became worse. Kashmir was in pieces. The riots took over the whole valley and the Kashmiri Pundits fled, leaving their homes, to save their lives. Kashmir wanted independence. The Central Govt. was nothing but a mute spectator of this wild agony and bloodshed. Kashmir was ruined and it became terrible. However, the anguish and torture continued, but it made the Govt. indifferent and passive.

The call for an independent Kashmir strengthened even more during P.V.Narsimha Rao’s Congress Govt. (1991-1996). Kashmiris continued to die. The death toll achieved heights. The Army made the life of masses a living hell and the Central Govt. chose to be silent and immune.

Firstly, a voiceless set of officials, the Governor’s ploy and a constant demand for independence. It’s high time that the present Govt. instead of withholding the media influence in Kashmir should question its own functioning. Kashmir is a part of India and it’ll anyhow have to face the ups and downs of being a state is something that the Govt. still fears to accept. Jammu Kashmir is a witness to the politics of divide and amidst all this; it is obvious on the part of the Central Govt. to be anxious.