The Year That Was January 4, 2015 S
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Established 1946 Price : Rupees Five Vol. 69 No. 49 The year that was January 4, 2015 S. Viswam Polarisation in J & K Kuldip Nayar Anna Domini 2014 which we have consensual doctrine of “sabka saath just packed off into history became sabka vikas”. J & K demands statesmanship Narendra Modi’s year the day he Rajindar Sachar kicked the Congress out of power Modi could spout the development What is Good Governance? and led his 282-member strong agenda day in and day out, but his D.K. Giri majority party, the BJP, into the mentor, the RSS, and his party the Lok Sabha chamber to head a new BJP, and his admirers and supporters Remembering government. His proclaimed agenda committed to the promotion of Balaraj Puri was Development and Development Hindutva - the vast and numerically Wajahat Habibullah alone. Seven months into office, the strong saffron parivar, have their Niranjan Haldar political situation in the country, as own agenda. This agenda has the Nandita Haksar we kick in the New Year, shows that “conversion” of India from being Om Prakash Saraf the Prime Minister can claim only “secular, socialist, democratic” Yogesh Puri the first three months of the outgoing republic into a Hindu Rashtra Luv Puri year as his. The last few months (nation). One had expected the ••• of the year were certainly not his. public articulation and promotion of Hindutva campaign immediately On During this period, his development Understanding Indian Muslims agenda had been hijacked, and after Modi took over, and the absence new words heard long long ago but of any signs in that direction misled Choice for Kashmiris forgotten came to resonate across the country into believing that Modi Human Rights in India the nation. Conversion, forced was keeping the saffron flock in Secularisation Process in conversion, reconversion, and ghar check. That belief has faded with Punjab Politics wapasi were the new words bandied the RSS pushing Modi into the about, while cities like Meerut, background, leaving him to promote Sitapur and Lucknow allotted land relatively mundane campaigns like Editor : to facilitate construction of temples Make in India, Jan Dhan Yojana, G. G. Parikh for Nathuram Godse to celebrate Swachh Bharat and modernization Managing Editor : Guddi his “martyrdom”. Mahatma Gandhi to his heart’s content. was assassinated for the second D-15, Ganesh Prasad, time as Godse was hailed as a The Prime Minister has attracted a Naushir Bharucha Marg, nationalist patriot. Modi remained a lot of flak for maintaining a studied Mumbai - 400 007. silent spectator along the sidelines, silence on the conversion issue. But genuinely nursing the belief that there has been a saving grace for Email : [email protected] encouragement of Hindutva would him. Thanks to the BJP’s numerical facilitate the success of his declared strength, 282 members in a House 2 JANATA, January 4, 2015 of 543, reinforced by the addition Between the lines of alliance members raising the NDA tally to a level just short of 350, he has parliament eating out Communal Polarisation in J & K of his hands. On the flip side, his silence on the conversion and other Kuldip Nayar Hindutva issues has caught his government at its most vulnerable It was not plebiscite, as the The problem is not new. By in the Rajya Sabha which was outgoing Jammu and Kashmir electing the Muslims from the paralyzed for nearly a week as the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had Valley, the Kashmiris enjoy a year ended. cautioned before the polling. Yet the vicarious satisfaction of being Jammu and Kashmir election very separate from the rest of India. The Consistent with the RSS much tilted towards the People’s candidates who sustain this illusion philosophy of conversions, the get the support. However, this is BJP raised slogans demanding an Democratic Party (PDP) which nothing new. anti-conversion law in support of reminded the Valley of autonomy, the kernel of the plebiscite demand. their charge that Muslims were The National Conference, forcing Hindus and Christians to founded by Sheikh Abdullah, embrace Islam. To a lesser degree, The PDP, which has emerged the largest party with 28 seats, a popular leader in Kashmiri Christians too are at the receiving even when it was princely state, end of this charge. The demand for said during the election campaign that it would refurbish the state’s disseminated this idea when the anti-conversion legislation covers state integrated with India after both Muslims and Christians. Home identity which, according to it, had been diluted by the ruling National the lapse of British paramountcy Minister Rajnath Singh and External in 1947. Maharaja Hari Singh, the Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Conference. Perhaps this paid dividends. Hindu ruler had the opinion to stay have suggested that the legislation independent or join either India should be given across the board Unfortunately, the State which or Pakistan. He preferred to stay support. The rationale for such a independent. legislation has been laid down by has been an example of secularism for the rest of the country has been the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at I have no doubt that Jammu and somewhat polarized. The PDP won a public rally in West Bengal. This Kashmir, a Muslim majority state, in the Muslim-majority Valley. is what he is quoted in newspaper would have come to Pakistan if it However, the most blame is that reports as saying: “We are trying had been patient. The Maharaja of the BJP. It has tried its best to to create a strong Hindu society. declared independence and entered polarise the society. It’s hush-hush Those who have strayed, they have into a standstill agreement with not gone on their own. They have campaign that the State’s integration Pakistan. India refused to follow been lured and forcibly taken away. meant little when the Hindus had suit because it appeared to harbour When the thief is being caught and no say in the affairs of governance. some other ideas. my property recovered, when I am So electrifying has been the result taking back my own property, what that the party has jumped from 11 Impatient Pakistan sent troops is new in it?” To put it simply, what seats in the last election in 2008 to followed by the regular forces to Bhagwat is saying that the ghar 25 seats. take over the Valley by force. The vapasi programme only involves Maharaja sought India’s military the re-conversion of Hindus who It is obvious that the polarization support to ward off the Pakistan were forcibly converted to Islam in the State has changed the onslaught. The then Prime Minister and Christianity. Sounds reasonable complexion. Jammu has become a Jawaharlal Nehru refused to extend and fair, but is loaded with political, base of Hindus and the Valley that any help until the State acceded to social, economic and sociological of Muslims. Incidentally, the BJP India. implications. The ghar wapasi is did not get a single seat as predicted bound to stir a hornets’ nest and by Omar Abdullah, although it has The Maharaja had no alternative (Continued on Page 3) increased its vote share. except to signing the instrument of JANATA, January 4, 2015 3 accession. The Indian forces flew to off their feet. Pakistan, which was consensus. There can be a solution Srinagar at the nick of time because once unequivocally opposed to the on the basis of British Cabinet the Pakistani troops were almost proposal, has now shed its objection. Mission plan which envisaged in the precinct of airport. Had the Its expectation is that the Azad the retention of basic of partition Pakistani forces not indulged in Kashmir would ultimately join and still keeping India together. looting and delayed their departure their co-religionists, the Muslims, Ultimately, the partition formula from Baramula so as to arrive in in Pakistan. came to prevail. Srinagar before the Indian forces, the history of Kashmir would have Whatever the twist of history, A new proposal, which I suggest been different. the fact is that India cannot hand is that defence and foreign affairs over Kashmir to Pakistan, nor can of Kashmir under India should vest The integration of Kashmir Pakistan take Kashmir forcibly in New Delhi and likewise defence with India was in the hurried from India. The two have to reach and foreign affairs of Kashmir under circumstances, although, Sheikh a peaceful settlement for the Pakistan with Islamabad. The rest of Abdullah was fully behind it. Nehru betterment of the people and for the subjects should be transferred promised that the wishes of the normalization in the region. They to the Kashmiris and the border people would be ascertained after have fought three wars and a mini between the two Kashmirs should be the things had settled down. That one at Kargil. Both countries are abolished. This maybe will initiate a eventuality never came because also nuclear powers. But there is new relationship, devoid of mistrust of changes in the global picture. no end of hatred. No doubt, several and hostility. Pakistan which was claiming futile attempts have been made to (Continued from Page 2) Kashmir joined military pacts of sort out the problem. The reason is vitiate the politics and political the West and accepted weapons that Pakistan considers Kashmir an atmosphere of secular India. We from it. Those were the days of the unfinished task of partition while are sure that Modi is aware of Cold War. The Pakistan’s action was the state has integrated with India this danger. He had kept saffron taken as a step towards joining the legally. bodies like the VHP and Bajrang Western bloc.