BJP-PDP government formation in Kashmir: Why it was needed

Politics is game of uncertainties where often seemingly impossible becomes possible. After 49 days of governor rule Jammu and Kashmir finally saw a government of elected representatives. BJP-PDP alliance formed the government. Soon to be octogenarian, 79 years old mufti Mohammed Saeed took oath as per the constitution of “India” to uphold the “unity and integrity of the country”. BJP-PDP alliance is being called coming together the two poles as BJP-PDP could not be any more different in their core ideologies. On the same day Nirmal Singh was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister. Furthermore, Sajjad Lone a former separatist leader also took oath as a cabinet minister though much to his displeasure he got Animal husbandry department.

Making the occasion special, Narendra Modi himself was present along with L.K.Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Ram Madhav, a man who played a key role in the discussions during the run up to the government. PDP legislator Haseeb Drabu, who was the chief negotiator from the party in formulating a Common Minimum Program (CMP), was welcomed by the Prime Minister with all hugs and smiles for making the BJP-PDP alliance possible.

The success of these elections holds a many promises to its people. The recent flood that had inundated almost entire valley caused great damage in the state and daunting task of rehabilitation lies ahead. The task of bridging the gap between the three regions Jammu, Kashmir and Laddakh is going to be a big challenge. This is where maximum opportunities lie for BJP making inroads into the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir. 

The most important outcome of BJP-PDP alliance is coming together of two different regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu emerged as a BJP stronghold region whereas Kashmir was almost swiped by PDP. Jammu has had historical grievances since independence and people of Jammu allege step motherly treatment from Srinagar.

This BJP-PDP government is emancipation of hopes of people of Jammu region. There are other important issues like Section 370 and resettlement of Kasmiri Pundits. The issue of refugees (mainly Hindu) from Pakistan also remains very vital. The Armed Forces special powers act is also another very important issue which is very vital to the people of Kashmir region.

For now, BJP has put the section 370 on a backburner and it is a good and farsighted decision. At this moment especially after the devastating floods, the issues like development and rehabilitation are more important as they will bring immediate relief to the people of the state. Though section 370 is one of the core issues of BJP since the time of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee but at this moment providing relief to the people is more important.

In a statement, the BJP spokesman Khalid Jahangir said, “The BJP-PDP government is committed to serve the people and provide them with all the possible relief. “He further said, “New government would ensure that all the issues concerning common people are addressed and they get all the benefits of the centrally sponsored schemes.

Any decision on AFSPA will be taken after consulting and taking the army on board. This would also require a thorough check of ground realties in the notified disturbed areas.

The resettlement of Kashmiri pundits and refugees from Pakistan is one issue which in my opinion is the most important right now. Refugee status is one’s own country is moral defeat for any government worth its salt. I am certain the BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi would leave no stone unturned to bring respite to these people.

 “People of Jammu and Kashmir have voted for a change and new government is committed to bring the change,” he added. The Laddakh region often gets overshadowed by the bitterness of the two other parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

The people of Kashmir region also have their share of grievances. With the start of militancy in the late 80s, Kashmir lost an entire generation, as in the future of those who were in their youth was held hostage to the separatist elements in the society. It didn’t bring good to anyone. Mothers lost sons, wives lost husbands and families were destroyed because the earning members were either languishing in jails or lost their lives to militancy.

A land aptly called heaven or earth for which Shahjahan once said “Gar Fardaus baru e zamin asto, hami asto hami asto hami asto”, meaning if there is paradise on earth it is here. Kashmir is named after sage Kashyap and has a rich history of Buddhism. The state has immense potential of growth particularly in handicrafts industry and tourism. This BJP-PDP dispensation is paving way for a more representative government. 

Terror Boat: Pakistan at it again, sends Terror Boat to India to unleash terror

A suspicious boat from Karachi which is being called ‘Terror Boat’ on the net sphere (read internet) was intercepted by the coast guard about 350 Kilometers west from Porbandar, Gujarat. After being chased for about an hour by the vigilant coast guard, it blew up in flames. The ‘Terror Boat’ was carrying explosives and four people were sighted on it by the surveillance system before it self-exploded. The event occurred on Wednesday midnight. Soon after the incident was reported, twitter was abuzz with ‘Terror Boat’ related Tweets.

(Coast Guard Foils Terror bit by intercepting ‘Terror Boat’ loaded with explosives)

Terror Boat From Pakistan

This operation was done after IB provided intelligence report to the coast guards ‘to intercept a suspect fishing boat’. Phone conversations tapped by the IB officials led to this swift action. The coast guard Dornier aircraft and surveillance boats were put in to action for the search operation. The coast guard did follow the ‘engaging rules’ as per the laws of the sea for navigation in international waters as enshrined in the INCLOS (International Convention on Laws of the Sea). The warnings were given and after about an hour of chasing the boat ‘imploded’

A similar operation was mounted by ‘Lashkar e Taiba’ in 2008 when a lone boat ‘Kuber’ was converted into a ‘Terror Boat’ after it was hijacked by the Pakistani terrorists before went on to unleash terror in Mumbai on 26^th November,2008.

Good job done by IB and coast guard but it should serve as a reminder that India remains very vulnerable to Pakistan supported terrorism. 

Pakistan and its perceived existential threat from India or is it that it needs India for its existence

It would not be an exaggeration to say that despite an independent existence for past 67 years Pakistan continues to see India as an existential threat. The two countries stand at different platforms today in the gamut of world affairs. Ever since Pakistan became an idea and consequently a reality, it has seen India as a threat to its existence but it is also a bigger fact that it needs a perceived threat from India for its very existence today . Pakistan is a country supposedly created for Indian muslims. What could be a bigger irony for a nation created on an identity of religion alone that it could not even keep itself together for 25 years. With creation of Bangladesh in 1971, the very ideology behind Pakistan ceased to exist. It blamed India for the loss of its eastern part not realizing that it never did justice to the Bengali Pakistanis. Pakistani text books continue to hide the truth and blame the Hindu Baniya (merchants) for “Sakut e Dhaka” or fall of Dhaka.  More than 40 years later not much has changed , even today many Pakistanis believe that India carried out 26/11 attacks itself and there are ‘analysts’ in Pakistan who believe that 9/11 attacks were a handiwork of USA so that it could attack Saddam Hussein. Knowing that it cannot defeat India in a direct war, it resorted to covert war (read terrorism).

Be it giving support to Khalistan movement or Kashmir separatists, Pakistan has always tried to bleed India. It helped USA to set up Taliban in order to help arrest the Russian influence in Afghanistan all through the late 70s and 80s. After Russia’s withdrawal from Afghanistan it used them against India.  It even supported Taliban who have taken Afghanistan to dark-age but now the same Taliban is destroying it.  Now it is realizing that it has achieved nothing but only self-destruction and a tarnished global image as well. All because it wanted to ‘settle’ some score with India, wanted to bleed India by thousand cuts. Pakistani establishment need to re-think its attitude towards India. Pakistan cannot claim to be frontline state by fighting against terrorists on its western borders if it breeds terrorists on its eastern borders. Else the results would only worsen with time.The fact of the matter is that Pakistan has failed terribly at evolving a national identity. Pakistan has ceased to exist in many areas in FATA and Baluchistan. Shias are being killed for being shia, sunnis( ahmadis) are being targeted for not being the right kind of muslim. Christians are being targeted with blasphemy laws. The plight of Hazaras is not even discussed in the media because no one seems to care for them. Hindu girls are kidnapped and forced into marrying muslims. The only thing that seems to bring Pakistanis( well most of them ) is hatred towards  India. It was not surprising to see Hamid Gul blaming India for the attack on the army school in Peshawar.

 It needs India to survive else everybody has allegiances which are more towards religion and sects and religions don't need countries to survive. Pakistan needs a huge shift in its orientation towards terrorism. If TTP is a terrorist group them Laskar is a terrorist group too else the time is not far when there would be similar attacks in Pakistani Punjab too. Extremist ideologies do not leave any room for others. We should not be too hopeful that much is going to change in Pakistan  in its attitude towards India because now it is at a point where it needs India to survive , hatred towards India.