"No future" for muscular policy in Kashmir; "needed": Peace, reconciliation

By Syed Basharat Hussain*
After alleging the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) to be responsible for worsening security situation in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) left the ruling coalition. BJP, which had allied with PDP in 2015 to rule, had 25 lawmakers in the J&K assembly, while the PDP had 28 -- which was more than the majority mark of 45.
Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav told reporters in New Delhi recently that the alliance had became "untenable." Hence, Mehbooba Mufti's tenure as chief minister came to an abrupt end with a call from ex-Governor NN Vohra, who informed her that the BJP had pulled out of its alliance with PDP. Mufti listened to the news in silence, and after a pause said there was no need for talks with BJP and submitted her resignation.
Soon thereafter, Ram Madhav made his announcement in Delhi, ending the uneasy, often fractious alliance between BJP and PDP, setting the stage for another round of Governor's rule for the valley. PDP till thrn was perceived as the advocate of reconciliation. Direct rule by the Central government gave BJP a free hand to control the state ahead of a general election that may probably be held in May next year.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Mufti said, "I have resigned from chief ministership, shook hands with BJP for the sake of serving the people. It took us several months to form a mutual agenda with BJP."
She also maintained that the Kashmir issue could only be resolved through talks. She stressed the need for talks with Pakistan and the Kashmiri people for the resolution of the decades-long conflict. She said the BJP had betrayed the agenda of the alliance by pulling out of it. "PDP's agenda for the state was the one for boosting reconciliation through the alliance, BJP betrayed the same," she stated.
According to Mufti, muscular policy in a state like J&K, or a policy backed by force, cannot succeed. "Peace and reconciliation is the only way forward," she noted, even as the state cwme under the Governor's rule for the seventh time over the last four decades, and fourth time after the state was placed under Central rule during NN Vohra's tenure as Governor. Vohra, a former civil servant, was Governor of J&K from June 25, 2008 to August 23, 2018.
This BJP government move has been widely criticized. Several leaders expressed serious concern over the imposition of Governor's rule. The people of the state felt that this would further complicate matters. The view is strong, a lasting and durable solution can only be delivered by taking into account the political will of Kashmiris in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions or a UN mandated dialogue between Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris.
Some even acknowledged, Kashmir has been used as "an experimental table" for too long, last many decades and the Kashmir crisis just suggests "comprehensive collapse" of India's political leadership.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Report on Kashmir is first ever report of UN on gross violations of human rights, highlighted and debated in Indian as well as international media. India rejected the report in which the Indian government was held responsible for using excessive force to kill and wound civilians in Kashmir since 2016.

Syed Basharat Hussain

The UN has called for international inquiry into accusations of human rights violations. The unresolved status of Kashmir issue is a sombre reminder to the world that Kashmiri people are deprived of their fundamental rights at the hands of the so-called biggest democracy of the world.
India must understand that, despite militarily presence, it failed to control Kashmir. A muscle-power approach will make things even worse. What is needed is a proper dialogue to bring peace in Kashmir.
---
*Political analyst. Contact: syed.basharat11@gmail.com

Comments

Bhavik Raja said…

I totally agree that Peace and Reconciliation are the need of the hour. I believe that the first ever step need to be taken by the Indian government is to Repeal AFSPA and withdraw army from civil places. But I am worried that interference of UN may open up floodgates for US.

December 01, 2018

Green revolution "not sustainable", Bt cotton a failure in India: MS Swaminathan

Counterview Desk
In a recent paper in the journal “Current Science”, distinguished scientist PC Kesaven and his colleague MS Swaminathan, widely regarded as the father of the Green Revolution, have argued that Bt insecticidal cotton, widely regarded as the continuation of the Green Revolution, has been a failure in India and has not provided livelihood security for mainly resource-poor, small and marginal farmers.
Sharply taking on Green Revolution, the authors say, it has not been sustainable largely because of adverse environmental and social impacts, insisting on the need to move away from the simplistic output-yield paradigm that dominates much thinking. Seeking to address the concerns about local food security and sovereignty as well as on-farm and off-farm social and ecological issues associated with the Green Revolution, they argue in favour of what they call sustainable ‘Evergreen Revolution’, based on a ‘systems approach’ and ‘ecoagriculture’.
Pointing out that Evergreen Revol…

World Bank clarifies: Its 26th rank to India not for universal access to power but for ease of doing business

By Our Representative
In a major embarrassment to the Government of India, the World Bank has reportedly clarified that it has not ranked India 26th out of 130 countries for providing power to its population. The top international banker’s clarification comes following Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal’s claim that India has “improved to 26 position from 99” in access to electricity in just one year.

Some Hindu bodies in US defending BJP-RSS' divisive, violent activities: Agnivesh

Counterview Desk Last week, Washington DC saw speakers at a religious freedom roundtable, chaired by the US Ambassador for Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, express concern over "eroding" space for religious freedom in India. Dr Mike Ghouse, executive director, of the Center for Pluralism in Washington DC, referring to the roundtable, said in an email alert that Indian-Americans have "a moral duty to prevent India from being labeled as a Country of Particular Concern by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)".

Rejoinder: Inescapable to have Central Water Commission as strong technical body in India

By BN Navalawala*
This is with reference to Counterview Blog (December 5, 2018), "Modi govt 'shelves' water reforms report, shows 'no interest' in its recommendations", below mentioned are my comments/observations thereon:
A committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Dr. Mihir Shah, Former Member, Planning Commission, for restructuring of Central Water Commission (CWC) and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) for optimal development of water resources in the country in the backdrop of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

Murder of Tamil Nadu teenage Dalit girl: "Stoic silence" despite #MeToo movement

Counterview Desk
Brinelle D'souza, who is with the Centre for Health and Mental Health, School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, has prepared a strong statement to protest the brutal murder of 13-year-old Rajalakshmi. "Other than a few media reports, this gruesome killing has not caught national attention despite a very vibrant #MeToo campaign currently underway", regrets D'souza.

Preventing childhood deaths: India performs worse than Bangladesh, "equals" Pakistan

By Rajiv Shah
A just-released study, “The Pneumonia and Diarrhea Progress Report 2018”, prepared by the International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has identified India among 15 other countries which are still far off the mark in achieving the targets of the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Pneumonia and Diarrhea (GAPPD).

60 ex-civil servants seek release of CAG reports on Rafale, demonetisation before 2019 polls

Counterview Desk
As many as 60 retired civil servants have asked President Ram Nath Kovind to expedite the release of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports on demonetisation and the Rafale deal. The letter, signed mainly by former Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service and Indian Police Service officers, regrets that the status of the audit is "unclear”. According to them, “An impression is gaining ground that CAG is deliberately delaying its audit reports on demonetisation and Rafale deal till after the May 2019 elections so as not to embarrass the present government”.

India's rewritten textbooks talk of demerits of democracy, praise Hitler, underrate Mughals

Counterview Desk
A detailed, 3,800-word review of the books rewritten under directions of the BJP rulers across India since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in May 2014 has suggested that one of aims of the books is to instill a sense of doubt about India’s democratic polity among the country’s young minds. Reviewed in the prestigious US journal, “The New York Review of Books”, in its latest issue (December 6, 2018) by Alex Traub, the scrutiny insists, the effort has also been to paint Indian history from the angle of “Hindu triumphalism”, even as creating “Islamophobia”.

Govt of India "tarnishing" NGO reputation, dossier leaked selectively: Amnesty

Counterview Desk
Amnesty International India has said that a deliberate attempt is being made to tarnish its reputation by leaking a dossier, supposedly made by investigating agencies, to media without giving it access to any such information. The high profile NGO’s claim follows a Times Now report about proceedings launched by investigative agencies, including Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the rights body for “violations” of rules pertaining to overseas donations.

Four children die after poor UP Dalit, Muslim families forced to flee to forest area: PVCHR

Counterview Desk
Peoples’ Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) has said that the forest department police’s crackdown, allegedly without any prior notice, on Dalit and Muslim households in Dakhin Tola, Churk Bazaar, Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh, beating up “children and old people, women, and men in an inhuman way”, has led to “forced displacement, starvation and discrimination”. This has reportedly affected about 350 people.

Counterview

Search This Blog