Mohammed Amin Shah
July 03
After the Bharatiya Janata Party pulled out of its coalition with the People’s Democratic Party last week, Amit Shah held a rally in Jammu, and attacked his former ally.Mufti said that her party was betrayed in what many called as the ‘unholy alliance.’
When the Government was formed was clear it was an indication why the space for mainstream politics in Kashmir is shrinking, the election campaign of People’s Democratic Party, was run on keeping the right wing at bay. Later to prove their loyalties to the Indian state, they joined hands with the Bhartiya Janta party, perhaps the think tanks in the regional People’s Democratic Party had learnt a new fact, connecting North Pole to South Pole of different magnets makes the electrons all spin in the same direction. … That is why the like poles repel each other. This is what offended Kashmiris at the primary stage and this was the saturation point, the Government had no faith of the people, it flew without wings. This alliance and then the egoistic response to 2016 killings gave rebirth to an old slogan with renewed characters, “Mahbooben Qabar? Kasheer Nebar!” (Translation: Mehbooba’s grave, Outside Kashmir).
Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP enjoyed a vast public support in South Kashmir district of Pulwama, Kulgam, Islamabad(Anantnag) and Shopian. In 2014 Elections the regions like Damhal Hanjpora wore a festive look and more than 70% of voters casted their franchise, in 2018 the same Damhal Hanjipora has 6 Active Militants and has been a witness to vast Militant funerals and dozens of pro Freedom rallies. Drabgam in Pulwama where PDP had a vast public support emerged in news almost every day for Cordon and Search Operations and the public of the area being assaulted and property vandalized. In a recent story by Qazi Shibli for The Kashmiriyat about women participation in the funerals a woman from South Kashmir had told him, “We were all hopeful, we danced in her rallies, we thought of her a mother, as a woman, but she betrayed women of the state above all.”
The News is filled with speculations and Rumours of Government Formation making Kashmiris remember that Media is not a mirror of the ground. Mehbooba’s Meetings with Congress and PDP Rebels planning to support Bhartiya Janta party are covering a major space in the Kashmiri newspapers. “It is all the same for us, we do not care, the Government had done no better to us, the Governor either will do no better,” Zubair, an Islamabad resident told The Kashmiriyat.
When the coalition Government fell, People in many areas of south kashmir took to streets and burst crackers after in Mattan, Pehroo, Pulwama Township, Bijbehera and Islamabad township. “Killing has become a norm, Operation all out continues, AFSPA is still in place, PSA also is, Civilian Killings continue, Collateral damage has not been stopped either”, Irfan Ahmed, a Islamabad resident told The Kashmiriyat.
The coalition failed on all fronts and PDP lost support of public when it joined hands with BJP, now she was just trying to keep Amit Shah and Modi happy, but they also did not seem quite happy, Irfan said.
“She was not able to stop the Army or her officials, corruption was at peak, Development was invisible other than on Social Media, Internet bans has become a norm, Police still has a free hand, so I do not think, there will be worse than this in Governor’s rule,” a student Shahid Ahmed from Kulgam told The Kashmiriyat.
Abdul Ahad is from Malibugh area of Trenz belt in Shopian district of South Kashmir. Among the vast gathering of public at the funeral of Shakoor Ahmed Dar (Slain Militant from South Kashmir), he spots us and tells us that from the past 20 years there is scarcely any electricity in his village, water supply is absent. The Local Candidate for PDP came here and told us, he will resolve our issues, “but, one does not need to tell, what happened after.” He told us that they have to walk a long distance to fetch water; there was no school in the area. “A civilian from our area, Shahnawaz Ahmed was shot dead by Army and later called an OGW to Militants, the PDP remained mum, Omar was better than them, at least he spoke,” Ahad told The Kashmiriyat.
“There is no difference to us, nothing seems to change for Kashmiris, it is blood and more blood, She had give free hand to the Police,
TRACK RECORD
Jagmohhan even after his last time rule in 1990 is still seen as a monstrous figure by many Kashmiris and is held as conspirator by many for the Kashmiri pandit exodus, including many mainstream politicians. The Governor in 1985 imposed a ban on the consumption of meat during Janamasthami days that is one of the many harsh realities Jagmohan is remembered for other than conducting mass violence when armed rebellion broke out in 1988. People in Kashmir see Governor’s as direct rulers from the Indian state.
“I remember he was a mass murderer, they had sent him to crush the people of Kashmir who were demanding independence,” Bashir Ahmed Sheikh, an ex Militant told The Kashmiriyat. Bashir recalls the horrific days and says the days were the worst in the history of Kashmir. He (Jagmohan) was cruel and cunning. He recalls that he was in jail and the governor came himself to the jailer and told him to break our bones and inject india through a bamboo stick into our bodies. “Why would a Governor come to small Police station, this was the brute of a man he was,” Bashir said.
The people’s democratic party and Congress transferred land to a Hindu Shrine board in 2008 and later withdrew from the Government, Garesh Chandra Saxena took the charge, 60 people were shot dead after a civilian uprising had broke out.
In 2008, Omar Abdullah took charge, the uprising of 2010 broke out after the infamous rape and murder case of Shopian in 2009, at least a 100 civilian were shot dead. In 2014 PDP took over the Government as people were angry with Omar Abdullah led National Conference, but immediately after getting power, the party had lost the faith of general public after they joined hands with BJP. Braid Chopping, when dozens of choppers were followed and caught by people was called “Mass Hysteria” added to PDPs wounds. Many people had predicted that the braid chopping incidents will disappear before winter. Pertinently it was alleged that the braid choppers were trained men from outside Kashmir and the incidents happened mainly during night, it was said that these men (Braid Choppers) will be unable to survive the winter cold and yes, they did disappear soon with the onset of winters.
In 2016, Mehbooba led Government was insensitive to the civilian Killings, the unabated usage of pellet guns, PSAs against children, statements to killings added to her failures to address the concerns of the flood victims of 2014.
“It is a TRP for newspapers, the Government is a master funder to them, to people on the ground, we just do not care,” Shahid told The Kashmiriyat.