LEGITIMATE GRIEVANCES OF KASHMIRIS MUST BE ADDRESSED

Mukesh Devrari

First, India is not China. It is not possible for any party to change the demography of any state. Second, people in other states are not waiting to move inside Kashmir and Ladakh in droves as it is being projected. Thirdly, details are not known how the property rights will be managed in newly created Union territories of J&K and Ladakh. It is important for the central government to clarify details to counter the influx of rumours.

It seems BJP has no plans to keep J&K as a union territory, but it has been declared UT so that central government could have direct control over the state police as they have it in New Delhi for the time being. Kashmiri rulers are no saints. BJP is using their blunders as justification to scrap both the articles, including their decision of not allowing thousands of Hindu migrants from Pakistan in 1947 to vote in legislative assembly elections. And also, their refusal to implement many central laws including reservation for downtrodden communities. Though, it will be wise on the part of supporters of BJP not to use the abolition of article 370 as sarcasm to taunt and insult Kashmiri Muslims.

There is no doubt, once the restrictions are removed, Muslims in the Kashmir valley are going to oppose the move. It will be difficult for people to accept that article 370 and 35 A have been removed by the BJP government which will end their dominance. Kashmiris are paying the price of getting swayed by the separatist brigade aided and abetted by Pakistan. It is true to some extent that Kashmiri Muslims feel more affinity to Muslims in Pakistan. As India is a predominantly a Hindu state, but official decided to remain a secular country.   

There is no doubt some of the grievances of Kashmiris are legitimate. No civilian population prefers armed forces in their midst. People want to live peacefully, but frequent and violent protests forced the government to use paramilitary forces. Kashmiris are today seeing Hindu domination in BJP, but when Congress was in power Kashmiris were pelting stones. Even UPA was dismissed as Hindu government. People looked for the politics of confrontation. In the form of BJP, they hit the wall.  

There are two things to understand. First, people already living in J&K should get voting rights in the assembly elections. This must include the migrants moved to the valley at the time of partition. It was a historic injustice with them. Second, Kashmiri Hindus, otherwise known as Kashmiri Pandits should get their property back. They should be allowed to go back and live in Kashmir valley including in the enclaves if they want. They were thrown out of their houses and became a refugee in their own country.

Some of the legitimate concerns of Kashmiri Muslims must be addressed as concerns of victims of Kashmiri Muslim ruling elite are being addressed. Some arrangements should be made to preserve the rights of local communities in the state jobs as is being done in other states. It will not be a special treatment. Here is an example. Let’s say a candidate from Uttar Pradesh wants to apply for a job in Punjab through Punjab Public Service Commission. Theoretically, the candidate can do so (legally), but there will be a qualifying exam of the state’s language which candidate needs to pass. It means you must qualify in the Punjabi language exam. Basically, if a state has its own language, then it can bar candidates from other states. As it is difficult for a candidate from Uttarakhand to apply for Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission and pass the Tamil language exam, which is mandatory language exam in the state. In Hindi states, it is Hindi in place of Tamil and so on. 

In Uttarakhand, if a student has passed 10^th class in the state from any board, he or she can apply for medical seats reserved under state quota in the medical colleges, the same rule is also applied for lower-level jobs. Earlier domicile was required. Then, the laws were gradually diluted by the Congress and BJP government. Finally, the courts also dismissed the claim of local communities even on non-gazette/staff level jobs. In Kashmir also if Urdu or other Kashmiri languages was not used to stop candidates, most of the jobs likely to go to the candidates from two-three north Indian states.

Many of the states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh among others do not have their own language. Candidates from these states apply for jobs through state-level public commissions in each other’s state. In South, East and Western India issue of government jobs are easier to manage. It is true that the people from other states grab most of the positions through state-level public service commission exams in smaller states, but Kashmiris need not worry as they have their distinct language which can be used as a barrier to stop the candidates from other states. They must use Kashmiri or Dogri or combination of other languages to stop candidates from other states.

During Congress rule, things were approached very differently. When the Central University was established in Kashmir, all the Muslims faculties were appointed. It cannot be a matter of coincidence that all faculty members including the Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Kashmir were a Muslim despite the fact that it was a central university in the initial days. On the other hand, after BJP came to the power Kashmiri Pandit was appointed as Vice-Chancellor, although it is difficult to correct the pattern now. Considerations were always other than merit. 

As article 370 and 35 A have been scrapped. It would be appropriate to take into consideration the legitimate aspiration of people of the state. Central government must ensure that the government jobs in the state should go to the people of the state. IAS and IPS officers already from the Union Public Service Commission, but it makes no sense to appoint candidates from north India states as officers through state public service commissions, who have no sense of allegiance to the local people and their distinct culture.  

A symbolic gesture like this will go a long way. People are shamelessly commenting about marrying Kashmiri women and buying plots as sarcasm for insulting Kashmiri Muslims. This behaviour will only enrage the Kashmiris who are feeling a collective sense of loss due to the scrapping of article 370 and 35 A. There is no doubt this decision by BJP will lead to the widespread violence in the valley. It can only be hoped that police forces will not retaliate with disproportionate force to curb the protests.

Otherwise, it will lead to a cycle of violence. If youngsters will be killed on the streets, more people will be enraged, the more people are angry the more they will protest, the heavier will be the clampdown, then there will be more grievances. This cycle of violence will not do any favour to us and will be considered a blot on the democracy of our country.

Personally, this author does not want anyone to lose his eyes due to the pellet guns, it is better to be hit by a bullet than losing eyesight. After this decision, the real challenge for BJP will be to manage law and order in Kashmir valley.  

End.