It’s a fixed match in favor of BJP
By Mehboob Makhdoomi,
After Mufti Sayeed’s controversial ‘Thank you’ to Pakistan, militants and the Hurriyat, I did expect many more gimmicks from the PDP. And we all know what ensued this week. My personal opinion, which I have a right to speak out, is that apart from the ‘Common Minimum Program’ of PDP-BJP, which is for the public consumption and addresses issues quite broadly, there is another text drafted and mutually agreed-upon, between the two parties. They were not on a picnic for more than two-months, and they weren’t even indecisive about their alliance. It was all about this unpublished draft, which is in its implementation-phase these days.
Let’s see what makes me say that.
In its March 9, 2015 edition, the Economic Times reported Naeem Akhtar as saying that release of Masarat Alam was in line with our CMP with BJP. To make it more direct, let me quote Imran Ansari in the same news item as saying: “BJP was with PDP in Masarat’s release. I don’t think BJP has any apprehensions. They are with us. We have a coalition government.”
Masarat Alam (Courtesy: The Hindu)
BJP on the other side, although denied to be in loop with the state government in the release of Alam, did not even once threaten PDP of pulling out of the alliance, although challenged by many media-men to say so.
When cornered on one television show, Dr Seshadri Chari, member, national executive and convenor, BJP’s foreign affairs cell, said that Modi has taken a very honest approach by aligning with the PDP in the J&K, exactly the way BJP did with the Akali Dal (which also had separatist overtones) in Punjab, to end separatism once & for all. He further said that he cannot reveal on the TV what exactly their steps would be to achieve that end as it’s about statecraft and not being economical with the information.
Is not the cat out of the bag? BJP has got into this ‘South Pole-North Pole Alliance’ with a great sincerity to India’s national interest. Instead of scoring brownie-points against its opposition by being macho in its outlook, they have decided to play a big game, which may nonetheless seem to concede to the pro-freedom sentiments in Kashmir temporarily, but is actually aimed at annihilating it, the Punjab way.
We’ll see if they can succeed or not but that, precisely, is the target. One may ask, why would the BJP feign ignorance about state government decisions, if their intentions are clear? The problem is one, that would not give Mufti (chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed) an image of messiah of taking the BJP head-on and two, BJP in its core constituencies cannot openly appear to be justifying its soft approach towards the Hurriyat and Pakistan, even temporarily; hence the drama.
Do people realise that while the release of Masarat Alam was infusing hope in them, the Jammu and Kashmir government filed a petition, which resulted in the Supreme Court staying the investigation and the proceedings of the Kunan Poshpora case? Assuming the Mufti government to be a sincere one, why would it want a stay in a mass-rape case, which works in favor of its perpetrators and at the same time release Masarat Alam, a pro-Kashmiri gesture?
Technically, these two acts are mutually exclusive to each other. It is a trade-off but in favor of New-Delhi. Masarat’s release is not any irreversible process, as he could be re-arrested any moment of their choice, but Kunan Poshpora proceedings would have dented the morale of the Army and maligned India’s reputation internationally, while bringing relief and a sense of justice to the people of Kashmir.
The BJP might have frozen its tirade against Article 370 for a while but it has not retracted from its historical stance on it. Issue of West Pakistan refugees is still on cards. By projecting Mufti as pro-Kashmir, the aim is to build a constituency for him among the pro-freedom people, which will shrink the space for Hurriyat and militants.
And many Kashmiris, who follow only the Indian media, have entered into the Indian discourse on Kashmir, inadvertently. This is a very realistic approach on part of the BJP as they know that the anti-India sentiment is not the monopoly or brainchild of Masarat Alam and his ilk, but is prevalent in people across the lengths and breadths of Kashmir. The direct confrontation has fetched them more alienation; so Chanakya policy is their last resort.
What a master stroke by BJP and what a wonderful job Mufti is doing for his country, only if Indians themselves don’t spoil it, especially the media.
It’s sheer logic that if the Chief Minister of J&K could threaten and prevail upon the Centre in matters related to Pakistan, militants and Hurriyat, the history of J&K would have altogether been different. It does not work that way. After all, why would Modi and company, look meek, weak, frail, and appear to convince Congress and other opposition forces on the allegations of compromising national security.
This embarrassment and helplessness is something which BJP would never want, for free. It terrifies me when I think what the price could be. Please understand that any state government does not have the capacity to defeat the Central government, that too when the same party is co-governing the same state with it.
Again I say, after this media frenzy stops, we shall see more populist and easily-reversible steps by the state government. But it’s the BJP which shall get real benefits out of this alliance. Thinking they will let Mufti Sayeed dictate terms to them for nothing, is nincompoopery to say the least.
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(Mehboob Makhdoomi is an MBA from Pennsylvania University (IUP), United States with a research degree from Cardiff University, United Kingdom. He is from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. He can be reached at [email protected] )