How BJP is trying to wipe out Muslim majority in J&K

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After seven months of the government, the situation in the state is perhaps worse than what has been seen in Punjab

Daanish Bin Nabi

The alliance government of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir had been aptly termed by chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as a meeting of "North Pole and South Pole."

The thrashing of an Independent MLA Engineer Rashid by another MLA Ravinder Raina of Nowshera, Jammu is yet another example that the two poles cannot meet. The thrashing of a legislator in Jammu and Kashmir is the first of its kind in the history of the state - thanks to the BJP. 


In the past, we have seen incidents like MLAs hurling abuses, marshalling out, snatching of microphones, and a maverick MLA even brandishing a revolver. But the thrashing of a legislator has put the entire state to shame.
Such "Gunda Raj" is new to the state known for its hospitality and genteel way of life. The BJP is now announcing that it is their way or the highway-which, in a democratic set-up (if at all), has no takers.

While the BJP is yet to deal with the blot of Dadri that has scarred its name, the party has again shown its true colours in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

Engineer Rashid is right when he says, "If legislators can have alcohol, why can't I have beef."

In New Delhi, the central government is talking about its seriousness of resolving the Kashmir issue by taking everyone on board, including the Hurriyat leaders. Then why is BJP, the coalition partner in the state, stooping so low? When nearly six to eight BJP members grabbed and kicked Engineer Rashid, he asked them, "Is this democratic behaviour? Then how do you expect separatists to join this assembly?" His question is valid to an extent.

The mediapersons present in the Assembly gallery spoke of how some BJP MLAs were waiting for the Engineer Rashid in the House, and pounced upon him. "If the National Conference MLAs not been present in the House, the BJP MLAs might have beaten Rashid to death," said a correspondent.
Rashid even said the attack by BJP's legislature has proved Mohammad Ali Jinnah's two-nation theory right. When looking at incidents like Dadri killing, Ghar Wapsi, threatening statements against minority communities (Muslims and Christians), the beef ban and, ultimately, the thrashing of an elected legislator, one can only corroborate Engineer Rashid's statement.

This incident is yet another embarrassment for the shaky PDP-BJP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir, which has so far survived six major controversies.

On March 1, the very day he took oath for his second term as chief minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed set the controversy ball rolling. He thanked Pakistan and the Hurriyat for the smooth conduct of Assembly elections in the states. It drew severe criticism from his coalition partner, and from the diverse constituencies of India. Less than a week in government, on March 7, Mufti Sayeed had another face-off with his alliance partners when he released hardcore Hurriyat leader Masarat Alam Bhat. State BJP chief and MP Jugal Kishore Sharma said his party was not even consulted before the decision was taken. This issue was later taken up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament.

On March 13, Mufti Sayeed issued a circular asking all constitutional authorities to maintain the sanctity of the Jammu and Kashmir flag. The BJP did its best to downplay the issue but had to face the opposition. Later, the government circular was revoked. J&K government has officially declared July 13 as Martyrs' Day to acknowledge the sacrifices of 21 civilians who were killed by the brutal Dogra forces loyal to the erstwhile Maharaja of J&K outside Srinagar's Central Jail in 1931.
This state function did not go well with PDP's coalition partner.

Mufti Sayeed and his senior Cabinet ministers attended the function at Martyrs' Graveyard in the old city. But BJP's legislators and ministers in the state government skipped the official function. BJP's senior vice president and its in-charge of Kashmir affairs, Ramesh Arora, said that people killed on July 13, 1931 were not "martyrs" as they were protesting against the state's genuine ruler. The criticism directed towards Mufti Sayeed was obvious, and Kashmir was outraged.

The Mufti-led coalition had to face another deadlock with its alliance partner when the issue of settlement of West Pakistan refugees was raked up in May. The coalition partners later bailed themselves out of the crisis.

Sainik colonies for retired army men and satellite colonies of Kashmiri Pandits have been another thorny issue in Kashmir. The dominant feeling in Kashmir is that the hidden agenda of these projects is to change the Muslim-majority demography of the Valley.

The coalition partners locked horns on this issue but somehow succeeded to put it down.
The quivery coalition in its seven-month reign in Jammu and Kashmir now has been hit by another controversy - the beef ban. On September 9, the Jammu bench of Jammu and Kashmir High Court ordered strictly implementation of an 1880s' law prevention of cow slaughter. The issue is now a major bone of contention between the two unnatural partners.

The mastery of this alliance is its deception. The partners have developed an art to pull themselves out of any controversy. In his recent interview to CNN-IBN, former chief minister Omar Abdullah aptly said that PDP-BJP members can to any extent to remain in power, even if it means diverging from their basic ideologies. Zafar Choudhary, a senior journalist and author of Kashmir Conflict and Muslims of Jammu stands vindicated when one looks at the tenure of the PDP-BJP regime in Jammu and Kashmir.

When negotiations between PDP and BJP to outline the so-called "Agenda of Alliance" were going on in January and February 2015, Zafar wrote, "Akali Dal Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal said 'the BJP and the Akalis or not mere political allies but the natural and spiritual partners, two bodies and one soul'. In a little over seven months, the Akalis are finding themselves in the middle of worst crisis of their political life after the RSS launched a massive expansion campaign in Punjab. The divide has deepened to that level. If this could happen in seven months to the 'two bodies, one soul' combination in Punjab, Kashmir is home to far more contractions to manage. Strictly in terms of policy, what could rock PDP-BJP boat is their very approach to Kashmir politics, leave aside the religion."

Today, after seven months of the PDP-BJP coalition government, the situation in Kashmir is perhaps worse than what has been seen in Punjab.


Published in DailyO on October 10, 2015

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