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Amid the outrage over the recent killing of a migrant Kashmiri Pandit government employee, Rahul Bhat, by militants in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) feels that apart from the government’s protective measures for the migrant community, their permanent return to their homes in the Valley will be possible only when the local majority community also comes out in their support. This was spelt out by the Union Territory’s senior BJP leader Nirmal Singh, ex-deputy chief minister of erstwhile J&K state, in an interview with The Indian Express. Excerpts:
In view of continued incidents of targeted killing of minority community by terrorists in Kashmir, what do you feel about the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley?
It is not that all the people in Kashmir are with terrorists and separatists. For the first time, people, including those from the majority community, have come out on the roads in protest against Rahul Bhat’s killing by militants – and this is the only solution. Though they took out a candle march, it is a positive development, which gives me a feeling that a ray of hope is still there. However, it is yet to be seen as to how many people from the majority community will come out as the fear of gun remains, but they have to stand up for lasting peace in the Valley. This is how we have been able to wipe out terrorism in erstwhile Doda district. The people there stood up and fought the terrorists.
What can make Pandits feel safe in the Valley and enable them to stay there permanently?
The BJP believes that Kashmiri Pandits will be able to return home permanently when they have full protection and security, apart from an atmosphere where they are able to live honourably and feel empowered there. Their population may be only 4-5 per cent of the total population, but they are part of its democratic set-up and only then they can feel themselves partners in Kashmir society. While government is working in that direction, the Delimitation Commission too has recommended that the Centre consider a provision for nominating at least two Kashmiri migrants, including a woman, to the Legislative Assembly.
Until then, what should the government do to ensure the safety of minority community members working and staying in Kashmir?
At present, the migrant Kashmiri Pandit employees posted in the Valley have security only at the places they stay in government quarters. From there, they have to travel long distances to their places of work and en route they can be easy target. Apart from them, we also have a large number of Scheduled Castes living in Kahsmir’s interiors. There are Dogras, Brahmins and others too…They too are soft targets. Last year, a school principal Satinder Kour and a teacher in a government school were killed in Srinagar’s Idgah area.
All these people should also be posted at district headquarters which have secure environment. If they stay and work in secure zones, things will be different as it may not be possible to provide security in each and every village where a minority community teacher is posted. At the same time, the government shall expedite the process of construction of transit accommodation for stay of Kashmiri Pandit migrants at six places until they go to their native places.
In your opinion, how is the situation there at present?
Gradually, we are heading towards normalcy but Pakistan, ISI and also those who sympathise with them are trying to vitiate the atmosphere through terrorists, who are resorting to targeted killings so as to stop the development and disturb peace. While they are targeting Kashmiri Pandits and other Hindus working there as their presence in the Valley is one of the parameters to show normalcy, they are not sparing even Muslim police officials and others including outsiders whether they are Hindus, Muslims or Sikhs. They are the enemies of peace. However, there is other side of the picture too. The situation is well under control as terrorists are on the run – they are being killed daily and their commanders neutralised in a very short time.
How do you see the continued targeting of minorities by terrorists?
Considering the police and security forces’ pressure on them, they are changing their strategy. Sometimes it seems that they have succeeded, but you see that ultimately the government, security forces and people will succeed and they will definitely defeat these enemies of peace.
What has been the changes after August 5, 2019, when the Centre moved to abrogate Article 370?
The first benefit of the constitutional changes has been its hitting the root cause of separatism. Psychologically, people, especially Kashmiris, have started understanding that this is our system and they are now questioning all those leaders who used to exploit and mislead them in the name of J&K’s special status vis-a-vis its relations with India, saying that there will be streams of blood and no one will be left to uphold the national tri-colour.
Today, private investors are coming, tourists are coming, people are earning their livelihood. The government is talking about investment worth Rs 70,000 crore in the private sector. Development is taking place, roads are being built…all this is benefiting people. Lakhs of jobs will be created following private investment at such a massive scale. All this has started after 2019 and it takes time for things of such a massive scale to materialise. Kashmir is having a bumper tourist season and there has been a considerable increase in the number of pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. Who is benefited if all the rooms in hotels get occupied.
The way stone-pelting has stopped and there is no call for bandh in Kashmir, an ordinary Kashmiri has started looking with hope for peace and development. The people are appreciating the decisive action being taken by government to wipe out not only terror but also to dismantle the entire ecosystem which supported them. The general public too want lasting peace and development for better future of their children and so they have started providing information leading to the elimination of terrorists and their commanders within days of their joining terror ranks. In view of their facing such a big defeat, the Pakistan-backed terrorists, like cowards, have started targeting innocent and hapless unarmed people. Rahul Bhat’s killing is also one in that series.
How do you see the role being played by the Kashmiri leadership in normalising the UT’s situation?
The Kashmiri leaders, especially former chief ministers, are trying to vitiate atmosphere by adding fuel to the fire through their rhetoric. They do not support Kashmiri Pandits and have no concern for others in the Valley, but are only doing lip service to them. They only talk of Kashmiriyat, but are not coming out openly against terrorists, who are challenging Kashmiriyat by killing innocent people daily.
Now, as their agenda is failing, they have started raising question mark over all the constitutional institutions of the country, be it the Delimitation Commission or the Supreme Court and even the democratically-elected Government of India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. By doing so, they are indirectly supporting terror and the Pakistani strategy.
The Delimitation Commission is headed by a retired Supreme Court judge with members like the Chief Election Commissioner and J&K’s Election Commissioner. It has associate members, and they all met the Commission, had discussions and made representations. Like them, BJP too gave its representations, but the Commission did not accept many of them. However, they (Kashmiri leaders) have started questioning the delimitation exercise.
But they complain about restrictions on their political activities?
Following the government’s action after August 5, 2019, their activities had been contained to some extent, resulting in normalisation of situation during the past two years. They were later invited to Delhi on the initiative of Prime Minister Modi and during the meeting their talks generated an impression about their fighting through democratic means, but thereafter they are again resorting to the same old things so as to address their separatist constituency and to garner public votes. The government will have to deal with them too. While they shall be allowed to carry on their activities within the constitutional means and democratic parameters, no one be allowed to vitiate the atmosphere.
What is the BJP’s move to counter them politically?
We too are organising many programmes to expose them and to restore people’s confidence. Our leaders and workers are trying to reach out to the Kashmir people through democratic means.
Our party president and other leaders there are meeting not only the Kashmiri Pandits, but people from other communities also. I too had been in South Kashmir recently. For us, all the victims of terrorism, irrespective of their caste and religion, are Indians and they have sacrificed their lives for the nation. The BJP is working there keeping it in mind.
We are also trying to reach out to every household in the Valley to apprise people of various central public welfare schemes. Though there are over 150 such schemes, we are mainly focusing on six of them including Ayushman Bharat, e-Shram Card, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, Old Age and Widow Pension – and helping people get domicile certificate, which is required to avail benefits of all government schemes. We have complete data….the names of the people left out, the areas where it is yet to be done. While in Kashmir, the possibility of 100 per cent saturation of the benefits of these government schemes is less, but in Jammu areas like Basohli, where party had entrusted the job to me, we have tried to reach every household. Across J&K we are simultaneously doing political activism and public service. At the party headquarters in Jammu, senior BJP leaders have been tasked to hold daily sittings on a rotational basis to act as a bridge between people and administration by listening to the former’s grievances and then getting their redressal by the latter. The people from all communities come from places like Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar and Doda. The idea is to restore confidence among the people and also to expose separatists and their sympathisers, who are misleading them. Similar grievance redressal meetings may be planned in Kashmir soon.
When will the J&K Assembly polls be held?
Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have already said the elections will be immediately held after the completion of delimitation of Assembly constituencies. Now, with delimitation process having been over following the Delimitation Commission submitting its final report to the government, the elections are expected any time now. We can hope for these to be held between October-December this year.
Will J&K become state after the Assembly elections?
It has already been said at the country’s highest level that the statehood will be restored after situation normalises in J&K. We in J&K are fighting a proxy war, and to defeat it there is every likelihood of Centre keeping law and order under its direct control for some time. We too have remained in government and we have seen that there had been one direction to security forces and police at the Unified Headquarters meetings chaired by Chief Minister. However, after the meeting, the directions were issued to district SPs to release one or the other person.
What is your take on the Delimitation Commission’s bid to ask the Centre to consider the provision for nomination of some representatives of displaced persons from Pakistan-Occupied J&K (POJK) to the Assembly?
It will be of strategic importance. Imagine a person from POJK’s Mirpur, Muzaffrabad, Bhimber or Rawlakote standing up in the J&K Assembly and raising his voice for his people, who are facing atrocities and underdevelopment in those areas across the Line of Control. This is the best thing Delimitation Commission has done by recommending their nomination to the Assembly. While Pakistan already had such reservation on its side, we had kept their seats in our Assembly vacant. We want at least eight seats shall be filled with their representatives through nomination. And for this there shall be a fool-proof system that whosoever comes to power in J&K tomorrow, these seats are not filled on the basis of one’s petty political considerations.
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