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| Politics on Maqbool Bhat, Guru & boycott in Kashmir | | 
K B Jandial
Electioneering in India is no hold bar and mudslinging in the heat of campaign to garner votes is nothing new. And interestingly, the parties throwing mud on each other in the campaign, later on become favourite partner to form a coalition to grab power in the event of fractured mandate. After all, politics often make strange bed fellows.
Campaigning in Kashmir too witnessed such mudsling between the both ruling coalition partners to the amusement of the people. But the third phase of assembly election, polling for which has been successfully held on Tuesday with equally heavy polling disappointing the separatists’ clan and their Pakistani mentors, witnessed different electoral gimmicks, which many consider as totally atrocious, to woo voters. NC’s two contesting candidates- Rajya Sabha member and candidate in Pulwama constituency Ghulam Nabi Ratanpuri and Ghulam Hassan Wani candidate in Baramulla constituency, have used objectionable method to hoodwink voters.
Ratanpuri had published posters with his picture seeking votes in the name of “ justice for the families of Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru and also to Syed Ali Shah Geelani who is kept most of the time under house arrest”
Another candidate, Wani while contesting election has justified separatists’ call for boycott which has been repeatedly rejected by the people. Separatists since 1996 have been campaigning for election boycott on the plea that the state is under “Indian occupation” and the elections are just an eye wash to hoodwink world opinion. Earlier, the poll percentage used to be around fifty or even less in some pockets, and they would draw some consolation from low polling in Srinagar city, Sopore and Pulwama district. In the face of rebuff from voters, they would meekly say that elections are no issue and more over, it can’t be a substitute for “referendum”. If so, then why in the first place, they call for boycott and coerce voters from venturing to polling booths?
All through, the mainstream parties had been opposed to such boycott calls insisting that elections are for sarak, bizli and pani and not for “resolution of Kashmir issue”. But this time, atleast one candidate is justifying the call boycott as a democratic process while himself seeking votes from the people. Baramulla constituency too ignored boycott call this time also. No doubt, the Election Commission does not treat boycott calls as electoral offence unless it is coupled with threats, intimidation and effort to prevent voters from exercising their right of franchise. By campaigning against voting, even separatists are inadvertently in the fray. While the fate of hundreds of contesting candidates is known on the day of counting but the public support to those calling boycott calls becomes known on the day of polling. Be it that, it is appears to be a political hara-kiri of the candidate in the wake of expected defeat in the elections.
To the credit of the NC, the party has distanced itself from both the actions of both the candidates. Its spokesman categorically stated that the party does not support it. But it took no action against its erring candidates either. It is seen that candidates and parties do try to make certain issues as rallying points. In Kashmir, election boycott, Afzal Guru, Maqbool Bhat and even Geelani’s frequent house arrests were made rallying points besides article 370.
While both the candidates do not appear to have committed any penal or even electoral offence but are they morally and politically justified in invoking these dangerous issues for few votes? They belong to a major pro-India political establishment which has been ruling the state for pretty much longer time than any other party. On a TV channel, Ratanpuri justified his controversial posters on the ground that Kashmiris are always singled out for “injustice” and in support of this charge he mentioned that mortal remains of the hanged Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru have not been handed over to their families so far despite jail manual , which is a grave injustice the families concerned.
There is no dearth of politicians who question the hanging of Afzal Guru while some even claim that he did not get a fair trial. The fact remains that both Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru were convicted after fair trials and raking up such issues in the election cannot dilute their culpability and clear involvement in heinous crimes. A question arises why the ever aggressive and proactive Srinagar Bar Association did not rush its battery of reputed lawyers to defend Guru in the trial court?
Ratanpuri has been raising the issue of hanging of Guru and his burial in Tihar jail in the Parliament and even given petitions to the concerned authorities to get the dead body of Guru but with no success. Now, how he would succeed in state Assembly what he could not do so in highest temple of Indian democracy. Isn’t it amount to befooling people or raising their expectation unnecessarily? If NC was genuinely outraged at the hanging of Guru, why didn’t the CM resign when he was told about the impending hanging of Guru and advised to rush to the valley to prepare for any public reaction? Maqbool Bhat’s execution had the approval of the then NC Govt.
Is Ratanpuri or NC really interested in bringing Guru’s mortal remains or for that matter that of Maqbool Bhat in the valley? Would the State Govt. be able to handle the grave situation which Pakistan, militants and their over ground supporters would create by whipping up public sentiments? Do they want to recreate nineties? Ratanpuri and for that matter, everyone in the State knows why the Centre did not hand over these bodies of such types of terrorists. Did US hand over Osama Bin Laden’s body to Pakistan or his family after he was killed in a secret operation in Abbotabad, Pakistan on May 2, 2011? Is NC ready to diminish the prime importance of mausoleum of its founder and State’s tallest leader Sher-i-Kashmir by allowing a similar tomb which in all likelihood would become a permanent rallying point in the valley for secessionists’ sentiments to unstable the state.
Ratanpuri laments that Geelani sahib is frequently kept under house arrest in Srinagar and in Delhi and he wants voters to send him to Assembly to give justice to him from such frequent detentions. It is not expected that an enlightened and experienced person like Ratanpuri does not know why Geelani is frequently detained? The law provides detention of any person who is perceived to be a threat to peace and public order. He is detained at his own house whenever he plans to do something that has potential to disturb peace and order. The law and other authorities take action accordingly. India is not banana republic for that matter under military junta where profess no rule of law. Despite militancy, rule of law is followed in J&K with vibrant judiciary and aggressive and independent media. And then, who is detaining him? His own party is ruling the State. How he proposes to give justice to Geelani sahib in new dispensation in the state when he being MP could not deliver him justice in J&K which is under his own Govt.
Such gimmicks amount part of bad politics in order to win election which can never be a substitute for good governance. The state definitely needs a new public discourse for treading a path of peace, stability, dignity and equity for which NC stands for.
(The writer is former Secretary information, health, transport,CAPD departments and a member of Public Service Commission)
(Opinions expressed in write-ups/articles/Letters are the sole responsibility of the authors and they may not represent the scoopnews.in)
Editor, Scoop News
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