Two important union ministers visited Jammu and Kashmir during the last few days. Union home minister Amit Shah was on an important and extensive two day visit to Jammu and Srinagar from June 23. Defence minister Rajnath Singh also arrived in Jammu on a visit on June 26.
Their speeches indicated that the ongoing approach and measures being taken by the central government in Jammu and Kashmir will continue. The ministers stated that the measures are based on the commitments, BJP made with the people of the country, and that these measures are proving very effective and successful on all fronts including security and development.
Observers say since the Lok Sabha polls are less than a year away now, any major changes regarding J&K till then are almost unlikely. As the elections will get nearer, the Kashmir related developments would take centre stage at the national level electoral politics.
In Lok Sabha polls the abrogation of article 370 and other developments in J&K since August 5, 2019 are likely to get prominence and would be projected among the major achievements of the BJP government.
In his speech in Jammu, the defence minister said the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35-A was a commitment made by the BJP with the people of the country and the commitment has been fulfilled. ”
By repealing the two articles the government has put an end to the injustice with the people of J&K and injustice with the people in rest of the country,” he said. Rajnath Singh said he would not talk politics since he is making the speech in Jammu university but would talk about the achievements of BJP’s nine year long rule at the centre.
“What we said or committed we did it and fulfilled the commitments. Look at aur (election) manifesto, the promises have been kept,” he said. Besides other things the defence minister also talked in detail about the achievements made on security front and against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Defence minister said that he is waiting for the day when permanent peace returns to J&K and AFSPA is revoked. Rajnath Singh, however, later talked politics with his party colleagues during his visit to BJP office in Jammu and also discussed J&K affairs with them.
With his speech at the Jammu rally and other functions in Srinagar, the home minister Amit Shah set the tone of his party and leadership regarding Jammu and Kashmir for coming months. On political front the BJP central leadership wants ” Abdullah, Mufti and Gandhi families mukt ( free) J&K” and aims at a massive reach out to the youth.
Home minister took head on the leadership of National Conference, PDP and Congress and blamed them for the killing of 42, 000 people due to terrorism during their rule spread over decades. On the day of Amit Shah’s rally in Jammu, the leadership of the three parties was busy in opposition parties’ meeting in Patna.
The opposition meeting was convened to get united against BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Amit Shah described the meeting a photo session and said that the opposition cannot unite and even if they unite, they are no match to BJP led by prime minister Modi. The home minister stated that BJP would bag 300 seats and appealed the people of J&K to vote for the party to become part of his party’s grand success in 2024.
During his speeches in Jammu and Srinagar, Amit Shah did not mention anything about assembly polls. Some months back he had stated that election commission of India has to take a call on holding of assembly polls in J&K.
During his visit , the home minister, however, said that how the grassroots democracy was strengthened by holding elections for panchayat, urban local bodies, block development councils and district development councils.
He accused the Abdullahs, Muftis and Gandhis of subverting the democracy at the grassroots for their vested interests. “Earlier three families controlled Kashmir politics and now 35,000 elected representatives are leading the change,” he said.
Amit Shah defended repealing of article 370 saying it nourished terrorism and corruption and was a hurdle in the development of J&K. Home minister stated that future of Kashmiri youth does not lie in guns and stones. He told them to pick up the laptops and march ahead .”
There are huge opportunities waiting for you in big Indian and global markets. We are waiting for your talent,” he said. He appealed the young generation to become the part of the PM Modi led process of peace and development.
The home minister praised the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for the successful, peaceful and smooth conduct of G20 meeting in Srinagar. He also hailed the role of police and security forces in this connection. Amit Shah added that the leaders of many countries took along cherished memories of hospitality which will further enhance the tourism related opportunities of Kashmir.
“The message of an improved situation in Kashmir reached the world,” he said. Amit Shah said he was returning to Delhi fully satisfied as he felt peace prevailing in the air.
Observers say that the visit of home minister was on the expected lines. He stuck to the line adopted by the central government since August 5, 2019- be it on political, security or development front. The observers also say that targeting NC, PDP and Congress regarding handling of Kashmir can help BJP in Jammu and other parts of the country.
Even as NC and PDP are part of unity moves at national level but their presence in the opposition camp can later prove a disadvantage to opposition because of the pro-article 370 stance of the two parties. It is being widely believed that abrogation of article 370 by BJP government got tremendous public support in the country and that is why some opposition parties also supported the move.
The rest opposition did not say that the abrogation was wrong but they criticised the way it was done. The opposition is unhappy with BJP getting benefited by its major move. The leaders from Kashmir addressing press conferences in other states and criticising the abrogation can prove costly to national opposition parties at election time.
So they may tell the Kashmiri leaders to tone down their statements while in other states. BJP would definitely like to target Congress for the presence of NC and PDP in their camp. Senior BJP leader Tarun Chug in a latest statement said that the political space for the local parties’ leaders in Kashmir has shrunk so much that they have to go to other states to address the press conferences.
Even as they know they have very limited or negligible role in national politics, the NC and PDP leadership is trying to get connected to the opposition parties to counter the atmosphere being created against them.
NC Vice President Omar Abdullah recently said that parties from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which have only six Lok Sabha seats, cannot play any major role in opposition unity.
According to him the unity must come from bigger parties who get over 100 seats and the other parties will then follow them. Despite this stance the Kashmir based parties have no option but to stay connected with opposition for getting acceptance at the national level, which is politically important for them in the long run.
Author is senior editor, Greater Kashmir.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.