SRINAGAR: I was surprised to read that the upper house of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly has passed a resolution making September 23, the birthday of Hari Singh the last Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, a state holiday. The reason provided was to recognize the erstwhile Maharaja’s contribution to the development of the state. The resolution created the expected chain reaction. National Conference and Congress staged a walkout and described the resolution passed by upper house as illegal and undemocratic on the grounds that they had staged a walkout from the house on January 24 when the resolution was passed. The reaction of separatists was expected, and they hit out at the PDP-BJP government for trying to rewrite the history of Kashmir and to present the villains of Kashmir as heroes.
The reaction on social media was very interesting. Some Kashmiri youth suggested that the government delete July 13 -- the martyrs day-- as a state holiday as now late Maharaja Hari Singh is the real hero of the government. Their argument is simple. You cannot have both July 13 and September 23 as state holidays. If the government believes that those Kashmiris killed on July 13, 1931 are the victims and the government of that time -- led by late Maharaja Sing -- their tormentor, then how can they also have September as a state holiday? Independent MLA Engineer Rashid while joining the debate in the national assembly on this issue raised the same points when he asked the government to come clean on this issue -- to either declare late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah as the hero or the late Maharaja Hari Singh.
Some netizens made very valid remarks and one of them suggested that the government declare May 13 also a state holiday, as it was on on this day that late Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the ideologue of RSS and BJP, was arrested on the Jammu and Kashmir border when he was trying to press for repealing of the special status conferred to the state.
Grandson of late Maharaja, Ajat Shatru Singh tabled the resolution in the upper house, pleading for the recognition of the work and contribution of his grand-father in the development of J&K state.
What should the government do in such circumstances? PDP is already facing the music on the ground in Kashmir valley for aligning with BJP in the state. Mehbooba Mufti so far has not been able to move a single step on a Kashmir-centric agenda of alliance while the BJP as a partner has been able to move very rapidly on its own agenda. The central government, instead of releasing flood funds, released money to the tune of rupees 5000 crores for West Pakistani refugees for their settlement. Similarly, the BJP government has already got the land identified for the cluster development of Kashmiri pandit colonies in Kashmir valley.
The resolution on state holiday for the recognition of the work and contribution of the last dogra ruler who is responsible for signing the instrument of accession with the union of India in 1947, has added to the fears of Kashmiri people that Muftis have sold everything, including the respect of Kashmiris, for power. This perception is being reinforced and multiplied by the implementation of a pro BJP agenda and with each passing day.
From the transfer of power projects to talks with separatists, BJP government at the center has refused to move on any of these points written on the agenda of alliance, making the credibility of Mehbooba Mufti in Kashmir valley more vulnerable. Opposition National Conference, Congress and Separatists say that they have been vindicated by the failure of Mehbooba Mufti to justify her alliance with the BJP. When Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed decided to form the government with the BJP instead of the open offer of support by National Conference and Congress, he said that he has taken the risk only for the greater good of Kashmir with the hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the Kashmir dispute internally and externally. Post surgical strikes, talks with Pakistan are still a distant dream and talks with separatists are being avoided despite the urgency shown by many human rights groups and others like the one led by senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha.
In such circumstances, any pro Jammu move will be seen by the people of Kashmir as a part of conspiracy to provide a foothold to the RSS in the Muslim dominated valley and also will reinforce the growing perception among the people here that Mehbooba Mufti is in the saddle of power and she has abdicated her responsibility to safeguard the interests of Kashmiris. If this perception is allowed to grow by the present coalition government without taking lessons from the continuing unrest which started in July 2016, any new agitation -- which is evident from the recent decisions like going ahead and making separate colonies for Kashmiri pandits -- would prove to be a disaster.
Maharaja Hari Singh, like all the dogra rulers and other despots, are regarded in Kashmir valley as tormentors who have trampled over the respect and blood of Kashmiris to subjugate them. The resolution in the upper house and prior to that, utterances of the state education minister that he will ensure positive contribution of dogra rulers in the new curriculum of students, will only add to the fears in the minds of Kashmiris that RSS and right wing elements are trying to kill their resistance and rewrite their history.
(Cover Photo by BASIT ZARGAR)
(This article has been only minimally edited so as to retain the original argument. It is an opinion piece appearing in the Young Citizen section of ‘The Citizen’ and does not necessarily represent the view of the publication).