Jan 09, 2016
On 7 January 2016, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed
took his last breath. News feeds since then are full of eulogies for the
supposed saint, nationalist and statesman.
Every paean takes me back to that fateful month of December in 1989 when
Mufti's youngest daughter Rubaiya Sayeed was kidnapped by (Yasin Malik's) JKLF. The nation was held to ransom for the daughter of the
Union Home Minister who had taken oath just a few days ago. Bypassing the
elected state government led by Farooq Abdullah, Mufti misused his power and
influence to engineer the release of five dreaded terrorists. Local population
in the valley and friends were confident that Rubaiya was at home or at least
in a safe house where she was safe and well taken care of, all the time.
This
drama of hostage rescue is the watershed event in Kashmir terrorism. Encouraged
by weakness of the state and central administration, terrorism took hold in the
valley. General population started to believe that 'Azadi from India' and
'Pakistan with Pandit women and without the men' is just around the corner.
December 1989 and January 1990 was when lakhs of Kashmiri Hindus had to leave
their homes to become refugees in their own country. For me and lakhs of
Kashmiri Hindus that was the last time we saw home and for that we have Mufti
to thank for.
1989 was not the first time when the ugly head of communal militancy reared its
head in Kashmir Valley. Political experts maintain that Mufti orchestrated the
infamous 1986 Anantnaag riots in which hysterical Muslim mobs took out violent
processions, desecrated and destroyed more than 40 temples, and killed and
looted the helpless Hindu population. In Mufti's constituency Brijbehara alone,
two temples were looted, ancient idols stolen and broken. Kashmiri Hindus
should have anticipated what was to come.
One word that comes closest to describing Kashmiri politicians in general and
Mufti Mohammed Sayeed in particular, is chameleon. No, it's not a kind word. I
don't intend to be kind - the pain is still raw. I call him a chameleon because
he switched loyalties like clothes, seizing opportunities to promote himself
and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti. With subsequent stints in Democratic National
Conference, Congress, and Jan Morcha and later on by launching his own People's
Democratic Party he bargained for more power and more influence with each
stepping stone.
He first became Chief Minister in 2002, backed by Congress on a meagre strength
of 16 in an 87 member strong State Assembly. In 2008 elections, he chose to
stay in the opposition even with 21 seats and in 2015 he chose to form alliance
with BJP on a strength of 28.
Ambition is not a bad thing, manipulating masses
for one's own end is objectionable. While in opposition he engineered coups; in
1977, twice in 1986, in 1990 and in 2008; ushering the Governors' rule every
time. This marginalised the democratically elected parties and sowed seeds of
discord in the electorate. He founded the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in
1999 for which he used the electoral symbol of 'green flag and pen-inkpot' of
the Muslim United Front (MUF) the Jamaat-e-Islami-led conglomerate of
anti-India parties. He kept everyone happy ... happily in the dark.
To the Central Govt he
played the role of a 'Nationalist' who was trying to bring 'healing touch' to
the battered communities through peace and dignity. But the modus operandi of
this healing touch was far from nationalist. He was a firm believer in
Kashmiris' right to 'self-rule'. Ceasefire on the Pakistan border, disbanding
of instruments like Special Task Force and Special Operation Group of Police,
scrapping of The Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (POTA) and release of
political prisoners was all part of his arsenal.
He facilitated bringing the
separatists leaders (read JKLF) to a tri-partite
political dialogue with India and Pakistan. He recommended free trade and
travel between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan Occupied J&K. His
latest preposterous proposal was that the people of Kashmir should be allowed
to transact their business in the Indian as well as the Pakistani currency.
Looking at these steps in totality - these were ploys to weaken the State
influence in Law and Order issues and dilute the army control on borders.
Making borders with Pakistan porous, Mufti's strategy was to pave the way for
uninterrupted smuggling of currency, arms and drugs as well as infiltration of
terrorists.
Kind obituaries are flooding in about the greatness of the man now dead. People
are calling him a statesman and a visionary. He surrounded himself with wise
people and those wise people (often Kashmiri Pandits) must undoubtedly believe
in his secular and nationalist credentials. As a common person who never broke
bread with him, I am entitled to judge his greatness by his impact and legacy.
I will remember the man as someone who stepped on corpses for his political
ambition. For this I cannot wish him peace in afterlife.
May the almighty look after you but I seriously doubt He will.
(Source- Via e-mail from Col NK Balakrishnan Retd )
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