The situation in Kashmir is so grim that even the opposition is co-operating with the BJP

The Kashmir Valley has been in the grip of a prolonged spell of violence for nearly a month. As many as 60 persons have been killed and scores injured in the pitched battles between the locals and the security forces. More than 100 persons, including children have been blinded or partially blinded because of the use of pellet guns. Communication between the government and the people has broken down.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh are struggling to break the logjam and restore normalcy in the strife-torn Valley with little success so far. The deteriorating conditions in Jammu and Kashmir are a prime example of how the ruling government has bungled in handling the volatile situation in the border state.

Endorsing the official line

And yet when the situation in Kashmir came up for discussion in Parliament and at an all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, none of the opposition parties went for the Centre’s jugular. Though opposition leaders did refer to the need to win over the hearts and minds of the Kashmiri people and that the Modi government had been found wanting in this regard, they endorsed the official line that Pakistan was sponsoring terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and that the political class is united in its resolve to safeguard the country’s security.

Striking an unusually conciliatory note, Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said despite its differences with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Modi, the Congress is of the view that this is not the time to find fault with the government. “This is no time to stand on prestige. All political parties are with the government and want that normalcy in the Kashmir Valley is restored at the earliest,” he told media persons after the all-party meeting.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley spoke in the same vein at a specially convened media briefing after the all-party meeting. “All parties are of the same opinion… the approach is broadly consensual. They all agree that there can be no compromise on terror, security forces should be on alert but act with restraint and ensure that life returns to normal as far as the common man is concerned,” he said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh echoed the sentiment in the all-party meet. “All parties put forth their concerns in one voice and with the right intent.”

The opposition’s cooperative attitude must have come as a huge relief for Modi who has been at the receiving end from his political rivals over a host of issues including the increasing cases of atrocities against the Dalits.

This is despite the fact that the Modi government has refused to acknowledge that the situation in Kashmir is of its own making and that its poor handling has further alienated the people in the Valley. Instead, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has repeatedly pointed an accusing finger at Pakistan and charged that Islamabad has been fomenting trouble in Jammu and Kashmir. Underlining that that cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan was the genesis of the tension in the Kashmir Valley, Modi stated, “Terrorism is the basis of tension in Kashmir and it is being supported by a neighbour.”

Nobody in the opposition disagreed with Modi. In fact, the opposition went along with the government on its hardline approach towards Pakistan. “This is no time for a dialogue with Pakistan… not when it has waged a war of words against India, “ remarked Azad. Similarly, the opposition also accepted Modi’s new formulation enunciated in his statement at the all-party meeting. With Islamabad raising the issue of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir both nationally and at international fora, Modi countered by pointing to the condition of people living in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir which, he said is part of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir

Giving a fresh twist to New Delhi’s Pakistan line, Modi went a step further when he asked the external affairs ministry to contact expatriates from PoK living in other countries to expose Pakistan’s atrocities in PoK before the international community. Modi also made doubly sure that a dialogue with Pakistan cannot begin in the near future. Stating that PoK is a part of India, Modi said his government was willing to engage with all stakeholders, including the people living in PoK, in its effort to resolve the ongoing tension in Kashmir.

The Modi government was also non-committal on the opposition’s demand to stop the use of pellet guns and to enter into a dialogue with all stakeholders including the separatists. Both the Communist Party of India’s D.Raja and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury made a strong case for initiating confidence building measures in the Valley, which includes a ban on the use of pellet guns.

While giving no assurance in this regard, Jaitley said the government has set up an expert committee on this issue and a decision will be taken after it submits its report. The government also rejected the opposition demand that an all-party delegation be sent to the Kashmir Valley for an on-the-spot assessment of the ground situation. The government also failed to spell out any time frame for a dialogue with the various stakeholders in Kashmir as suggested by the opposition and took a hardline on any talks with the separatists.

Even though their demands were not accepted, the opposition, nevertheless, assured the government of its full backing to any measures that it planned to take in restoring peace in Kashmir and dealing with Pakistan. “The situation in Kashmir is very grim, we cannot afford to be partisan on such a sensitive issue,” explained D.Raja.