Faces major challenges ahead to ensure peaceful Amarnath Yatra, by-polls
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]J[/dropcap]ammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has managed to earn another lifeline from the Union government headed by Narendra Modi to try and restore order in the Kashmir valley. On Monday when she met Prime Minister in New Delhi speculations were rife in the corridors of power back home that time is running out for her and she will have to do tightrope walking to survive in the coming months.
While she was still meeting union leaders after her one-on-one meeting with the Prime Minister, several parts of Kashmir were witnessing street protests involving students and protesters. Significantly, a large number of girl students took to the streets and braved tear gas shells while pelting stones on the security forces. These girls were also heard chanting slogans of ‘Azadi’.
As the day progressed a senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader leader, Abdul Gani Dar, District President Pulwama, too was shot dead by unidentified militants. This is the fourth incident of ‘targeted political killing’ in Kashmir valley since April 15.
Before heading home Mehbooba Mufti was once again asked tough questions by the Kashmiri politicians who have been gunning for her head for a long time.
Omar Abdullah gunning for Mehbooba’s head?
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]F[/dropcap]ormer Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference (NC) leader, was the first one to raise question marks on her leadership abilities. He lost no time in tweeting immediately after her meeting with the Prime Minister ended. “The CM has managed to get herself a reprieve from the PM & secured her job for 3 more months. Sadly nothing will improve with her in office”.
The NC leader also asked the Chief Minister to wake up to the reality on ground.
In another tweet he shared his concern over growing number of students taking part in the protests – “While @MehboobaMufti goes door to door in Delhi to save her job the State teeters on the brink-student protests are the new worry,” Abdullah said.
The NC leader also asked the Chief Minister to wake up to the reality on ground. He tweeted, “Madam, you are UNABLE to hold elections to the Parliament seat you vacated. Please wake up & smell the reality of your leadership”.
Mehbooba Mufti batted for initiating dialogue process
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]C[/dropcap]hief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti Monday strongly pleaded for initiating dialogue in Jammu & Kashmir to get the State out of the clouds of uncertainty, violence and bloodshed. She also sought compensation to the State for the losses it is suffering due to the Indus Water Treaty.
The Chief Minister also brought to the notice of the Prime Minister the colossal losses suffered by Jammu & Kashmir due to Indus Water Treaty and sought compensation for the same.
The Chief Minister said dialogue is the only way forward for unbundling the knots of mistrust and uncertainty in the State and herald it to a level of prosperity and welfare.
She said it was the dialogue only due to which many path-breaking initiatives were taken in the State. She said peace and dialogue are interdependent on each other.
The Prime Minister told the Chief Minister that in the twin pronged objective of dialogue and development lies the solution to all the problems of the State and all efforts would be made in this regard.
The Chief Minister also brought to the notice of the Prime Minister the colossal losses suffered by Jammu & Kashmir due to Indus Water Treaty and sought compensation for the same.
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]S[/dropcap]he informed Mr Modi that the recurring losses to the State due to non usage of waters of its rivers for agriculture, power and irrigation have gone beyond Rs.30000 crores ($4.66 billion) as the treaty does not allow storage of its river waters by the State.
Madhav is the in charge of the Bharatiya Janata Party affairs in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Prime Minister assured the Chief Minister that the demand for compensation would be appropriately addressed and ways and means would be explored to see how the State is properly compensated.
Many other issues like progress on ‘Agenda of Alliance’, obtaining situation in the State and other related matters also came up for discussion during the meeting.
The Prime Minister assured Mehbooba Mufti of full support from the Centre in its approach on these issues.
Interacting with the waiting media persons, the Chief Minister appealed all sections of society in the country to help in creating a conducive atmosphere for dialogue and reconciliation in the State. She specifically appealed media to play a positive and constructive role while reporting things about Kashmir.
In a separate meeting with Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, Mehbooba Mufti also underlined the urgent need for initiating dialogue with all shades of opinion in the State.
The Union Home Minister told Mehbooba Mufti that already an advisory has been issued to all state Governments about protecting and safeguarding students from the State in their areas.
Later in the day, the Chief Minister also met the union Law Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad and brought several issues concerning his Ministry into the notice of the union Minister and sought their redressal
BJP standing behind PDP?
The BJP on Monday denied any rift in the BJP-PDP alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir and assured the Mehbooba Mufti-led government of its continued support.
“There is no rift in the BJP-PDP alliance,” BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav told the media here after Peoples Democratic Party supremo and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital.
Madhav is the in charge of the Bharatiya Janata Party affairs in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We have extended all support to the state,” he said.
According to him, the party’s main concern is to bring “normalcy” in the Kashmir Valley within one-two months.
Challenges ahead
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]E[/dropcap]nsuring good governance, smooth Amarnath pilgrimage and peaceful conduct of the by-poll for South Kashmir seat slated for May 25 would be three major challenges for Mehbooba Mufti led alliance govt in the coming months.
…holding by-polls for Anantnag Lok Sabha seat would be her biggest achievement.
She is expected to thrash her government’s strategy on how to tackle the security situation at a high level meeting of Unified headquarters in Srinagar on Tuesday. Since Prime Minister too urged her to ensure peaceful atmosphere in the state her first priority would be to contain public anger on the streets of Kashmir valley.
Secondly peaceful conduct of Amarnath Yatra from June 29 till August 7 would be one of the biggest challenges for her govt in the wake of communally surcharged atmosphere in the state.
Thirdly, holding by-polls for Anantnag Lok Sabha seat would be her biggest achievement.
Note:
1. The conversion rate used in this article is 1 USD = 64.44 Rupees.
2. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
3. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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Perhaps the biggest fault of Mehbooba Mufti and its BJP ally in coalition is its colossal failure to propagate the truths and lies of Azadi in Kashmir, the Kashmir Valley’s demands for a Plebiscite and pre-1953 autonomy for the J&K State. All these demands, raised now and again, need to be compiled properli in an e-mail book form in English, Urdu and Jindi to be circilated freely in the J&K State. Knowledgable Lectures based on such a book should also be given by respected communicators like Dr Subramanian Swamy, Arun Shourie and Madhu Kishwar to students of secondary schools and colleges, teachers and educationists in the J&K State, with detailed Question & Answer sessions. Further, “Swachh Bharat” mission should be used to clean Srinagar and other affected cities of all the stones being used there for throwing at security forces. If needed, hundreds of students must be given jobs to clean the cities of all stines. Several similar solutions can be offered. But one most important will be to select 15,000 young men for jobs in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Danan Diu, Puduchery and such other relatively isolated territories with training in various required skills; the salary offered should be about Rs 10,000 a month, with free board and lodge facilities, while allowing them to spend their after-work energy on tiring sports like football, hockey, basketball and athletics. The objective of all such activities should be to ensure the energy of the youth to be expended in useful directions while a reasonably paid job keeps them monetarily satisfied.
Kashmir could turn out to be Modi and Amit Shah’s Achilles heel