BJP national general secretary and so-called BJP’s point-man in the sensitive, strategic and communally-sensitive Jammu & Kashmir, Ram Madhav, came to Kashmir on September 21; not to show the Kashmir-based Pakistan agents a thumb, but to placate the otherwise marginalised separatists and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who had been wrecking the polity both from within and outside in a most brazen manner ever since the BJP handed over the highest executive office to the PDP on a platter completely overlooking its pro-Pakistan, anti-Hindu, anti-Jammu and anti-Ladakh credentials.
We have maintained that our doors are open to all stakeholders in the state…They are welcome to come and have a dialogue…Whoever wants to talk to the Central government, we are open to dialogue. We are open to talking to everybody who wants to come and have a dialogue with us…without any preconditions
A day before, media reports had given the people of Jammu & Kashmir in general and Jammu in particular, cause to understand that Ram Madhav’s visit was calculated to stem the rot in the BJP, review the working of the BJP ministers of the state unit of the BJP and facilitate the exit of the inefficient and corrupt BJP ministers and induction of others perceived, to be honest. All this just turned out to be kite-flying.
Ram Madhav came to Kashmir to reassure the rebellious Mehbooba Mufti that the BJP was solidly behind her and tell the seditionists in Kashmir — who bloodied and convulsed the state, and still continues to bloody and convulse its political scene at regular intervals, disturbing the state’s sensitive socio-religious and political equilibrium for almost 30 years now – that the Narendra Modi Government was ready for talks with them without any pre-condition. In fact, he jumped onto the separatists’ bandwagon in a dramatic manner and pleased them and the votaries of limited accession (semi-independence) such as Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah. He repeated exactly what the rabidly anti-India elements in Kashmir have been saying for decades.
Ram Madhav not only shocked the nation in general but also 6 million Jammu & Kashmir nationalist Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs in particular with his statements. He created an impression that the BJP, like Pakistan, Kashmiri separatists and ardent believers in the concept of a regime outside the political and constitutional organization of India, didn’t consider the state as an integral part of India like other states and that the political status of the state had yet to be decided. He also humiliated, abused and taunted the critics of Article 35-A and Article 370 by declaring that as long as the BJP was sharing power with the PDP, these Articles will not be touched.
What exactly did he say about talks with what he called “stakeholders” and about the divisive, unsettling, anti-women, anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist, anti-Sikh, anti-Hindu refugee and anti-Indian Article 370 and Article 35-A?
“We have maintained that our doors are open to all stakeholders in the state…They are welcome to come and have a dialogue…Whoever wants to talk to the Central government, we are open to dialogue. We are open to talking to everybody who wants to come and have a dialogue with us…without any preconditions,” Ram Madhav told reporters in Srinagar, Kashmir. He made these unsettling comments when asked “if the Centre would extend an invite to the Hurriyat for the resolution of the Kashmir issue” (Tribune, Sep 22).
Ram Madhav overlooked the fact that Jammu & Kashmir became an integral part of India on October 26, 1947, when Maharaja Hari Singh invoked the authority vested in him by the Indian Independence Act of 1947 to merge his princely state with India. He also thought it prudent not to tell the separatists in Kashmir that the only issue which still remained unresolved between India and Pakistan was the determination of the political future of Pakistan-occupied-Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, which had been under the illegal occupation of Pakistan since October 1947. But more than that, he committed a faux pass by using the term stakeholders.
The Indian State is the only stakeholder in Jammu & Kashmir as in any other state of the Union. Yes, people are stakeholders but in matters relating to governance and development. They are constitutionally-bound to defend the unity, integrity, and sovereignty of the country and those who question the territorial integrity are called traitors. Sad that Ram Madhav, a former RSS ideologue, is blissfully ignorant of the cardinal principles of state and sovereignty and goes with those who consider India a banana republic.
As for Articles 35-A and 370, Ram Madhav reportedly said: “The government (in this case the Narendra Modi Government) won’t fiddle with the Article 35-A and Article 370 till they are in the coalition with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu & Kashmir”.
It would be appropriate to quote verbatim a media report in this regard. The report, inter-alia, read like this: “BJP general secretary Ram Madhav Thursday (Sep 21) has told party leaders from Valley that the government won’t fiddle with the Article 35-A and Article 370 till they are in the coalition with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir… Madhav held a closed-door meeting with BJP Kashmir unit workers and functionaries (all Muslims) at Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh’s residence, in Srinagar. During the meeting, Madhav assured the BJP workers that the Government of India will stick to the Agenda of Alliance with PDP and won’t fiddle with Article 35-A or Article 370” (Rising Kashmir, Sep 22).
Article 370 holds Jammu & Kashmir aloof from the political and constitutional organisation of India. Under this atrocious Article, the solitary State of Jammu & Kashmir has a separate constitution and separate flag and also exercises residuary powers. Besides, under this Article, no Central law can be applied to the state without the consent or concurrence of the state government. Article 35-A discriminates between male and female residents of the state and declares all Indians, including the President of the Indian Union and the Prime Minister, outsiders. Neither children of daughters of Jammu & Kashmir married outside the state to non-permanent residents of the state nor any Indian can acquire immovable property in the state or obtain jobs under the state government. Contrarily, the permanent residents of Jammu & Kashmir exercise all rights, without any exception, all over India.
Indeed, Ram Madhav hurt the nation and victims of Islamo-fascists and Article 370 and Article 35-A by saying what he said in Srinagar. Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi take him to task for his outrageous views? He would do well to act against Ram Madhav, revoke Articles 370 and 35-A, cause a 4-way split of Jammu & Kashmir (Jammu, Kashmir and the Ladakh States and Separate Homeland for Kashmiri Hindus within the Valley) and deport Rohingya Islamists from Jammu and other parts of the country. Not to do so or to continue to pursue the same Congress line would only serve to help Islamists in Kashmir eat up Jammu and Ladakh and also Islamise them. The Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs these two very vital regions house are in grave danger.
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It is a surprising statement from Ram Madhav, if he has actually made it. Surprising because, the core of RSS is Akhand Bharath, that extends beyond Afghanistan. Ram is a staunch RSS karyakartha. Is media twisting his statements?
Couple of things –
1. The writer is a reputed J & K academician who has lived all his life in the state.
2. Rajiv Malhotra noted writer mentioned this statement of Ram Madhav and asked a few inconvenient questions (for Ram Madhav) to which he responded by blocking Rajiv. Why didn’t Ram Madhav rebut them?
Its a shame. Why do they want to give them the tag of “stakeholder”? All these years they were on the right path to bring the perpetrators of crime to books., though it was a slow process but it was at least moving. However, this step adopted by BJP whereby promising not to do anything with Article 370, calling them “stakeholder” proves beyond doubt that BJP is failing its promise.
The Government and party should not forget their core values and why they were voted to power. The perpetrators of crime and those supporting terror in the valley must be punished.
BJP had taken up the issues such as 1. Augusta Westland, 2. Triple Talaq 3. Ram Janmbhoomi 4. Kashmir 5. Robert Vadra Land Deals etc on a right note, but nothing has reached its logical conclusion, casting aspersions in the minds of voters.
High time the Government makes their stand clear or they would be voted out of power in the coming elections.
THIS IS YET ANOTHER INSTANCE HOW THE POLITICIANS OF ALL HUE PLAY POLITICS TO REMAIN IN POWER. BJP CAME TO POWER ON THE SENTIMENTS OF THE MAJORITY COMMUNITY. IF ANYONE THOUGHT THAT APPEASEMENT POLICY OF THE CONGRESS AND OTHER PARTIES WOULD BE BURIED DEEP IN THE GROUND BY THE BJP, THIS INSTANCE OF DOUBLESPEAK SHOULD OPEN THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE TO THE TRUTH THAT THINGS WILL NEVER CHANGE.. ECONOMY IS IN THE DOLDRUMS AND THE BJP IS ALREADY GEARING UP FOR THE2019 ELECTIONS. IT IS ALL ABOUT COMING TO POWER AND TO REMAIN IN POWER. NOTHING ELSE WILL MATTER , NEITHER THE NATION NOR THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE.
The carrot and stick,appeasement,genuflection,insulting defense forces policies followed at different times unfortunately not produced a SINGLE FRIEND OF INDIA.It’s always been the Kashmiri Muslims’ expectation that what India has brought to give them in the State and what India will give them if they go outside their homes.
Now if the so called stake holders that Ram Madhav is referring to,bring in Rohingyas into the equation will he consider that too ?
What is the use of nailing all separatists, their role in stone pelting, their hawala transactions and ISI links ? All this just to talk to them unconditionally ?
In the continuing J&K scenario all others except Hindus/Sikhs/Buddhists are considered genuine STAKE-HOLDERS by all Central dispensations till now.
Further the mass of Indian tax-payers/income generators are destined to sustain the luxury of separatists/stone pelters/school burners/terrorists/fifth columnists for times to come despite pious declarations of the present dispensation.
Well..
Let’s hope for the best….
If the government doesn’t do it, god will do it…