V K Singh on the “Kashmir problem”
On January 29, 2011, the then Army chief, General V K Singh, created a history of sorts. That day, during an interview with a news channel in Delhi, he expressed his views on the nature of the “Kashmir problem” (read problem in Kashmir) and virtually said that the Government of India had all along mishandled the Kashmir issue and jeopardized the paramount national interests by pandering to communal and separatist forces in Kashmir, including the ruling National Conference (NC).
The ideology of the movement separatist
It would be only desirable to quote verbatim what he said that day. He, inter-alia, said: “Jammu & Kashmir is a complicated set of things. There has to be a holistic view of what we do there. We have to take a very different view from the long-term perspective. Don’t take decisions for the sake of expediency for a particular purpose. You have to have focus and resolve and the government should put some people on the job…Troop’s withdrawal is not an option at this time. The day 42 camps on the other side are wound up and Pakistan stops its proxy war, that would be the time to withdraw troops. Until that time, it is not possible. Jammu & Kashmir is not about mathematics. We have to be pragmatic about troops reduction. The prevalent undercurrents in the border State are ideologically focused. Ignoring the ideology being preached in the Kashmir valley would be at one’s own peril. We must look very closely at the ideology being preached. What are we doing to counter this ideology? Are the mainstream political parties (in this case the Congress and the NC) doing anything about it?
Chidambaram Kashmir doctrine dangerous
Serving Army chief Gen V K Singh’s observations were very significant. Significant in the sense that only on October 15, 2009, then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram made highly objectionable and unsettling statements on Kashmir. Addressing the All India Editors’ Conference on social and infrastructure issues, Chidambaram had, among other things, said: “Kashmir has a unique geographical location and a unique history. We have to find a solution that may turn out to be unique. The whole effort would be quiet until the contours of a political solution to the problem are found. This is essential to take the process forward. Once the broad contours of a political solution are arrived at, it will be made public at an appropriate time. We must find a solution that is honourable, equitable and acceptable to the vast majority, an overwhelming majority, of the people of Jammu & Kashmir” (read Muslims). He had also said that “the solutions which are applicable to other States cannot be applied to Jammu & Kashmir.” Indeed, Chidambaram hurt the national interest and pandered to secessionists and communalists in Kashmir by saying what he said.
Lt Gen Hasnain counters Gen Singh
What General V K Singh said was not based on heresy. It was based on the ground realities as they existed in Kashmir. The Congress-led UPA government, the Defence Ministry, and the Home Ministry should have appreciated the views of Gen Singh in the larger national interest. But it was not to be. On the contrary, the Defence Ministry seemingly fielded the Srinagar-based 15 Corps Commander, Lt Gen Hasnain, on February 1, 2011, to counter Singh’s views. While addressing reporters on the sidelines of a function organized by the Army at 2 Sector Headquarters, Khanabal, Kashmir, Lt Gen Hasnain said: “Kashmir is a political issue and Army has no role to play in the decision with regard to the revocation of the AFSPA. Kashmir is a political issue and needs to be resolved politically”.
Undoubtedly, Lt Gen Hasnain spoke for and on behalf of the UPA government and virtually told the votaries of Kashmir’s separation from India that New Delhi shared their view, and not the views of Gen V K Singh, and that the UPA government was committed to resolving the so-called Kashmir issue “politically” by granting more autonomy to Jammu & Kashmir.
UPA’s hatred for Gen Singh
Why was the former Army chief, General V K Singh, targeted and demonized by the intolerant and subversive Congress, the corrupt and ragtag UPA government, and the undemocratic and essentially separatist NC-led government in Jammu & Kashmir? The reasons are not far to seek. One of the reasons being Singh disapproved of the UPA government’s Kashmir policy as well as its weak-kneed military and foreign policies.
The other reason was that Gen Singh had refused to fall in line and did his best to expose corruption in the Defence Ministry as far as the procurement of war equipment and vehicles was concerned. He had always put his foot down and opposed those who wanted to procure “sub-standard military equipment and vehicles”. In fact, he even drew the attention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister A K Antony a number of times over this, as most of the Defence equipment had become “obsolete” and there was an urgent need to revamp our war machines so that India could meet the challenge posed by the hostile nations like Pakistan and China. Everything is in the public domain and hence, there is no need to reflect more on this aspect that relates to the defence and unity, and territorial integrity of India.
The third reason was that he as the Army chief vehemently opposed authorities who were hand-in-glove with terrorists and separatist-friendly NC. They had also vouched for the dangerous suggestion of CM Omar Abdullah that the army should be withdrawn from the State and the AFSPA should be repealed. The nation is aware of all this. Therefore, it is not necessary to write anything more on this issue.
Yet another reason that embittered the relations between General V K Singh and the Congress-led UPA government and the NC-Congress coalition government in Jammu & Kashmir was the former General’s views on the Kashmir issue – a fact which is little known.
PM Narendra Modi would do well to revise his Kashmir policy taking into consideration what Gen Singh said in January 2011. It’s true that PM Modi has taken several steps to stem the rot in Kashmir. However, much more is needed to be done. For example, it’s imperative to grant state status to Jammu province and Chandigarh-type UT status to Kashmir, defeat the ongoing land jihad in Jammu, mitigate the hardships of the internally-displaced Kashmiri Hindus, give 100 percent Indian orientation to the Jammu & Kashmir administration and bring the seditionist Abdullahs, Muftis, and others of their ilk in Kashmir to the bleeding nation’s knees.
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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Yes, giving full statehood to Jammu is the best and most appropriate option at this stage. Gradually tightening the screws on the jihadi elements in the admin, and bringing them to books should follow. But the question is that will the deep state allow these changes?
Bleeding India is a pan-agency project and not just pakistan. It is naive to think that the terror on India will stop after pakistan is broken. The project will continue since India is an unfinished business for the conversion lobby on one hand and is an eye-sore for the proponents of secularism, pseudo-diversity and woke lobby.
Think at the rising economic crisis & fall of Pakistan into 4-5 parts, even the die Kashmiris who want to align with Pakistan will not get scared to utter or even hear its echo