The nation and its 40 hectares

This week, a young fiction-writer-turned-activist writes that ‘denial of Azadi is delusion’. She accuses India of administering ‘military occupation for 18 years’ and causing ‘years of repression in which tens of thousands have been killed, thousands have been disappeared, hundreds of thousand tortured, injured, raped and humiliated’. Political leaders — Abdullah, Muftis, Azad and their colleagues — who were elected and ruled the state during this period and should be answering, let that accusation pass! When our political leaders and administrators convert a 40 hectares land dispute into a ‘secession’ issue in 60 days and award-winning romantic authors rabidly endorse that, I feel it is time to introspect India’s nationhood and governance.

That the crisis in J&K is a result of crass political opportunism, naivety and administrative procrastination, if not slumber, is well known. The governor, Congress, PDP and NC leaders tried to gain vote banks over the temporary allotment of 40 hectares near Baltal. All of them are sidelined today because the secessionists have taken over the situation. The BJP and some other radical Hindus supported the Shri Amarnath Samiti in Jammu. They have not only lost control of the latter but also considerable credibility with young generation in India.

The naïve political leaders exhorted people to agitate, which resulted in violation of law and order, destruction of public property, chukka jams, economic blockade, and even physical assault on policemen. When the secessionist elements took control, the nation witnessed shouting of anti-India, pro-Pakistan and Azadi slogans, people hoisting Pakistan flags, attempts to cross LoC and so on.

... contd.