Daily Times

For almost seven decades, armed struggle, religious fundamentalist chauvinism and nationalism have failed to deliver any respite to the oppressed masses of Indian-occupied Kashmir. ‘Democracy’ and development under a brutal occupation are a cynical farce. The Kashmir People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) coalition with the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is nothing but a blatant betrayal for the Kashmiri masses that voted for the PDP in the recent elections, making it the largest party in the State Assembly. The PDP’s leaders have trampled over decades of struggle by Kashmiri workers and youth against Indian rule and have jumped into bed with Modi’s Hindu fundamentalist BJP to form a coalition government.

The BJP president, Amit Shah, announced the ‘deal’ after meeting PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti in New Delhi, saying the two parties had resolved most of their differences. “In a few days, Jammu and Kashmir will have a BJP and PDP alliance government,” Mr Shah told reporters. Mehbooba Mufti sounded more cynical than ironic: “PDP and BJP have formed a joint agenda for development. This alliance is not for power-sharing but it is to win the hearts and minds of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” The PDP won 28 seats in the December elections for Kashmir’s State Assembly with the BJP coming a close second with 25 seats, a feat unthinkable just a year ago.

Both parties benefited from widespread public discontent against the previous National Conference administration over its handling of the devastating September floods that killed more than 200 people in Kashmir. The disputed region was placed under New Delhi’s direct rule in January after the two parties failed to agree on key and prickly issues. The PDP has long demanded the removal of a draconian law in Kashmir that gives Indian forces sweeping powers to search, enter property and shoot on sight, which is seen by critics as a cover for human rights abuses. The demagogy is now exposed. The BJP has said the law was needed to halt militants fighting for Kashmir’s independence or for its accession with Pakistan. The fighting has left tens of thousands of people dead, mostly civilians.

The results of the Kashmir Assembly elections opened a new vista for the BJP to capture power in connivance with dubious elements in Kashmir. The intrigues and deception of the BJP’s Kashmir accomplices are a curse for the masses. If the coalition succeeds, this crime will pave the way for the saffronisation and brutal intrusion of corporate vultures to extort the economy and devastate the environment and landscape of the serene Kashmir Valley. The PDP’s criminal role in this will enable the BJP to acquire a foothold in the Valley, though the majority electorate gave the verdict of its rejection.

It is not a coincidence that in the aftermath of the poll results, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS’s) Organiser reprinted its editorial of January 15, 1948 titled ‘Kashmir: The Spiritual Home of Hindus’: “The Maharaja is more sinned against than sinning. The Hindu kingdom is one of the oldest in world history and is an indissoluble part of the cultural hegemony of Hindustan.” On January 4, 2015 it wrote: “For J&K, it is a beginning of real democratic integration…BJP has now entered into power politics of the state, as it is the second largest party with 25 seats. Its mission 44+ failed but in coming six years, no Party or Coalition in power can ignore the strength of BJP. However, the party has missed a good opportunity as it has lost 9% of its support from May 2014, because BJP got more than 32% votes in 2014 parliamentary elections. It had at least the opportunity to get all 37 seats of Jammu and 4 seats of Ladakh.”

The PDP leaders were all praise for Vajpayee throughout the election campaign. Their rhetoric of having ‘reservations’ in forming a coalition with the BJP was a mere ruse. The BJP was not deceived. The hung Assembly provided an excuse and Mufti immediately leapt for the BJP. It was a charade to dispel doubts in the party rank and file. The BJP is simply not going to honour any promises it has made to secure the deal. Its wily chief, Amit Shah, is too devious even for the foxy PDP leaders. Mufti struck this deal for lust, power and wealth. The BJP’s ‘development’ tonic is a poisonous recipe for the Kashmiri masses. Its superficial Hindutva chauvinism is in reality a facade for the dejected masses to aggressively peddle policies for the profits of its real bosses, the Indian and western corporate capitalists. This coalition of opportunism and reaction shall face mass revolt sooner rather than later.

The secular nationalists have collapsed after abandoning their left-wing ideas and are terrified of any mention of socialism in their programme. In the past, leaders like Maqbool Butt unambiguously rejected the capitalist path of independence while advocating socialism. The Islamic fundamentalists were exposed with their brutalities towards the ordinary Kashmiris and partial withdrawal of covert sponsorship by the sections of the Pakistani state under pressure from US imperialism. There is a seething hostility and revulsion against the BJP despite its 25 seats achieved through electoral manipulations, whipping up of Hindutva prejudices and the rhetoric of development. The Indian state can never win the hearts and minds of ordinary Kashmiris within the present system. Kashmir’s political elite has proved to be subservient to Indian and Pakistani bosses for its own opportunist reasons of plunder and privilege at the cost of the excruciating class and national oppression of the masses of this serene Himalayan valley turned into a tragic land.

While India and Pakistani are playing a cat and mouse game across the Line of Control (LoC) with indiscriminate live artillery bombardment, it is ordinary Kashmiris who are the real victims on both sides of the line. Kashmiris living across the artificial border in Azad Kashmir under Pakistani control have seen nothing but poverty, misery and deprivation, and have escaped this azadi (freedom) for menial jobs in Pakistani cities and the scorching heat and brutal regimes of the Gulf states. Those remaining are in a relentless quest to flee from this azadi. The economy of Azad Kashmir is actually based on remittances from workers abroad. On both sides of the LoC the masses are subdued while the Kashmiri elite politicians of the indigenous ruling classes, from the Islamists to the secular nationalists, are complicit in the oppression and plunder of the Indian and Pakistani capitalist states. However, the recent victory of the CPI (M)’s Comrade Yousaf Tarigami in the State Assembly elections from Kulgam and the resurgence of the Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF) with a Marxist leadership across the LoC, are signs of an optimistic future for the struggle and revolutionary perspectives for the movement in Kashmir. These sparks of defiance of the Kashmiri youth and masses against the prevalent states and capitalist system can ignite an inspiring revolutionary inferno throughout the South Asian subcontinent.

The writer is the editor of Asian Marxist Review and international secretary of Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign. He can be reached at ptudc@hotmail.com