Daily Times

Governor of Jammu and Kashmir (IOK) Satya Pal Malik, while addressing the seventh convocation of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in Katra, Jammu, asked the Kashmiri youth to “Give it (Kashmir) in the hands of Delhi which has opened its treasure for you” and hepromised “two paradises to them, one here in Kashmir and one in the hereafter.”

He stated, “I am ready to give you two paradises — one in this life and the second in afterlife… there can be a discussion whether you get the paradise after martyrdom or not, but as Emperor Jehangir had rightly said that if there is a paradise on earth, it is in Kashmir. You have already one paradise and you can turn into a crown of the world in this life and secondly if you die as a true Muslim, you will get the promised paradise. That means you can get two paradises, one here and second after the death.”

Governor framed a charge sheet against the Kashmiri leadership and said “Leaders of Hurriyatand mainstream parties in Jammu and Kashmir, religious preachers and clerics have used their influence to get the children of ordinary Kashmiris killed while none of them lost their own to terrorism.” Unfortunately Governor would be leaving Kashmir before 31st October for Goa for the remainder of his tenure as the governor. Girish Chander Murmu who has worked as Modi’s additional principle secretary during his tenure as Gujarat chief minister will take over as administrative head of Kashmir and Jammu provinces.

Kashmiris will see the back of Satya Pal Malik, the architect of dissolution of J & K (IOK) assembly and dismembering of State into union territories. As usual Indian promises of ‘golden roof’ overhead and two paradises will go into the bin. Malik appointed as agent of President of India was in fact a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He was the instrument in post August 5 aggression, occupation and imprisonment of the people of Kashmir.

The outgoing Governor said “If the money which was pumped into Kashmir was used by politicians and bureaucrats in a proper manner, the roof of your homes would have been of gold.” He failed to cross check that Kashmir was ruled by pro India political parties and the money paid towards ‘golden roofs’ could have been pocketed by them and not by Hurriyat.

In fact a clue to the installation of various Governments in IOK and to the disappearance of Indian money, is offered by ex-RAW chief A S Dulat at page 205 in his book “Kashmir – the Vajpayee years”. He writes, “The IB had a sinister reputation in the Kashmiri mind. Part of it was because since Independence, the IB had basically been running Kashmir, advising the home ministry and reporting directly to the prime minister on whatever happened there.”

Hurriyat is a creation of popular sentiment and it has a constitutional discipline adopted on 31 July 1993. It does not preach terrorism, but advocates, the implementation of UN resolutions on Kashmir or a settlement though any other alternate peaceful method. The Objective 2 (i) in Hurriyat Constitution under Chapter II states “To make peaceful struggle to secure for the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir the exercise of the right of self-determination in accordance with the UN Charter and the resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council.”

Satya Pal Malik unfortunately is leaving as Governor before 31 October 2019. However, one would like to address him through these columns and question him about his readiness to give “two paradises” to Kashmiri youth. How would he explain the profiling of Kashmiri youth into five categories and the decision taken by the Inspector General of Police in February 2016 to enhance the reward money for killing Kashmiri militants (unarmed Kashmiri youth). The reward money is paid by the police for killing militants fighting Indian rule in the state. The amount of money is fixed according to the category of a militant, which is decided by his activity. The highest paid category is A++ Rupees 12.5 lakh, followed by category A+Rupees 7.50 lakh, category ARupees 5 lakh, category B Rupees 3 lakh and category C Rupees 2 lakh.This is the worldly ‘paradise’ officially designed for the Kashmiri youth.

Delhi has wanted an armed conflict in Kashmir, to profile, flag and find an excuse to kill the Kashmiri youth. It has killed a generation and five generations of 2.5 million Kashmiri refugees are living in the four provinces of Pakistan

We do not have anything adverse at this point to doubt Governor Malik’s statement that “I have not taken input from the intelligence agencies. They are not telling the truth to Delhi or us. I directly talked to 150 to 200 youths and tried to identify those in colleges and universities who do not stand up for the national anthem. I talked to them and those in the age group of 25 to 30 years, whose dreams have been crushed, are misled and are angry… they do not want Hurriyat, us or Delhi government or autonomy because they were shown that the way to paradise is by getting martyred.” However, he may still be available in Goa, to explain the target killings of highly qualified youth, namely, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Rafi Butt, Dr. Manan Bashir wani, Dr. Sabzar Ahmad Sofi, Dr. Aijaz Uddin Khan and Dr. Abdul Ahad Ganai. They had prepared themselves to serve the people of the State and not for the kind of “martyrdom” illustrated by the Governor.

How could the Governor reconcile the fact revealed by RAW chief that since Independence IB (Intelligence Bureau) had been ruling Kashmir and reporting directly to the Prime Minister of India? In the latter case, Governor of IOK does not have any effective role other than an instrument of the Government of India to facilitate Indian interests in Kashmir.

Under these circumstances or under any other circumstance in the future Kashmiri youth would never trust to give Kashmir “in the hands of Delhi which has opened its treasure for them.” Delhi has mastered the art of lying and deceit. Delhi has wanted an armed conflict in Kashmir, to profile, flag and find an excuse to kill the Kashmiri youth. It has killed a generation and five generations of 2.5 million Kashmiri refugees are living in the four provinces of Pakistan.

Indians have perfected the art of engagement and bluff. It encouraged its think tank, International Centre for Peace Initiatives – India to partner with Institute of Regional Studies – Pakistan to structure a two day International Symposium titled “Next Steps In Jammu and Kashmir: Give Peace A Chance” in November 2000 in Gurgaon, Delhi. Both institutions prepared a Joint Road Map titled, “The Beginning of the Future”.

Even in the preparation of this Road Map Indian side had tricked its Pakistani counterpart. I spoke in Second Plenary chaired by Justice Rajinder Sachar chief justice of Delhi High Court and disputed Principle 10 in the Road Map. It was a surprise to see that the Road Map limited the Kashmiri leadership to, “discuss the process and not the substance of resolving the Kashmir conflict.” I contested that “the wisdom and free will of the people of Kashmir cannot be subjected to a restraint. JKCHR argued that the leadership and the peace process have to be commended to the consent and approval of the people of Kashmir.”

Government of India through Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in 1995 used the bait that “Sky was the limit for autonomy” and in May 2006 used Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and constituted five Working Groups to resolve the Kashmir dispute. Two of these working groups were “to deliberate upon the matters relating to good governance in Jammu and Kashmir,” and “to recommend measures to simplify procedures to facilitate travel across the Line of Control, increase goods traffic and expand people-to-people contact, including promotion of pilgrimage and group tourism.”

Indian Governments have never kept the course of honesty and have used the ploy of engagement to hide their real intentions, which finally burst open on 5 August 2019.

The author is President of London based Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights – NGO in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations