Javed M Ansari
The sense of alienation that runs deep in the Valley is a sentiment that we can no longer ignore or wish away by closing our collective eyes. Members of Parliament who travelled with the all-party delegation to Jammu and Kashmir have come back an extremely despondent lot.
Based on their interactions with some of the leading players and with members of the civil society in the strife-torn Valley, the unmistakable conclusion they appear to have returned with is that there is no light at the end of the long, dark tunnel that's the situation in the Valley, at least for now.
While the representatives from both the BJP and the Congress interacted with the officials and the recognised political parties, the likes of CPIM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav and Asaduddin Owaisi reached out to Mirwaiz Farooq, SAS Geelani, Yasin Malik and Shabbir Shah, but with little success.
Geelani refused to even open his doors to his visitors, and while Mirwaiz Farooq, Yaseen Malik and Shabbir Shah did offer Owaisi a cup of tea, they declined to entertain the AIIMM chief's attempt to initiate a dialogue on the current situation in the state.
“Hum aapki kadar karte hain, lekin is mauzoon par koi muzahkrat nahi ho sakte (we respect you, but there can be no dialogue on this issue),” Mirwaiz Farooq politely informed Owaissi.
Another prominent leader got a taste of the ominous frostiness in the attitude of Kashmiris.
He went with a long-time friend from the Valley for dinner to the Ardoos hotel. He was greeted warmly and served some of his favourite Kashmiri dishes, but a sudden chill and frostiness descended on the atmosphere as soon as he tried to draw his host out on the situation in the Valley and the possibilities of a way out of the imbroglio.
“Aap mehman hai, sar aankhon par, lekin is muddey par ab koi guftagu mumkin nahin hai (you are a honored guest, but there can be no dialogue on this issue.”
The experience in Srinagar has left a sour taste in the mouth of the MPs as far as the uncivil behaviour of the likes of Geelani is concerned, and a sense of foreboding about what the future holds for the state and its implications across the country.
Some of the unmistakable takeaways from the visit for the MPs have been that not just does Mehbooba Mufti lack the vision and the sagacity of her father, the late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, to deal with the situation, she appears to have almost negligible public support at the moment.
Moreover, and this is something that could have grave implications for the country, a sense of desperation and near total alienation with the rest of the Indian people have dawned on them. “There is no meeting ground at the moment, in their minds they appear to have reached a point of no return”, says JD(U) MP Sharad Yadav.
The sense of alienation that runs deep in the Valley is a sentiment that we can no longer ignore or wish away by closing our collective eyes.
The first step to a mature assessment has to begin with an initial owning up to ourselves that Kashmir and Kashmiris are, for one reason or the other, alienated from the idea of India. And that's not just the 5 per cent volatile minority that is the now the “officially” accepted figure, but the vast majority of those in the Valley.
On the other hand, it's equally important for the militants and the separatists to realise that “azadi” is an impossible dream that will never come true.
They need to realise that no matter what, nobody, no Indian, even those who empathise with their suffering, will ever agree to altering the country's boundaries. The way forward lies in accepting this reality, because pretending otherwise is deluding themselves of the obvious.
The writer is a senior journalist with India Today TV.