Mehbooba’s image takes a beating in violence-hit J&K
As the clamour for governor’s rule grows louder, insiders say she has also lost favour with the BJP high command
clamour for governor’s rule in violence-hit Kashmir is growing.
Be it the opposition parties in Kashmir or a section of the BJP administration in Delhi, many seem to be in favour of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti stepping down. The once-firebrand People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader is fast losing public support.
“Mufti Sayeed ki beti se kuch nahi hoga. Governor’s rule should be imposed in Kashmir,” said BJP leader Subramanian Swamy last week, even as Mehbooba arrived in New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The state’s main opposition party – National Conference (NC) – has called for the PDP-BJP government’s dismissal, besides a “judicial probe” into the death of eight civilians during the Lok Sabha bypoll in Srinagar. NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar termed the polling day deaths as “target killings”, and demanded a probe into the CM’s role. Even a PDP MLA has admitted that the Chadoora killings were orchestrated, he claimed. The clips on national television in the following days further promoted the notion that all was not well in the Valley. The first video, which showed Kashmiris heckling a jawan on polling day, spurred national outrage. The PDP remained silent. A day later, the video of a Kashmiri man tied to an army jeep went viral. The 22-year-old handicraft artisan was used as a human shield by the Army. There was more outrage, and the loudest voice was that of NC leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah. Even then, the PDP did not stir. An inquiry has been ordered but unnamed government officials insist it is ‘proceedural.’
“Kashmiris had not expected such indifference from Mehbooba. She has shocked the people of Kashmir. It seems as if the sight of a Kashmiri dying only makes her look the other way,” said an engineering student.
The unrest that followed the killings is yet to be contained. If the streets of Kashmir seem normal on one day, they erupt on the very next. This is also the first time in years that students have taken the lead in protests. Their participation began with students of a Pulwama college agitating against the government. As videos of the police crackdown on the students went viral, others – including girls – joined them on the streets.
Growing anger against the state and gross mishandling of the summer unrest of 2016 – which claimed at least 90 lives after the encounter killing of militant leader Burhan Wani – is spilling into this year. According to officials, over 400 incidents of stone-pelting were reported in Kashmir from October 2016 to March 2017.
A few days ago, it was reported that Mehbooba has lost favour even with the BJP high command. Many believed the meeting between PM Modi and the J&K chief minister was held primarily to discuss the strained relationship between the two parties in the light of a statement made by Ram Madhav, the BJP’s pointsman on Kashmir.
When asked to comment on the use of military force in Kashmir, Madhav had said, “Everything is fair in love and war.” While the CM herself did not react to this, voices of dissent started breaking out from the PDP. State minister for education Altaf Bukhari termed Madhav’s statement as “indefensible” and refused to share the stage with him.
“What war is this? Is it a war declared against Kashmiris who – despite all odds – cast their votes to reaffirm their belief in democracy? Or is it a war designed to satiate the sanguine electoral interests of a particular political party in the country,” he asked. Bhukari believes “talking to Kashmiris” is the only way to resolve the ongoing unrest. “Being indifferent won’t help,” he said.
Sources said voices of dissent in the PDP are getting louder because both workers and ground-level leaders feel that the local leadership is showing no sympathy to the people.
“Omar Abdullah would at least oppose the killings by saying that stones shouldn’t be answered with bullets. But Mehbooba is not showing any sympathy despite being a woman and a mother,” said a PDP leader.
“Mehbooba’s image was that of a protector of human rights. In the 90s, we would see photographs of her being dragged away by police for protesting against rights violations,” said senior journalist Sheikh Mushtaq. “But now she is telling people that their children will be shot if they pelt stones.”
The repetitive quality of her speeches isn’t doing much good either, the journalist claimed.
“Mehbooba is living in the past. She tries to remind Kashmiris of occasions when she saved them from police excesses, and portrays her father’s act of allying with the BJP as a move meant to Kashmir,” he said.
A youngster echoed Mushtaq’s thoughts. “Mehbooba, like Modi, keeps evoking former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s Kashmir policy of insaniyat and Kashmiriyat. But she does little to put it into practice,” he said on the condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, the social media is abuzz with posts against Mehbooba and her government.
Every speech she delivers is ripped apart by netizens. A tour operator said Mehbooba’s demand for three more months to set things right hasn’t gone down well with potential tourists.
“If things are not right in Kashmir, why will tourists come here?” he said. “Mehbooba should step down. The state will do better under governor’s rule.”
PDP LEADER Omar Abdullah would at least oppose the killings by saying that stones shouldn’t be answered with bullets. But Mehbooba is not showing any sympathy. Mehbooba’s image was that of a protector of human rights... But now she is telling people that their children will be shot if they pelt stones. SHEIKH MUSHTAQ, senior journalist