Muhammad
Jamil
Intensive
negotiations between BJP and PDP on forming the government in Indian Occupied
Kashmir (IOK) were aimed at robbing the mandate of the Kashmiri people who
reposed confidence in PDP, which had the option to form coalition government
with National Conference and others. However, the PDP betrayed its voters by
forming coalition government with BJP, compromising on main issues such as
article 370, AFSPA, trifurcation of the region, rehabilitation of Pandits and
refugees\' issue. There is a perception that continuous incidents of violations
at LOC and working boundary by Indian security forces were pressure tactics by
BJP to coerce PDP into forming coalition government. Anyhow, when these lines
go to the press, PDP chief Mufti Sayeed would have taken oath as chief minister
of Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Commenting
on the alliance between PDP and BJP, Omar Abdullah, leader of National
Conference claimed that with the alliance between the PDP and BJP the capital
of the state has shifted to Nagpur - an oblique reference to the RSS
headquarter. After a marathon session between Mufti Sayeed and Narendra Modi on
Friday, it was agreed between the PDP and BJP that Mufti Sayeed would take oath
as chief minister on Sunday, and the BJP would get the deputy chief minister\'s
slot.
After
embarrassment in New Delhi where Indian Congress was completely routed by Aam
Awam Party (AAP) and BJP could secure only three seats out of 70 seats, BJP\'s
stakes in IOK had increased and all out efforts were made to have prominent
role in prospective government.
The
two parties, ideological opposites, are expected to govern the state on the
basis of a common minimum programme or CMP. They spent the last two months in
attempts to bridge differences that had divided them for decades. The BJP and
PDP are stated to have reached an agreement to maintain the state\'s
constitutional status, but in BJP\'s manifesto there is commitment to do away
with Article 370.
Mufti
Sayeed had firmly opposed any attempt to weaken Article 370, which grants
special status to J&K. On the Armed Forces\' Special Powers\' Act or AFPSA,
the two parties have agreed to the gradual replacement of the military with the
local police and paramilitary forces where situation is relatively under
control. But with BJP
leadership\'s
track record, it is not likely to honor its commitments.
If
Mufti Sayeed seems to have been outmaneuvered by Narendra Modi; and if the
former puts up resistance, central government may impose governor\'s rule.
However,
after Friday\'s meeting with the PM that lasted over an hour over breakfast,
Mufti Sayeed said it was like \"bringing together North Pole and South Pole\".
Mufit Sayeed said that one of the reasons for which free and fair elections
could be held in the state is that there were no \"external
disturbances\", implying absence of cross-border terrorism. The question
is when the representative body of the Kashmiri Muslims All Pakistan Hurriyat
Conference had boycotted the elections, how he could say that elections have
been free and fair. Mufti Sayeed also recalled Vajpayee\'s visit to the Kashmir
valley in 2003, which broke through the chill in ties with Pakistan that had
set in after the Kargil conflict in 1999.
He
said: \"Vajpayee had extended a hand of friendship towards Pakistan,
saying we can change friends but not neighbours. It is the dream of the Prime
Minister Modi and mine to develop Kashmir as an island of peace. So, in that
process, it is necessary to engage Pakistan,\" he said. As stated earlier,
the weakest point is that the BJP\'s manifesto contains the pledge to abrogate
section 370 of the Indian Constitution, which gives Kashmir special status
among other states; whereas Modi government is poised to merge it fully into
India. One should not lose sight of the fact that elections were held in the
presence of pro-active 7.5 lakh Indian army, which did not have any
constitutional or moral credibility. Such elections have neither resolved the
Kashmir issue in the past nor can it change the status of this internationally
accepted dispute in future also.
