• Vivek Krishna Tankha

Geographically, Kashmir is the head of India and, ideologically, a symbol of the country’s identity. Kashmir: The land of India, being breathtakingly beautiful, has been termed as the ‘Heaven on Earth’ by poets, writers, historians for centuries. The beauty of Kashmir fascinated not only humans but also the Gods. According to a legend, the Gods, smitten by the splendid beauty of the Kashmir valley, refused to return to heaven and settled on the mountains of Kashmir, while the goddesses assumed the form of rivers here.

Today, Kashmir might have become the subject of controversy due to politics, but in the past, this land of natural beauty has been a witness to the cultural and spiritual consciousness of India. This was also one of the reasons when after the independence of the country in 1947, our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru showed his determination to maintain Kashmir as an integral part of India. Pandit Nehru, who himself was a Kashmiri Pandit, had ancestral roots in Kashmir, so his affiliation with Kashmir was natural. Apart from this, being the Prime Minister of the country, he also understood the tactical, strategic and historical importance of Kashmir.

Kashmir has also been the land of my ancestors. We have always admired and worshipped the land of Kashmir. A land that is very close to us emotionally. Originally belonging to Kashmir, my ancestors had later settled in Madhya Pradesh. Before and after independence, many distinguished families of Kashmir settled in different parts of the country. It was the virtuous land of Kashmir, the majesty of its climate that its people scattered all over the world to make their mark and earn high prestige. Right from the freedom movement of India, Kashmiris have made a remarkable contribution in the country’s Reformation.

Today, the situation in Kashmir and Kashmir Valley is pitiful. At the time of Partition of India, being a border state, Jammu and Kashmir was an extremely sensitive region. The decisions taken by our ancestors in 1947 were taken after rightly assessing the circumstances of the time and the interest of the country. It is very clear that Kashmir has been an integral and inseparable part of India since independence. Every Indian has considered Kashmir as his/her pride.

But it is also an unfortunate fact that some political parties, organizations have always spread misconceptions about Kashmir. Making Kashmir an emotional issue may have brought them political gains, but due to this, solving the problem of Kashmir became even more problematic. The present government is not working with a statesman’s thinking or a clear visionary action plan to solve the problem of Kashmir.

Kashmir has always been in our heart. I and my family strive to serve the land and people of Kashmir whenever there is any need, whether it is the deployment of ambulances for transit camps in 2002 or the arrangement of medical aids and computers. During the earthquake tragedy in 2005, we assisted in relief operations and got essential supplies for relief material through volunteer organizations, and had them delivered with the help of the army. Also, on the advice of an Army Colonel, I recommended Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji to construct shelter homes to avert deaths from the impending cold. As a result of this, Dr. Manmohan Singh took cognizance of the situation on a war footing on the request of Smt. Gandhi and immediately got the shelter homes constructed, which helped in protecting the thousands of earthquake victims from bone-chilling cold. Also, I worked with Col. Ajay Narayan Mushran, the finance minister in the then Digvijay government in Madhya Pradesh and who is also my father-in-law,to get special allowances, reservations, and other educational facilities for displaced Kashmiri children. In this manner, my family and I have endeavoured to serve the land of our forefathers.

I am glad that the Congress leadership nominated me to the Rajya Sabha in 2016 and gave me an opportunity to raise the voice of Kashmiris, especially Kashmiri Pandits, in Parliament. In the Upper House of the Indian Parliament, I always had a meaningful dialogue; propelling us to the interests of Kashmir, its problems and their solutions.

When Kashmir was being discussed in the Parliament for abrogation of Article 370, I had raised this point prominently in the Rajya Sabha that Article 370 was just a legal provision, which is also getting diluted over the years automatically. The removal of Article 370 was nothing but a mere propaganda to tell the people that it is ‘the’ complete solution to the Kashmir problem. I had warned the government against it. I have said this in many forums that the Kashmir problem is much bigger than Article 370. Winning the trust of Kashmiris and respecting ‘Kashmiriyat’ should be our priority. The manner in which the present BJP government has handled it has increased feelings of distrust and alienation among the people of Kashmir - from the Valley to Jammu. The people there are feeling humiliated for not having been taken into confidence even after dividing the state into three parts. There is a need to establish dialogue among all stakeholders and all sections of Kashmir, to create an atmosphere of trust, to protect the interests and self-respect of the people of Kashmir and to give sensitive administration in Kashmir. But the present Central Government does not appear serious or sensitive about Kashmir. I clearly believe that propaganda can divert attention from the problem for some time, but a permanent solution to the problem cannot be found.

Today, after 32 years, Pandit families in Kashmir are feeling cheated. They were always politically exploited by the BJP. Their feelings were always hurt. Every Kashmiri Pandit is distressed and disturbed by what happened in the last days. And it is not just about Kashmiri Pandits; Today people from different parts of the country have come to Kashmir for employment. All of them are under attack. To exercise politics in every issue is not the job of the government of a country. The government and the Prime Minister have some duties, but today, unfortunately those duties do not seem to be fulfilled.

I ask clearly to the government to not to toy with the sentiments of Kashmir for the sake of your politics. Kashmir is a matter of our pride and self-respect. Taking lessons and inspirations from every head of the nation - from the first Prime Minister of the country, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Central Government must recreate the conditions of dialogue. Look at the situation in Kashmir today with a holistic view. This is the need of the hour and that of India.

(The author is a Rajya Sabha MP, eminent jurist and the only Kashmiri Pandit member in Parliament)