TIMID GOVERNMENT
Due to the timidity of the Indian government the Amarnath shrine land issue snowballed into a big crisis. First it handed over the land to the board. A perfectly normal thing to do. After all India is a secular country and treats all religions equally.
But the moment separatists in the valley started protesting, the government chickened out and forced the shrine board to withdraw its request for the land. Naturally the Jammu Hindus were enraged. The general perception has always been that the Muslim dominated valley has been unduly pampered at the cost of the Jammu region. The issue snowballed into a Hindu-Muslim issue.
Narendra Modi made comments like what if the government starts refusing land for Muslim shrines in the rest of the country. Some Hindu groups in Jammu blockaded the road going into the valley.
This was a heaven sent opportunity for the separatists to whip up a public frenzy. The divided Hurriyat conference united once again. Massive demonstrations were held. The state showed restraint at first. But this encouraged some in the crowds to wave Pakistani flags and jeered at the Indian troops. The authorities, on the advice of National Security Adviser, Subramanyam, came down hard on the protestors.
Why did the authorities fumble at every step in the matter? Being sensitive to the Kashmiri Muslims is one thing, but letting Pakistani flags being waved is another thing. The taking back of the shrine board land at the separatist protests was hardly a wise thing to do. What was needed was some show of fairness and guts. The BJP will be the gainer from all this. The Congress has come out looking very lenient towards Muslims and partial towards them.
This is not in the national interest. Equality for all religions means just that. EQUALITY for all religions. Undue sensitivity towards Kashmiri Muslims will mean a backlash from the Hindus.
But the moment separatists in the valley started protesting, the government chickened out and forced the shrine board to withdraw its request for the land. Naturally the Jammu Hindus were enraged. The general perception has always been that the Muslim dominated valley has been unduly pampered at the cost of the Jammu region. The issue snowballed into a Hindu-Muslim issue.
Narendra Modi made comments like what if the government starts refusing land for Muslim shrines in the rest of the country. Some Hindu groups in Jammu blockaded the road going into the valley.
This was a heaven sent opportunity for the separatists to whip up a public frenzy. The divided Hurriyat conference united once again. Massive demonstrations were held. The state showed restraint at first. But this encouraged some in the crowds to wave Pakistani flags and jeered at the Indian troops. The authorities, on the advice of National Security Adviser, Subramanyam, came down hard on the protestors.
Why did the authorities fumble at every step in the matter? Being sensitive to the Kashmiri Muslims is one thing, but letting Pakistani flags being waved is another thing. The taking back of the shrine board land at the separatist protests was hardly a wise thing to do. What was needed was some show of fairness and guts. The BJP will be the gainer from all this. The Congress has come out looking very lenient towards Muslims and partial towards them.
This is not in the national interest. Equality for all religions means just that. EQUALITY for all religions. Undue sensitivity towards Kashmiri Muslims will mean a backlash from the Hindus.
"LET KASHMIR GO"
More ever some wise commentators have begun to say, that seeing the scale of demonstrations in the valley, it is clear Kashmir does not want to stay in India. So let them go. It is like Britain letting Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland secede. Or Abraham Lincoln sitting passively and letting the south break away from the US some 150 years ago. Or more recently, China allowing the Uighurs to have their own independent country.
Is India a weak country like Serbia, that let its constituent states to break away? Get wise, learned gentleman, India is a big power. Indians are by nature very tolerant and let everyone to express their views. But when it comes to the question of any part of the country breaking away, all will rise, ready to shed their last drop of blood. Once provoked Indians fight like lions.
Please spare us your cowardly advice, you all ladies and gentlemen, who are for letting Kashmir go.
More ever some wise commentators have begun to say, that seeing the scale of demonstrations in the valley, it is clear Kashmir does not want to stay in India. So let them go. It is like Britain letting Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland secede. Or Abraham Lincoln sitting passively and letting the south break away from the US some 150 years ago. Or more recently, China allowing the Uighurs to have their own independent country.
Is India a weak country like Serbia, that let its constituent states to break away? Get wise, learned gentleman, India is a big power. Indians are by nature very tolerant and let everyone to express their views. But when it comes to the question of any part of the country breaking away, all will rise, ready to shed their last drop of blood. Once provoked Indians fight like lions.Please spare us your cowardly advice, you all ladies and gentlemen, who are for letting Kashmir go.
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