J&K land problem: A farce

on August 31, 2008

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Kartikey Sehgal

The Amarnath Yatra organised by the Government of J&K in July and August is currently embroiled in controversy. About 5.5 lakh people made the 141 km trip from Kashmir to the cave this year.

Nobody has a problem with the journey. Residents of Jammu are uneasy with residents of Kashmir over a land transfer issue.

Here’s what is happening:

This is what I know. Hindus in Jammu and Muslims in Kashmir are protesting against the government. And people in Kashmir are asking for independence.

No. Not everyone in Kashmir is asking for freedom. It’s only a faction that supports secession of Kashmir from India.

Then what are people from Jammu and Kashmir fighting over?

A non existent land transfer. Let me introduce the issue at hand.

In 2001, S K Sinha, the Governor of J&K formulated the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) for some unfathomable reason and functioned as it’s chairman.

The SASB wanted land from the State government for makeshift arrangements for pilgrims to Amarnath. It was agreed by an order of the High Court that the use of the land would be temporary and limited for the duration of the yatra.

Ok, land can’t move; it was to be used temporarily by SASB to make arrangements for the pilgrims who go to the Amarnath Cave every year. So what happened this year?

The Chief Minister ordered for the diversion of the land to SASB. Read this as a temporary transfer of land only for the duration of the yatra, as approved by the High Court.

What’s the catch?

Nothing so far. Of course, you can question the logic behind SASB and its motives. For instance, couldn’t the government continue providing facilities for the people as it had been doing all these years?

You see, the order delivered by the CM stated that, “the diversion of forest land measuring 39.88 hectares for raising prefabricated structures only for camping purposes of pilgrims without going in for construction of permanent structures”.
The order also stated that, “the propriety status of the land shall remain unchanged” and “returned to the Forest Department when it is no longer wanted by the SASB”.

So SASB people would give the land back after August when the pilgrimage ended and things would be as they always have been.
So the people thought otherwise, they thought…

Not the people. The separatist leaders decided to provoke the people and bully them into believing that valuable Kashmiri land had been lost to Hindus. You must know that Jammu and Kashmir make a single state. So land can not be taken from Kashmir and given to Jammu. So the separatist leaders wanting Kashmir to join Pakistan made the Muslim population believe that the land was being given permanently to the Hindus and that this was a part of a cultural invasion.

The people got provoked, angry, beat their chests, cried and cursed and decided to burn vehicles and raise pro-Pakistan slogans.

So this was a case of miscommunication?


Perhaps not. The separatist leaders most probably knew about the temporal nature of the transfer. They lied to the people about the scene which is not the same as miscommunication.

What about the CM? Didn’t he clarify?

He is no longer the CM. He regrets the turnout of a simple decision. He is from the Congress Party. He is allowing his bosses to talk for him.

Update me about the party thing…

Congress ‘ruled’ J&K along with People’s Democratic Party (PDP). They parted ways recently. There’s army rule in the state right now.
Oh! The President’s Rule. That’s a good thing. So we have somebody from the Central government coming to Jammu and Kashmir to solve the problem. Who is this person?

The new governor N N Vohra

He made everything okay?

He made it worse. He said that the SASB does not require the land and that it could be taken back by the State. The temporary land transfer was revoked. The governor actually made it look like the land was handed over to the Hindus and that he is returning it.

The Hindus felt that their land has been lost and start agitating against the revocation and demand their land back.

So he didn’t tell the people that the land transfer was temporary? And that the spirit was to just accommodate the pilgrimage population?

No. He didn’t.

An unfortunate incident of miscommunication, is it?

Once again, no miscommunication. This was planned.

Hmmm? Ok, come back to this later. What happened next?

The separatist leaders in Kashmir celebrated the revocation of the land transfer order. They didn’t stop at this stage and are now demanding independence. This is a chance of a lifetime for them and they’re invoking names of recognised terrorist outfits to scare the masses.

And the people of Jammu are now protesting for the land?

Absolutely. Religious organisations from other parts of the country have joined them. They are now united against ‘Islamist supremacy’.

And the people following the separatist path in Kashmir are against ‘Hindu supremacy’.

Yes.

Let’s take a breather. Let me recall.

  • Congress, the party ‘ruling’ India; and the PDP, together form a government in J&K.
  • The Congress CM says yes to a temporary land transfer.
  • Separatists make it look like a permanent transfer and therefore a Hindu invasion.
  • Protests and riots start in Kashmir.
  • PDP and Congress fall apart, CM resigns.
  • Congress sends N N Vohra to ease things out.
  • He doesn’t shed light on the temporary transfer. Instead, he says that the land is not required.
  • Hindus think they have lost the land and start protesting.
  • Meanwhile, separatists celebrate and continue their demand for independence.


Now tell me, nobody from the government did anything to solve the issue and tell the truth to the people?

Okay, let’s recall. N N Vohra is sent as the governor and he doesn’t help anyone. Why do you think he didn’t tell people the facts? You see, he needed that extra vote from PDP and National Conference to prevent the no confidence motion against the Congress-led UPA government. Therefore, in all probability, he was sent to appease them and ensure their support at the Centre.

Explain.

The UPA government at New Delhi was facing a crucial no confidence motion and desperately needed the support of PDP and National Conference. So instead of saying that the land transfer issue is a no-issue, Vohra appeased National Conference (NC) and PDP by saying that the land was not required by SASB.


You mean that PDP and NC are supporting the separatists?


When the separatist leaders mobilised the masses against the CM’s order, PDP and NC got scared that they might lose the support of the people. So they stepped on to the streets and started speaking for justice to Kashmir. They wanted to take advantage of people’s anger and tell them that they’ll help them.

They knew that the land transfer was temporary, like only for two months?

Of course they did. They could have told the facts to the people. But you see elections are around the corner. So Omar Abdullah went to the parliament and stated that he would fight for “every inch of Kashmir’s land” and “we will fight till we die.” He wanted sympathy from the Kashmiri and their votes.

So these people have nothing to do with the nation and the people. Aren’t they separatists also?

PDP party’s Mehbooba Mufti too wanted to side with the rioters to get their votes for the next election. That’s why she withdrew from the Congress-PDP coalition.

So PDP and NC want votes from Kashmir for their state government and Congress wants vote from these two parties for their central government. This is murky. This is more complex than the Bermuda Triangle.

I don’t even have to tell you how the people from Jammu and Kashmir are being fooled. Not to mention countless people in India who are easily misled by passions and emotions.

Yes, we meet people who think that Kashmiri’s are being selfish and not giving the land for the Amarnath pilgrimage, and then there are those who think that Jammu citizens are being selfish in taking land from Kashmir when they can do without it.

Nobody is being selfish, except the politicians, of course.


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