J&K and the Indian Left
How does Indian Left perceive the problem of J&K
STATE CRAFT BY HAPPYMON JACOB
The recently concluded 19th Party Congress of the Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M) went on to make some specific and significant references to Jammu and Kashmir which have unfortunately gone unnoticed. Among a host of resolutions on the issue, the party which has only marginal presence in the state has demanded the restoration of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in its original form. Recognizing the existence of regional aspirations in the state, the highest decision making body of the party also resolved that there should be regional autonomy in the state. What the Party Congress has resolved is not particularly out-of-the-box or unprecedented but needs some serious reflection to stress the point that it is not just the regional parties in J&K who are talking about resolving the Jammu and Kashmir issue by restoring Article 370, increasing cross-LoC linkages and granting regional autonomy among other things, but also national parties such as the CPI-M that presently has a definitive say in the running of the ruling regime in New Delhi. The Communist Party of India (CPI) has also stressed the need for granting maximum autonomy to J&K, implementing regional autonomy within J&K, and increasing the Indo-Pak CBMs. While the CPI does not seem to have done enough thinking on Kashmir, it has generally tended to follow the line taken by the CPI-M on it. But how does demanding the restoration of Article 370 become radical in any way when the article is very much part of the Indian constitution? That the CPI-M’s positions are radical, even if not to the extent of People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) recent demands, can be gauged from the earlier positions taken by the state branch of the party headed by M. Y. Tarigami on a variety of occasions, ranging from press releases to representations at various national and international conferences. Let us examine some of these past pronouncements by the party and its functionaries. Apart from the restoration of Article 370 and granting regional autonomy, the party has taken radical positions on cross-LoC linkages, withdrawal of troops from the state and how to deal with the youth who have taken up arms and crossed over to the other side besides issues such as human rights, participation of Kashmiris in the peace process, trifurcation of the state etc. On the very important and controversial issue of cross-LoC linkages, state secretary of the party has made it clear that “the two parts of the state and the two countries can be mutually benefited if joint management of the water resources, disaster-management system, the environment, tourism and the trade and commerce between the two is undertaken”. Note that the party advocates more than ‘consultative mechanisms’ to be established between the two sides of J&K – the Indian and Pakistani parts of the erstwhile princely state. The party talks about immensely contentious issues such as self-governance but has apparently not done enough homework to flesh the details out: in such issues, the devil always is in the details. Secondly, the party has also not minced any words in demanding that the government should facilitate the “return of Kashmiri youth, who for various reasons, crossed over to the other part of LOC during the turmoil years and are desirous to return to their homes to lead peaceful lives.” This is an issue that has kicked up quite a few controversies in J&K and the rest of India with the over-zealous nationalists claiming that this is a demand in betrayal of the country. What the critics of this demand forget is that at this stage of rapprochement between the two countries and ‘between Kashmir and India’ it is necessary to engage the militants and show them the path of peace and reconciliation. One cannot wish away those who left the state to take up arms for a variety of reasons including genuine ones. The PDP and National Conference have also aired the same demand in the past. Let us remember, no conflict anywhere in the world has ended without engaging the armed factions. The leftists have also made demands for ‘demilitarization of excessive forces’ from the state: “With the gradual improvement in the situation, which is now universally accepted, the government can identify certain areas, from where central forces can be withdrawn and the charge of administration handed over to the local police. Such areas could be characterized as peace zones, where situation could be monitored for a reasonable period.” This is in line with the demands put forward by the mainstream political parties in J&K, PDP and NC. These are responsible, laudable and considered political positions of the Indian Left, no doubt. The question is how far have the leaders of the Indian Left influenced the national policy making in this regard or at least tried to make a national intellectual consensus on this. The Indian intelligentsia in the universities, research institutions and media houses where the Left has an undeniable presence and influence is still averse to talk about Kashmir. This lack of proactive politics from the part of the Left on Kashmir is not due to any lack of understanding, or positions, but due to a lack of political willingness if not commitment. It is ironical that the Left, in a sense, has fallen into the foreign and domestic policy trap laid by the Congress-led UPA regime in New Delhi. While the Congress party concentrated all its energies in pushing the Indo-US Nuclear Deal through, the Left concentrated all its energies in criticizing it and forgot to talk about other issues. That said, it is imperative that the Left makes more concerted efforts to push their positions on the J&K issue forward which are immensely in sync with the aspirations of the people of the state.
The recently concluded 19th Party Congress of the Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M) went on to make some specific and significant references to Jammu and Kashmir which have unfortunately gone unnoticed. Among a host of resolutions on the issue, the party which has only marginal presence in the state has demanded the restoration of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in its original form. Recognizing the existence of regional aspirations in the state, the highest decision making body of the party also resolved that there should be regional autonomy in the state. What the Party Congress has resolved is not particularly out-of-the-box or unprecedented but needs some serious reflection to stress the point that it is not just the regional parties in J&K who are talking about resolving the Jammu and Kashmir issue by restoring Article 370, increasing cross-LoC linkages and granting regional autonomy among other things, but also national parties such as the CPI-M that presently has a definitive say in the running of the ruling regime in New Delhi. The Communist Party of India (CPI) has also stressed the need for granting maximum autonomy to J&K, implementing regional autonomy within J&K, and increasing the Indo-Pak CBMs. While the CPI does not seem to have done enough thinking on Kashmir, it has generally tended to follow the line taken by the CPI-M on it. But how does demanding the restoration of Article 370 become radical in any way when the article is very much part of the Indian constitution? That the CPI-M’s positions are radical, even if not to the extent of People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) recent demands, can be gauged from the earlier positions taken by the state branch of the party headed by M. Y. Tarigami on a variety of occasions, ranging from press releases to representations at various national and international conferences. Let us examine some of these past pronouncements by the party and its functionaries. Apart from the restoration of Article 370 and granting regional autonomy, the party has taken radical positions on cross-LoC linkages, withdrawal of troops from the state and how to deal with the youth who have taken up arms and crossed over to the other side besides issues such as human rights, participation of Kashmiris in the peace process, trifurcation of the state etc. On the very important and controversial issue of cross-LoC linkages, state secretary of the party has made it clear that “the two parts of the state and the two countries can be mutually benefited if joint management of the water resources, disaster-management system, the environment, tourism and the trade and commerce between the two is undertaken”. Note that the party advocates more than ‘consultative mechanisms’ to be established between the two sides of J&K – the Indian and Pakistani parts of the erstwhile princely state. The party talks about immensely contentious issues such as self-governance but has apparently not done enough homework to flesh the details out: in such issues, the devil always is in the details. Secondly, the party has also not minced any words in demanding that the government should facilitate the “return of Kashmiri youth, who for various reasons, crossed over to the other part of LOC during the turmoil years and are desirous to return to their homes to lead peaceful lives.” This is an issue that has kicked up quite a few controversies in J&K and the rest of India with the over-zealous nationalists claiming that this is a demand in betrayal of the country. What the critics of this demand forget is that at this stage of rapprochement between the two countries and ‘between Kashmir and India’ it is necessary to engage the militants and show them the path of peace and reconciliation. One cannot wish away those who left the state to take up arms for a variety of reasons including genuine ones. The PDP and National Conference have also aired the same demand in the past. Let us remember, no conflict anywhere in the world has ended without engaging the armed factions. The leftists have also made demands for ‘demilitarization of excessive forces’ from the state: “With the gradual improvement in the situation, which is now universally accepted, the government can identify certain areas, from where central forces can be withdrawn and the charge of administration handed over to the local police. Such areas could be characterized as peace zones, where situation could be monitored for a reasonable period.” This is in line with the demands put forward by the mainstream political parties in J&K, PDP and NC. These are responsible, laudable and considered political positions of the Indian Left, no doubt. The question is how far have the leaders of the Indian Left influenced the national policy making in this regard or at least tried to make a national intellectual consensus on this. The Indian intelligentsia in the universities, research institutions and media houses where the Left has an undeniable presence and influence is still averse to talk about Kashmir. This lack of proactive politics from the part of the Left on Kashmir is not due to any lack of understanding, or positions, but due to a lack of political willingness if not commitment. It is ironical that the Left, in a sense, has fallen into the foreign and domestic policy trap laid by the Congress-led UPA regime in New Delhi. While the Congress party concentrated all its energies in pushing the Indo-US Nuclear Deal through, the Left concentrated all its energies in criticizing it and forgot to talk about other issues. That said, it is imperative that the Left makes more concerted efforts to push their positions on the J&K issue forward which are immensely in sync with the aspirations of the people of the state.
(Source: Greater Kashmir, May 7, 2008. URL: http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=7_5_2008&ItemID=29&cat=11 )
No comments:
Post a Comment