There is a common feeling that what Pakistan could not achieve in 61 years, the BJP has done in just 6 weeks! Right from 1947 Pakistan Government had been trying to motivate Kashmiris to accept the two nation theory. Pakistanis had been claiming India to be a Hindu Rashtra and not a “Secular” State. However, the popular Kashmiri leadership at the time of partition had rejected the two nation theory and supported the erstwhile Maharaja’s accession to India. They had felt that their aspirations as Kashmiris irrespective of religion would be realisable in “Secular” India instead of Muslim Pakistan. Kashmiris throughout their period of subjugation under foreign rule had equally suffered under Muslims and non-Muslims. They were more assured by the attitude of the Indian leaders like Gandhi and Nehru. These leaders had guaranteed them the preservation of the special status granted to Kashmir under the Indian constitution. However, even at that time the precursor of BJP, the Parija Parishad had agitated against this special status and asked for total merger of the state with the Indian Union.

This agitation had turned Kashmiri leaders against India and they had demanded holding of plebiscite to decide the future of Kashmir as envisaged in UN Resolutions. Government of India had agreed to it in principle. However, they subsequently changed their stand and claimed that Kashmir is an integral part of India. BJP had gone a step ahead and demanded liberation of the other part of Kashmir under the administrative control of Pakistan also known as Azad Kashmir. During all these years Indian Government tried every means at its disposal to win over Kashmiris. Both carrot and stick were used liberally. It is claimed that Indian Government must have pumped in more than a hundred thousand crores for economic development of the State. There were many uprisings during the same period which were put down with an iron hand. Hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris have been killed and injured. Thousands have been incarcerated. In spite of this the urge of Kashmiris for freedom has refused to die down. Having known all this and the fact that any agitation in Jammu is counter productive in Kashmir, the BJP has gone all out for fuelling the movement for separation of Jammu.

It appears somewhat incomprehensible that the BJP would do that unless they have some other plans. For past sometime the true nationalist Indians have been realising that Kashmir has become a mill stone in the neck of the developing India. India would have by now become a super-power like China but for Kashmir. In fact, some years back Mr.Thakur, an RSS ideologue wrote an article in Economic Times titled, “Disinvest Kashmir”. He outlined the efforts made by Government of India in keeping Kashmiris on its side. Thousands of crores had been invested in Kashmir. All measures both repressive and conciliatory had been taken by every Government in Delhi but to no avail. The ever lingering problem of Kashmir had adversely affected Indian plans for development and modernisation. Thousands of Non-Resident Indians were willing to invest billions of rupees in the development of infrastructure in their home country but were scared to do so because of the uncertainty caused by Kashmir problem. Kashmir had become Asia’s hot spot and a probable “Nuclear Flashpoint”. There was no guarantee for the safety of investments.

A nuclear exchange between the two warring neighbours of the sub-continent could make everything go up in smoke in a flash. It was because of the pressure exerted by the Non-Resident Indian lobby that Vajpayee started the famous peace process by extending a hand of friendship to Pakistan from Kashmir itself. The idea was to sort out this vexed problem which was holding the whole sub-continent hostage. The process would have reached its logical conclusion had BJP continued to be in power in Delhi. Congress frittered away all that had been gained in improving relations between two neighbours. Foreign Christian lady at the top and a minority Prime Minister were totally paralysed and failed to move forward due to the scare of BJP using any of their initiatives against them. Now that BJP is once again looking at gaining power they seem to have devised a plan to get rid of Kashmir but in a very intelligent way. Having fully known that any agitation in Jammu would automatically start a counter agitation for separation in the valley, they went all out to mount a massive upsurge in Jammu for its separation.

The excuse was the land controversy of Amarnath on which Hindu sentiment was inflamed. Starting with this controversy the agitator’s demands went beyond Amarnath. They started claiming of having been discriminated against by the valley dwellers for last 60 years. They would not settle for anything less than a separate state of Jammu. Thus indirectly if Hindu Jammu and Buddhist Ladakh is separated, the valley would be left with Muslim Kashmir. They would not give a damn to what happens to the Muslim Kashmir. It is immaterial whether it goes to Pakistan or remains Independent. India would be rid of an unnecessary burden for all times to come. If this secession materialises during congress rule, the blame for losing Kashmir would be on them. BJP would be a winner both ways. The former Governor General Sinha seems to have been an important link in the entire project.

The plan seems to have been conceived with his posting here as Governor during BJP rule in Delhi. Immediately on his arrival he started the Amarnath controversy by extending the Yatra period against the reports of Dr.Nittish Sengupta and General Mukharjee. In fact, he took cudgels with Mufti Sayed the then Chief Minister on this subject. Congress had been changing all BJP Governors but General Sinha created such a sympathetic Hindutva wave that it became impossible for Congress to change him. Right from the start he started looking for a connection between the ancient Hindu Kashmir and present Hindu India. It did not matter to him that Kashmir was now an absolute Muslim majority area and moreover Kashmiris did not join India for their ancient Hindu past but for India’s declared policy of being a so called “Secular” state. By his Hindutva agenda he inflicted maximum damage on Indo-Kashmir relationship. He must have surely known that highlighting of connection between ancient Hindu Kashmir and Hindu India would scare the present Muslim population. This is precisely what happened. In spite of this he pursued his Hindutva agenda vigorously. This must have been part of the plan to push Kashmiris to the wall and make them demand secession.

He must be getting sadistic pleasure for having set the entire state on fire and on way to disintegration. It’s a catch 22 situation. Two parallel agitations pulling in opposite directions and feeding on each other. There seems to be no middle ground! There is only one catch. The Russian example is fresh in our minds. Once disintegration of a federation starts from any corner it has a tendency to spread like a raging fire all over. It did not take more than 24 hours for the mighty Soviet Union to disintegrate. India is more prone because of its diversity. There is no homogeneous Indian nation. Neither is the Indian Union a true federation. It is a unitary set up with everything concentrated in Delhi. At the present moment 22 states are facing naxalism. Then there is the up coming caste war. There is still time for the saner elements in the Indian Society to wake up and arrest the drift initiated by BJP. The neighbouring country is already on the verge of disintegration. If the process starts in this side also, then the entire sub-continent is going to pieces and we may once again see our western “Friends” step in starting with our neighbour! Have the ideologues of BJP thought about it?