Fearing public wrath, politicians remain low-key
Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Sept 05: The intensity of protests might have waned yet top politicians and government functionaries are still finding it difficult to reach out to masses across the Valley.
Owing to the hostile circumstances, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, his cabinet colleagues and legislators of ruling dispensation have been confined to their chambers and homes, though regional political groups are raising almost the same demands as raised by the separatists.Except for a few “guest appearances” by the chief minister, the mainstream political activities in Kashmir have come to a halt.
Experts blame the mainstream camp for not being able to deal with the situation and predict that activities of mainstream parties would continue to remain in “suspended animation”.
A National Conference legislator, wishing not to be named, said he is afraid to venture out of his home for the first time in his life since he joined politics.
“I am sure if I go out I will have to face public wrath despite the fact that I haven’t committed anything wrong. But given the anger among the masses, which is genuine, I prefer to remain indoors,” he said.
“It is better to remain in a cage rather than facing the angry crowd.”
A senior minister of the ruling dispensation, however, ruled out that the space has shrunk for the mainstream camp but he quickly added that there are problems in going to their respective constituencies.
“There is anger among the people especially, youth. Nobody rules out that? But you can’t say that mainstream parties have become totally irrelevant,” he said.
The minister said government was trying its best to address the alienation and anger among the youth.
“They are our own boys. We feel the pain when we see them getting killed,” he said.
Another NC legislator, who represents a volatile constituency in old city, says, “I am sure things will change. But it is equally true that we are facing problems in reaching out to people at this juncture. Our movement has also become restricted.”
“My vehicle was stoned twice over the past two months,” he added.
The movement of ministers and legislators has been restricted from their homes to civil secretariat. They have to take full security escort along with them to attend official meetings.
“In 1990s we were at least moving around, no doubt with security. And if militants would attack our cavalcade, our guards would retaliate. But this time, our guards can’t open fire on youth in case they attack our vehicles with stones,” said another NC minister.
He, however, adds the situation will change and normalcy will return soon.
Interestingly, chief minister Omar Abdullah has also not been able to visit his constituency Ganderbal since the unrest began. In July, he visited Kangan area to chair workers meet, which according to locals, evoked little response.
“He hasn’t visited Ganderbal since more than a month,” said Pervez Ahmed, a resident of Ganderbal.
“The present situation has made me also a stone pelter. My heart bleeds when I see boys getting killed for just throwing stones,” he adds.
Let alone Ganderbal, Omar preferred to take a chopper to visit patients at SKIMS, Soura.
Prof Gul Muhammad Wani, who teaches Political Science at Kashmir University, said mainstream parties have totally failed to cope with the situation.
“They are demanding the same things as separatists like revocation of AFSPA and release of prisoners. They haven’t been able to reach out to angry youth out on the streets,” he said.
“These parties never tried to know who these youth are and what they want. They instead kept hijacking agenda of separatist parties.”
Wani said these youth even don’t understand the language of moderate separatists.
“Even moderate separatists don’t have the argument to pacify the anger of youth,”
Given the resentment and anger among the youth, he believes the activities of mainstream parties would remain in “suspended animation.”
Wani said the mainstream parties would not be able to mobilize their cadre. But for how long?
“That is up to time,” Wani says.
“It is to be seen how long can these youth survive with stone pelting,” he said. “It is also to be seen that how long state and GoI would continue to deal with these youth with force.”
