Arun Joshi Political Leaders
The release of five political leaders in Srinagar on Monday is a visible manifestation of the Centre’s behind-the-scene understanding with the political class of yesteryears.
Significance of the lot — political leaders of the National Conference and PDP, three of whom are former legislators — Zahoor Mir, Yasir Rishi and Ishfaq Jabbar — is that they came out of the designated sub-jail at MLAs hostel as free birds after nearly five-month-long detention.
More than the optics, the backdrop of this development tells its importance as one of the three-dimensional exercise to revive the political activity in Kashmir, where the political vacuum has spelled troubles for the system, and invited international criticism over the prolonged detention of the top political leadership of the Valley.
The five-some stepped out of the sub-jail on Monday against the backdrop of release of some of the political heavy weights from the house arrest. Those included Altaf Bukhari, who at one stage was designated as the Chief Minister of all the Kashmir-centric parties in November 2018 before the then Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Assembly, Ghulam Hassan Mir, known for his balancing act in all political seasons and a few of their associates.
All of them are active in making attempts to open the frozen windows to revive the political activity matching the realism of the situation that has arisen in the wake of the earth-shaking August 5 decision to strip J&K of its autonomy and statehood .They are neither too demanding nor too subdued while making their views known to the Centre. They want respect to Kashmir restored in a very practical manner.
The National Conference, whose top leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah have been under arrest since August 5, was quick to welcome the release of political leaders on Monday evening, speaks of the events coming as a sequel to the release of five leaders. Mir, in a statement on Tuesday, also welcomed the release and wanted the process to be taken to its logical conclusion with the release of political leaders.
It is more than clear that the release of the political leaders could not have come without the Centre’s consent. In fact, it is Delhi’s initiative that has been further facilitated by Lt-Governor GC Murmu’s administration in J&K.
Even though the National Conference would not admit to anything of the sort happening at its behest, the Centre has realised that there is a need to build bridges with Farooq Abdullah. Farooq’s party has been consistent in demanding the release of all political prisoners.
The Centre, through its sources, and also the feedback that it got from others seems to have understood who stands where and how to oblige them. Still Delhi is shy of giving the privilege to Farooq Abdullah to have final say in Kashmir politics. That explains why it is promoting a new breed, tapping the latent political ambitions of the apolitical faces and voices in various ethnic groups. This is the third dimension.
Lobbyists, as it has discovered to its dismay that the BJP leadership in the state is far below in stature and appeal in a complex terrain of J&K. It is a belated understanding, if at all that is the attempt to know the politics of Kashmir.
Centre’s consent
It is more than clear that the release of the political leaders could not have come without the Centre’s consent. In fact, it is Delhi’s initiative that has been further facilitated by Lt-Governor GC Murmu’s administration in J&K.(TNS)
