Visits of political parties and politicians to the valley during the times of attacks and uproar is very common. But the visit of Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the time when the state of Jammu and Kashmir is significantly calm speaks otherwise of the intentions of the Modi government.
Recently Rajnath Singh was on a four-day trip to Jammu and Kashmir and this initiative indicates that the Central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is finally facing the key issues of the valley after entering into an alliance with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The major question raised during his visit was why the government was not holding any talks with the separatist leaders. However, the BJP-PDP alliance had clearly stated that it will follow the policies of the Atal Behari Vajpayee government of talking to all groups, including the Hurriyat Conference.
But during Rajnath’s visit, the separatists had cornered them refusing on any options on talks. On the contrary, they held strikes and boycott during the Home Minister’s visit. Meanwhile, the Separatist leaders had given, “harassment of the leadership and use of military might against the people” as the reason for the strike.
The strike held during Rajnath’s visit invited different view. On one hand, according to the government officials, by holding the strikes, separatists have only exposed themselves, projecting opposition against the Home Minister as they faced action on their personal front. While on the other hand separatists said that the leaders are only gaining sympathy.
Responding to the strikes Home Minister Rajnath Singh had stated that “willing to meet anyone who will help us in finding solutions to the problems facing J&K.”
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) are against the separatist leaders who had exposed their illegal wealth and connections with terror funding groups from Pakistan. According to the government, the actions of NIA serves two purposes. The first one being the aim to expose the separatist leaders in front of the residents of Kasmiries and make them realise that the separatists are only promoting terror behind the disguise o the struggle for freedom. According to the NIA if the separatists are exposed in front of the law it will help them eradicate the organisation.
Secondly, the government also feels that the actions taken by the NIA have noticeably reduced the incidents of stone pelting in the valley as the funding from across the borders have neutralised.
During Home Minister Rajnath’s visit to the valley, he also touched upon the issue of Section 35-A, clearing that the Central government had not approached the Supreme Court regarding the problem and termed it as ‘non-issue’. According to section 35-A, the J&K assembly decides, that who should get the citizenship of the state. Residents not originally from J&K are denied the citizenship and the basic rights enjoyed by the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir. A petition was filed in the Supreme court by an NGO requesting to abolish section 35-A and allow the citizenship of J&K to everyone wanting to reside in the state. However, the local parties are against the suggestion of removing the section and BJP in coalition with PDP has not yet stated its stand clearly on the issue.
The main motto behind the visit of Rajnath Singh was, as quoted by the Prime Minister during his speech on 15 August, that “permanent solution to the J&K issue can only be achieved through hugs and not guns or abuse.” The government is aiming to totally declare the separatist irrelevant and to win the confidence of the people. According to the Modi government, the approach is to ensure strict security and investigative actions against the separatists but keeping in mind the need to extend comfort to the people.
Modi government’s aim of a permanent solution to the problems of Jammu and Kashmir can only be achieved by winning the confidence of the people of the valley. They should be made to believe that the Central government does not rule over Kashmir but want to freely engage with the states like any other state in the nation and probably this was the aim of Rajnath Singh’s visit to J&K when the valley was not on fire.