The Failed Narrative of ‘Lesser Evil’ in Kashmir
The argument in agreement for voting to National Conference (NC) in huge numbers is that 'They are a lesser evil', and that they haven’t allied with the BJP that revoked Article 370
The argument in agreement for voting to National Conference (NC) in huge numbers is that “They are a lesser evil”, and that they haven’t allied with the BJP that revoked Article 370. But the “lesser evil” phrase doesn’t in anyway fit to National Conference.
The whole camping run by the National Conference has been run on lies. One of the lies told by them is that People’s Democratic Party [PDP] has a role to play in the revoking of Article 370. This indoctrination has no ground.
If we go back to February 1975, the Article met a biggest blow when Kashmir Accord was signed. The Kashmir Accord, which is also known as Sheikh-Indira Accord, actually set ball rolling for what happened on August 05, 2019.
Jammu and Kashmir had a Prime Minister till 1975. With this accord coming into existence, the Prime Minister was downgraded to Chief Minster. The Sadar -E-Riyast changed to Governor. Before the accord coming into force, the Sadar used to be elected by the Parliament of Jammu and Kashmir. But after the accord, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly lost this right. The President was given the rights regarding the appointment of the Governor.
The Indian Parliament had very restricted power in respect to Jammu and Kashmir till 1975. But the accord gave a greater domain to the Parliament. Even the Indian Supreme court had no Jurisdiction over Jammu and Kashmir but the accord gave it domain over the region.
The President of Indian too had a very limited to no powers to exercise over the region. But after the Kashmir Accord, the power of the President was extended to region.
Thus Kashmir Accord was the major Amendment to the Article which eroded the major and the important provisions of the Article 370. Had the accord not been signed, the Parliament in no way could have scrapped Article 370.
This is what Sheikh Abdullah did to Jammu and Kashmir along with Congress - an ally of the National Conference even today.
Let us do a fact check of Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister designate who is been seen as “lesser evil” in the current political scenario.
Omar Abdullah started his political career with the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). He has been a minster in the central government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was a minister while 2002 Gujarat riots were going on but he didn’t speak a word and continued to be the minister.
While Omar Abdullah was Member of Parliament (MP) with Saffuddin Soz along with him, who in those days used to be in the National Conference. In 1999, Vajpayee government fell because of a single vote and that vote was of Soz. Soz was terminated from the party for not voting for the BJP government.
The National Conference has promised removal of the Public Safety Act (PSA) in its manifesto. But it can’t do this. This is because it doesn’t fall in the domain of a Union Territory CM. This is a lie told to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially to the people of Kashmir Valley.
Moreover, Omar’s past remarks regarding the PSA are completely contradictory to what the NC has in its manifesto. “There is no proposal or need for revocation of Jammu and Kashmir PSA 1978 …… as the Act has sufficient safe inbuilt safeguards”.
Omar made these remarks when already 1,257 people were booked under the PSA until July 2013. Omar back then as Chief Minister had full domain to revoke it, but he was not only in favour of the PSA but also allowed its use in full force to silent the critical voices.
Omar Abdullah, who speaks highly about the justice, has done biggest injustice to the people of Jammu Kashmir while he was Chief Minister. In 2009, while he was the CM, he is accused of saving the rapists and murders of Asiya and Nelofar. This Rape and murderer case is one of the famous cases of Kashmir.
In 2010, Wamiq, a 7th class student, was killed in police custody. The family of Wamiq was asked to accept the cash as compensation and withdraw the case. When they didn’t accept, they were pressurized though the family didn’t bow.
On 11 June 2010, 17-year-old Tufial Mattu was killed by a tear gas shell fired in his skull from a close range. Mattu had a 5 rupee coin in his hand, which still remains with his father as his last testimony. Like the family of Wamiq, Mattu’s father too was asked to accept the compensation and to leave the case. He refused and is fighting for justice till date.
In 2010 agitation, as many as 117 people lost their lives. And Farooq Abdullah, father of Omar and son of Sheikh Abdullah said, “The summer of 2010 made Omar a leader’.
In the same summer 117 lives were lost. And he was referring to the same agitation. How can someone become a leader by killing his own people is out of my mind?
Farooq during his times in power has been no good. While he was the CM of Jammu and Kashmir, he groomed one the worst group called Ikhwan. They were worst of all. Now many of the Ikhwans are in jails on murder charges. Rapes were common among ikhwans. Rapes committed by them had no accountability. They were free to rape and killing anyone and anytime only because they enjoyed the support of the government led by the Farooq Abdullah.
On 25-25 July 2012, a fake encounter took place. The Bandipora Court on August this year said that the army is trying to cover up the true and actual facts.
The NC sold power projects to center and has 200 unit free electricity promise in their manifesto. On restoration of Article 370, Omar Abdullah backed off just after hours after winning the 2024 polls. The joke is that they have implementation of autonomy resolution of the year 2000 in the manifesto.
Omar while backing off from the restoration of 370 said, “It’s foolish to ask it back from those who took it away.” So how will they give the autonomy resolution a go ahead? This is another point that they lied on.
Same is the story of release of prisoners. They have lied to people once again and that too in a very brutal way. The lesser evil definition in no way fits to them. They are the actual and the real evil.
[The writer, Raqif Makhdoomi, is a law student and a rights defender.]
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