< https://www.inversejournal.com/2021/06/24/kashmir-meet-after-two-years-of-ruin-a-reckoning-or-a-new-tack-by-muzamil-jaleel/ >
Provides a detailed mapping of the specifics of the "settler colonial prohect" - which, btw, I too underlined in very brief (ref: < https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10226339716784443&id=1387786704 >). It's, btw, pretty inaccurate on the role of Abdullah in the "accession" business. The legal justification for the same is provided by Hari Singh - the then ruler of the princely state under the British, signing the "instrument of accession". The people of the Valley - overwhelmingly Muslims, helped the Indian Army/state in a big way to take physical control of the Valley - which had been on the verge of being overrun by the invaders coming from Pakistan. Abdullah - "Sher-e-Kashmir", was a major Indian ally to help it retain the control. When the armed operations were called off, one-third of the erstwhile state came under the control of (Islamic) Pakistan - which, as a consequence and quite significantly, didn't include any part of the Valley. (Had dealt with in some details in my own account: < https://groups.google.com/g/greenyouth/c/g3FduJpmFBc/m/oS4AvInOAQAJ>.) Most importantly, it too has, in a way acknowledged - while exploring the various possible drivers, why this sudden tactical retreat - as it appears to be, still remains a sort of mystery. We'll have to wait a while. The essential "settler colonial project" - on the model of Israel, as publicly advertised, as it appears, remains pretty much intact. No doubt about that. The meet is, of course, meant to secure the cooperation of the - much derided, "Gupkar Gang" for the oncoming delimitation operation of the electoral constituencies, meant to raise the level of weightage of the (Hindu-majority) Jammu region vis-a-vis the Valley. The issue is why seek "cooperation" instead of ugly muscle flexing as the regime was doing all along since August 4/5 2019? Why the "tactical retreat"??? Even if only tactical. And, even more worringly, how come the "leaders" - in the meet, failed to place on the very top of the table the "demand" to go back to the status quo ante? On Fri, 25 Jun 2021, 15:54 Sukla Sen, <[email protected]> wrote: > > "(M)ore baffling than surprising." > That's perhaps the aptest way to describe the sudden development. > > <<Not the one to undergo a sudden change of heart, particularly on issues > close to his personal ideological beliefs - Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) among > one of the core issues - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's move to call an > all-party was more baffling than surprising. > > What has led to this sudden change of heart? Interestingly, it has > happened sooner than expected. It was not long ago that the invitees to the > meeting were vilified and incarcerated. So, is the invite an admission that > the Modi government's RSS driven agenda on J&K - post the partial > abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and annulling Article 35A - > has failed? > > There are two clear takeaways from the over three-hour meeting, reflecting > on the Centre's thinking about J&K. Firstly, the delimitation of assembly > constituencies is to be followed by elections with no time frame in sight. > Thus, return to statehood seems farfetched, and reversal on Article 370 and > 35A seems improbable. > > Second, suddenly, the National Conference (NC) patriarch Farooq Abdullah > and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti figured in Modi's > scheme of things. These are the same leaders who, alongside Congress, were > blamed by the hosts of the June 24, 2021, all-party meeting for having > misgoverned, annihilated and looted Kashmir. The two leaders of the Kashmir > centric parties, more so Ms Mufti, were targeted for allegedly kowtowing to > the Pakistan line.>> > > (Excerpted from: < > https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/why-an-all-party-meet-on-jammu-and-kashmir-1001307.html > >.) > > No, let's not delude ourselves. > There's no readymade answer - as to why? > At least, as yet. > > But, one thing is certain, the regime doesn't have any heart (just look at > the way the national lockdown was clamped with less than four hours notice > so as to keep the migrant workers locked up at their places of work so that > they're readily available to their employers as and when the lockdown > eases); hence, it just can't have any "change of heart". > It doesn't appear to have much brains either, even if - it must be > conceded, it has an abundance of low cunning. > So, a genuine revised estimate - on its own, cannot be the driver. > > Since the virtual scrapping of the Article 370, the regime is almost > single-mindedly pursuing - or trying to pursue, the Israeli model of > (incrementally) settling colonisers in the Valley, pushing out the > traditional inhabitants. (Ref.: <https://youtu.be/dhj0EHLhbh8>.) > In the process, has turned it into a virtual prison house. > In fact, lately, the same line has, apparently, been (just) initiated in > the (only other) overwhelmingly Muslim (tiny) Union Territory of > Lakshadweep as well. > So, the "change of heart" just doesn't wash. > > Then, why??? > > Maybe the change in regime in Washington. > Maybe the shift in weather - even if rather small, in the highest court of > the land, where petitions regarding the (virtual) scrapping of the Article > 370 are pending. > Maybe both in combination. > Maybe also something else. > Imminent change in Afghanistan? > > To be sure, it's going to make a dent on 56" image of the Leader and he > just can't be unaware of it. > All in all, it, however, looks more like a "trap" - in partial recognition > of the failure of the ongoing venture to attain the aimed for goals; hence, > a somewhat circuitious way. > > Time will tell. > > Not to mistake, people are still languishing in jail and there's, as yet, > no talk of going back to the status quo ante - quite bafflingly, that's not > even included in the "demands". > And these "leaders", perhaps, represent only a fraction of the Valley > inhabitants. > > Also look up: <https://fb.watch/6lhk_xPeUt/>, < > https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-talks-heres-what-unfolded-at-the-first-meet-and-what-lies-ahead-7375114/> > and, for a, rather detailed, backgrounder: < > https://groups.google.com/g/greenyouth/c/g3FduJpmFBc/m/oS4AvInOAQAJ>. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/greenyouth/CACEsOZiOqnHxsNbdsSZmiwbXH9BjbdFqshQC_nTtpUehTDPD9g%40mail.gmail.com.
