Sikhs Disappointed With Delimitation Exercise

When both articles 370 & 35-A were amended under J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 political and social hopes increased in the Sikh community of J&K. It’s true that every Sikh family living in J&K was not happy with amendments done in these both articles. But somewhere adding to joy was the fresh map issued by the Government of India in November 2019 which showed PoJK as part of Jammu and Kashmir. Moreover, the clauses in the above said act also reflected that the delimitation process has to take place and this generated hope among some Sikhs that a road forward will be created to ensure political & social empowerment of their community. Besides, political and social relief seemed near, as the above said act mandated creation of new assembly constituencies in J&K. The Sikh community which suffered majorly due to partition of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 took this moment as an opportunity which can provide them a bright future. It was also because, after 1947 Sikhs settled in areas like Bhor, Chatha, Simbal, Gadigarh, Badyal Brahmana, Keerian Gandyal and Raj Bagh of Jammu region lived in such conditions which cannot be defined in words. Furthermore, in the last 70 years they were never given their share in politics as political parties didn’t care for the community members in particular.

Then came March 2020 and the three-member delimitation commission headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai was set up for the purpose of drawing up the boundaries of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies . Sikhs living in areas like Gandhi Nagar, RS Pura, Suchetgarh, Nowshera and Vijaypur in Jammu region and Batmaloo, Baramulla and Tral in Kashmir region started feeling empowered as they thought that these areas may take shape of assembly constituencies after the delimitation exercise gets completed. Another thought floated that 24 seats reserved for PoJK refugees would be de-freezed and allotted to the PoJK refugees settled in Jammu. Interestingly, the majority of the Sikhs living in J&K are PoJK refugees and for the last 70 years, these PoJK refugees always demanded proper representation in the J&K assembly. So this time the Sikh community was sure of getting their political share either in the form of reservation in seats or under quota of seats already reserved for PoJK refugees.

As the process for delimitation moved ahead, several Sikh delegations met the Commission members in Jammu as well as in Kashmir and in a way pleaded before them to get some constituencies reserved for the local Sikh community. After the lengthy process followed in the past two years and amid ongoing pandemic and after facing delays Delimitation Commission proposed in a draft report that six more seats will be given in the Jammu region and only one additional seat in Kashmir. Now the new proposed legislative assembly house of J&K would consist of 90-members.  Infact 16 assembly seats under the proposed draft are reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Jammu & Kashmir.

Sadly, the Delimitation Commission has ruled out reserving any seat for Sikh community and even de-freezing of 24 seats reserved for PoJK people weren’t done under delimitation drive. Although what all work has been done by the Commission is a welcome move but in total Sikhs who came from Rawalakot, Muzaffarabad, Bhimber, Kotli, Bagh and Mirpur areas are disappointed with the delimitation exercise because issues of the community were left unaddressed. Talking of the present situation, now the work of Delimitation Commission is nearing to end as recently Commission held meetings with members of the public and civil society groups who have submitted suggestions and objections on its draft delimitation proposal. In these visible conditions put forth by the Delimitation Commission nothing changed politically for Sikh community and Sikhs feel alienated again as there would be none to represent Sikhs, their problems and concerns in the new Assembly of J&K.

'The Kashmir Files’ Brings Societal Divide In J&K

The not so famous director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri is in news for his movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ which has become a box office blockbuster across the country. The month of March was awaited by all for assembly poll results on March 10. But the very next day, on March 11, ‘The Kashmir Files’ film hit the screens and since then is in the news for its content which grabbed all eyeballs and has become part of political rhetoric. The movie has once again touched the wounds of Kashmiri Pandit community by narrating their story of exodus in 1990. The message of the movie has gone wrong.  Although it’s a fictional story depicting a Kashmiri Pandit student whose parents were killed by militants. This has picked up the shape of a storm in the world of Indian cinema. From receiving support to criticism to allegations of diversionary tactics, this movie has all things floating around it.

This is not all; even the political circles are buzzing as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have openly praised 'The Kashmir Files'. The BJP-ruled state governments have come out in its defense by waiving tax on it. Interestingly, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lent support to the 'The Kashmir Files' and recently at the BJP Parliamentary Party meet he said "People who always raise the flag of freedom of expression are restless. Instead of reviewing facts, a campaign is being run to discredit it.." Besides, the filmmakers of the 'Kashmir Files’ also got to meet PM Modi. Such projection of film didn’t go well with local Congress leaders in J&K and Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee Chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said, "The government of the day which was supported by BJP at the centre, can't absolve itself of the sin of the sufferings and killings of the displaced Kashmiri community. Unfortunately, the present govt. in office for over seven years, has also failed to take any major initiative for their return and rehabilitation and of their children.  Only the ongoing projects, schemes &  packages of Dr. Manmohan Singh led UPA are being carried forward, on a very slow pace only and there is nothing new for them except crocodile tears for gaining sympathy of crores of countrymen with an eye of votes". “The government can't absolve itself of the continued violence and targeted killings of minority communities and pro-India forces in Kashmir and elsewhere and should take firm result oriented steps for their return, rehabilitation and settlement in an atmosphere of security and harmony by bridging the gaps in communities and not by further vitiating the atmosphere by promoting hatred and division", he added. A special screening of this movie was held in Jammu & later while addressing the press Vivek Agnihotri was confronted by a local journalist who asked him, “Why haven’t you shown about Muslims who helped Kashmiri Pandit families in those days?”. He evaded this sharp question by replying that, “The concept of this movie was different”. It didn’t end here, as this movie talks about one of the chapters of the history of Kashmir and everything relating to Kashmir always raises high interest in Jammu's social circles. And it happened this time also, when an incident erupted through a video on Twitter stating that after the release of the movie, screening for the film was stopped in Wave Mall of Jammu. This matter further escalated when Vivek Agnihotri, the director of ‘The Kashmir Files’, quoted one complaint and tweeted "This is absolutely illegal and undemocratic. Pl don’t surrender to arm twisting and political pressures. And I request the audience to demand the manager of @wavecinemas on what basis they have done it. Ask them to show the written orders from any competent authority". 

The weaponization of the film has deepened the societal divide. The Kashmiri Pandit families in J&K appear also divided. "The 'Kashmir Files' has stirred a controversy. But the real fact is that the exodus of nearly 3 lakh Hindus, Sikhs and pro-India Muslims was mainly due to targeted killings carried out by Pakistan supported militants since 1987. Main targets were Pandits who were hunted down by militants. Nearly 5 massacres were carried out by terrorists. For 30-years the narrative was being pushed that Pandits left due to the conspiracy and Governor Jagmohan was responsible, but that is not a fact. The theory was forwarded to hide the brutal killings and put blame on the victims themselves and absolve the separatists and militant groups from the crimes committed. 'Kashmir files' has depicted some incidents, I think those who oppose it should demand an independent probe and investigation of the cases and talk to surviving family members of victims. It should cover all 30-years of Kashmir conflict. However the issue should not be turned into a political game. It will hurt everybody”, said Arvind Dhar, a migrant Pandit living in Jammu. Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti, a group of the residents living in Kashmir, has tweeted saying that ‘The Kashmir Files’ makes resident Kashmiri Pandits, living in Kashmir, feel unsafe. "As many of us have seen the movie "The Kashmir Files", it depicts the lives of Kashmiri Pandits and their sufferings. But it fails to shed light on the whole truth behind the Kashmir exodus, along with Kashmiri Pandits many civilians also lost their lives. It blinds us from the entire truth. For telling this generation about the Kashmir exodus is a fantastic job but to portray the Kashmiri Pandits as bait in a political propaganda is very dangerous for different communities as it is causing communal disharmony" said Afaq Hussain Kazmi who is Vice president of Anjuman-e-Imamia in Jammu. 

This reflects that all communities in Kashmir were affected and through this movie only it is being pushed that Kashmiri Pandits were only affected. This is not all, now the Hindu Dogras and members of Sikh community have raised their voice openly on social media against Vivek Agnihotri. They are constantly reminding him of the mass killings, rapes, suicides, abduction of women of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) refugees in 1947. Moreover, he is being reminded by many people on various social media platform that killings in 1947 were the ‘first genocide’ in J&K. They are also demanding that Vivek Agnihotri should now make a movie ‘The Jammu Files’ to appear clean. In the past, 'The Tashkent Files' was Agnihotri's another film which was also highly criticized. It would be the happiest moment for all when films help in bringing peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP Sailed, Congress Failed

The results of assembly polls are out and in some respects, these results are also a reflection of the democratic system in India and its deeper roots after 75 years. The voter is getting stronger as more people vote these days to bring the desired outcome with their strong belief in the democratic system. However, different policies pursued by different parties combined with political strategies brought dramatic results for BJP, Congress, AAP and others. It’s an indicator of democracy when we see different parties with different agendas perform differently in all states. It appears there is no pan-India formula to convince voters as all states and regions have their own problems and different perceptions towards getting solutions to those problems. We have seen how this time BJP sailed, Congress failed and AAP floated in this big political fight which was also called the ‘semifinal’ of 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Again with BJP coming back to power in four states, BJP has emerged stronger in all these key states. Entire opposition couldn’t match the pace of BJP’s march towards getting such a mandate. This kind of victory in Uttar Pradesh shows that ‘COVID criticism’ faced by BJP didn't impact the political plans of BJP. With CM Yogi returning to power, it will now further change the course of BJP politics and Yogi will emerge as another tallest leader in BJP after the backing of RSS. The bigger mandate in Uttarakhand is also a signal to growing BJP politics across the country. BJP’s better Goa performance says much about this party’s political strategy this election season. All plans have fallen in the right place as Manipur also stayed in BJP’s bag. Now the journey for BJP has become easy as they walk to face a big test again in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Some would agree that the results of 2022 have decided the results of 2024 for BJP.

In sharp contrast, the results have again left a big lesson for the Congress party. All leaders have failed to revive Congress fortunes.  Big setback has come for Congress in three states and only by humbly accepting people's mandate won’t help the party in near future also. After such a performance, Congress has not only lost polls but definitely the spirit of workers and leaders have also shattered across the country. The ‘high command’ culture in politics at times backfires because the ultimate decision is of the people and this got expressed with the situation Congress is right now in. This effectively means that the Congress party has failed to inspire the electorate in all the five states. After how many more defeats, accountability will be fixed in Congress? And when will new leadership come in front? Now Congress has been wiped off the UP map for almost three decades and continues to face defeats. The ‘party as family’ concept in Congress is being rejected by the voters and is a clear failure of Congress high command that isn’t ready to accept this sentiment till now.

Let’s look at AAP, founded in 2012, and it took them just 10 years to form a government in 2 places, Delhi and now Punjab. Punjabis have spoken in Punjab and the most powerful politicians were shown the door by the voters. The voter has shown its maturity and once again worked on secular philosophy in the entire region. Punjab people appear aware as they voted above sectarian and caste lines. With this all combined, AAP has started a national journey and can have good prospects now onwards in Haryana as well as Jammu–Kashmir. Jammuites need to learn from this exceptional change in Punjab and vote only for honest governance in near future when assembly polls are held here. With the power of the people at play, democracy triumphs and it should continue to happen.

Road To 2024

This month assembly polls are starting and in March 5 states - Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa will see formation of new governments. This big democratic exercise in 5 states is seen as a road to 2024 parliamentary polls. In a way, people will deliver mid-term verdict on the BJP government at the centre. This time all the five states have different election issues and that can also be seen in the strategies of all the parties and its leaders on the campaign trail. The issues concerning agriculture, crime and corruption, economy and various business and commerce related matters impacting the daily life of citizens are the topic in these elections. However, people in different states this time are made to focus on matters presented to them as per the political convenience of every party. This election season there is a high probability of many politicians being accused of exhibiting double standards after the results as many would switch sides in the name of post poll alliance.

The results from five states would test the charisma of BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The biggest challenge BJP faces is in UP where BJP formed the government in 2017 and later those results helped the party in victory in the parliamentary elections of 2019. The opinion polls this time show BJP is in a strong position in UP, Uttarakhand, and Manipur. All the parties fighting against BJP know that these elections are the biggest political gamble for their survival in the political arena. If BJP wins UP out of five states then it would be a major victory in terms of Lok Sabha seats for them in 2024. But if BJP wins four out of five states but loses UP it would be a major loss in terms of Lok Sabha seats. And if BJP loses three states and wins the election from UP and any one other state, it could still be capable of converting this victory for the 2024 Lok Sabha seats.

Though the results from UP are likely to determine the political strength of BJP but for Congress and emerging Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) overall results from five states are important. As far as UP is concerned the Congress hasn’t forged any major alliance and this may put it in a poor position in terms of seats. Failure on the part of Congress to perform in other four states will cast shadow on its political outlook in the country and the party may see a repeat of 2019 in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Along with it, the restlessness will increase in Congress cadre as we just witnessed last month RPN Singh abandoning the Congress ship. The other problem is that Congress will not be in a position to regroup opposition parties and opposition unity will further weaken. In these elections, the rise of AAP will also be measured in political terms as Arvind Kejriwal and team is making a hectic campaign to prove its growing significance in national politics.

There is a high possibility that the results from these states would cast shadow on the political scene in Jammu & Kashmir also. Infact as per reports, The J&K Delimitation Commission is likely to get a second extension of its term which may further delay any announcement of Assembly elections in the Union Territory. Political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have to wait more because the possibility of the polls is only after the Delimitation Commission submits its report. That said, BJP which has high cadre strength in Jammu region will once again get time to motivate the public here on issues like peace, security, economy and an opportunity for equitable growth. Besides, this situation will strengthen BJP’s policy on Kashmir and the hate mongers in Kashmir will be left with no other option but to buy peace from the central government.

Third Wave Battle

The battle with the third wave of Covid has started. And this time we have to acknowledge that we are prepared a lot mentally in comparison to the past two years. But until we avoid the past errors the crisis and threat remains the same because the Omicron variant is highly transmissible and is causing infections even among vaccinated people. Moreover, people who have gotten infected previously are catching the infection again.  In the next few weeks, it is anticipated by the experts that we can have big infection numbers as transmission of this variant is very high. This wave has thrown a lot of new challenges for the healthcare professionals who by now are exhausted, frustrated and stressed. Adding to this is the surge of infections due to Omicron among the healthcare workers who now infact are fighting two Covid battles. 

Again avoiding close contact with people and following all the Covid guidelines is needed. Although the booster dose for a high risk group of people has started yet there are many around us who are still unvaccinated. They are the real threat and are infact in the danger zone. Many people have not taken a second dose after getting the first shot of the vaccine due to continuing mental inhibition. With Omicron spreading rapidly, it’s important that all such people are made to get themselves vaccinated. It’s even frustrating to see that there is complete lack of understanding among some people even after 2 years of this pandemic. With the third wave around us it is being said that individuals who are fully vaccinated (2 doses) will need not be rushed to hospitals and only treatment at home along with oxygen monitoring will be needed. By now it is clear that vaccines have a life saving role. So the fear for vaccination should end at the earliest in our society. Too much delay or too long wait for getting vaccinated can prove harmful.

This time doctors are also prepared as during the second wave there was a lot of confusion among them which forced them to go for extra investigation and medications. Prevailing conditions at that time made doctors go for over medications which are believed to have caused black fungus in many patients. Although the hospitals after the second wave have built their capacities vis a vis ICU beds and oxygen, the worry remains to treat children who might get affected this time.  Once again it will be a testing phase for our healthcare system. When the second wave ended, we hoped that this would be the last wave but little did we realize that we would lose our schedules again in a couple of months. Such new infection in the shape of Omicron has given the virus a chance to mutate and there is also possibility of a more virulent variant in the future. 

We should not forget the lessons from the last wave. Since most of us have some protection in the shape of vaccination or past infection but that won’t keep us safe for long. Even if treatment is available and is emerging, it doesn't mean it will benefit all people, especially those with more than 60 years of age, cancer, kidney disease, pulmonary issues, obesity and heart problems. And in the context of India, the number of such people is really high and falls in the highest risk zone. It is premature to say when these tides of Covid waves will end. Presently, the only way to save ourselves from facing catastrophic situations again in the weeks to come and handle the third wave is by curtailing the hunger to go out in markets, attend gatherings and political rallies.

Experience Of Two Lockdowns

Few days are left in the year 2021. But before that COVID-19 is back with a new variant-Omicron. This new variant from South Africa has reached India as well. With this, the era of containment zones is back in J&K and in addition to it fears of third lockdown too have come back. After having faced two lockdowns and thinking of a third lockdown, it is very easy to recollect the evening of 25 March 2020 and PM Modi’s address to the nation. That evening of 2020 has gone down in the history books and little did we know how it will affect our future before again facing a second terrible and cruel lockdown in 2021.

Initially, the first lockdown felt like a vacation and a break from a hectic daily routine. Every family prepared drafts of their plans for the next 21 days. The plans ranging from work from home, waking up late, watching movies, trying new cooking skills, gaming and TV news to check virus numbers were common. Recreation activities which were left incomplete in past years were also being tried at many houses. Basically, we were thankful for these upcoming days without gauging the impact and the deterioration on our physical & mental health in months to come. Soon our ‘new made’ schedules turned monotonous and a sense of being imprisoned in our homes developed in our minds. Also a sense of ‘social inequality’ grew when we saw some people roaming out of their houses in the name of ‘essential services’. Many children experienced loneliness during lockdown due to school closures and lack of physical contact with other people. Families with aged people and toddlers noted depression, anxiety and panic disorder as they were homebound with sudden extra precautions and focus on health matters.

After months, when news of unlocking came it became a key to unlock our happiness. In July 2020, we thought that we may get back to our old routines as we started moving out of our houses with a hope of normalcy soon. On 16 January 2021, when India began administration of COVID-19 vaccines most people became careless in their daily life and it resulted into the second wave of COVID-19 which came as a tsunami in February-March 2021. Forgetting the March-April of 2021 is not easy, as COVID-19 cases and deaths caused the imposition of a second lockdown in J&K. Throughout the second lockdown there was no feeling of vacation and break from a hectic daily routine. Basically, we realized only in the second wave that the threat of COVID-19 was really dangerous when the ‘dance of death’ started around us. We were at our homes this time with really increased fear and worries. Knowing the fact that there is shortage of oxygen and ventilators in Jammu-Kashmir was adding to the worries of every family. We perceived the impact of this risk on our loved ones which brought anxiety in the minds of every family member. In J&K, all of us were not lucky as death knocked the doors of our relatives, friends and neighbors. Along with it, we saw in Jammu how some families were heavily devastated as they lost many members to COVID-19.

Despite the uncertainties and before facing a third lockdown, writing down the experience of two lockdowns is quite significant because all disabilities during these periods were not visible. Including it was the deep uncomforting and difficult times of not being able to breathe, move, eat and sleep which caused big challenges in our lives. Moreover, we can’t see the upcoming struggles but they do exist. One thing is sure that this COVID-19 pandemic is not ending anytime soon and if there were ever such times to come again, just hope to face it without fear!

End Militancy To Bring Peace

The recent targeted killings of people in Kashmir have created a sense of fear. All this started giving a déjà-vu feeling to many who left Kashmir valley decades back. Sikhs, Hindus, migrant labourers and a few locals were killed in the past weeks. And these killings were done in a short and regular span of time which made it appear akin to strategy adopted in various massacres which took place earlier in Jammu-Kashmir. The reason for relating these killings to massacres is all because people from particular communities were being singled out and killed. Once again the intention is only to harm and create fear among those who have stayed in Kashmir despite the ongoing militancy for many years now.  After all this, J&K LG Manoj Sinha said that the blood of innocent civilians will be avenged. But it does little to ease the fear in the mind of those who are still staying back in Kashmir.

The central government since August 5, 2019 is taking several steps in the shape of ‘mass outreach programs’ in the J&K UT to bring normalcy. But all these killings once again have impacted the government’s progressive steps. On the other hand, after these targeted killings, there is intensified and manifold increase in raids by security forces in various residential localities of Kashmir. And detentions are made of all suspects across the valley to stop another exodus of people who still choose to stay behind despite open prevailing threat. Nevertheless, the biggest fear remains for the families of employees who were employed under the Prime Minister’s Development Package and are presently posted in Kashmir. The recent killings were done purely to show that militancy thrives in Kashmir and are in fact, retaliatory acts of militants as security forces are continuously gunning down several militants responsible for attacks & killings in Kashmir region.

Already this year 133 militants including many top commanders have been neutralized by security forces. Some experts relate this rise in militant attacks to Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. There is no doubt that it could impact Jammu-Kashmir. However, at present free hand is given to security agencies in Kashmir so due to it the ‘Afghanistan impact’ won’t come so easily and fast in Kashmir region. Besides, the Government of India is taking steps to engage with the Taliban government and that may prevent use of Jammu-Kashmir as a ground for extremism and radicalization by Taliban. Although grief marches in favour of militants and stone pelting have stopped, still instead of holding ‘mass outreach programs’ the priority should be to eliminate all those enemies who on our land are aiding and abetting the militancy by any means. This would bring relief for all who feel threatened and are on the radar of militants in Kashmir.

In the past also we have seen that music concerts and dance festivals were organized by the Government of India to gain ground, but that didn’t prevent the killing of politicians, journalists and social activists in Kashmir. So it’s a clear signal that this all won’t be fruitful until the enemies of humanity are thriving in Jammu-Kashmir. Creating a secure atmosphere in J&K and ending violence has to be achieved first and then only the jobs, housing and return-rehabilitation schemes would take shape on ground. Because the majority of people aren’t getting convinced just with the assurances, as decades have passed and heinous crimes continue to shatter every soul living in Jammu-Kashmir. For the present and future of Jammu-Kashmir, efforts to end militancy and bring peace here in the lives of all those living here only will make people secure.