A Victory, In Every Sense - (Indolink, 11-10-2002)

-- By Dasu Krishnamoorty

The election outcome in Kashmir is a great victory for the country. In one stroke it has destroyed several myths: that the Kashmiris want to secede from India; that terrorism can bend the democratic will; that elections are impossible in an atmosphere of fear and that dynasties are forever. It hardly matters that no party had won an absolute majority. Coalitions seem to be the order of the day and inevitable where the collectivity of the people´s will is constantly challenged by divisive forces.

The Mori survey sometime ago had conclusively proved that left to themselves most Kashmiris would want to remain with India. This is only natural in a country where the constitution is not the work of a dictator but reflects the free and fearless choice of the people. Despite the turmoil, the violence of the militants, boycott by major sections, people have registered their verdict in unequivocal terms as evident from the turnout. This must also silence those meddlesome groups at home and abroad who persevere in flogging the dead horse of plebiscite.

Terrorism received a fitting rebuff from the electorate disproving that it is the homegrown variety. The terrorism that took a toll of 850 lives between the announcement of the election and the declaration of its results is imported from across the border and totally failed in achieving its objective of frustrating the electoral exercise. It is now clear that this perversity had flourished because it had enjoyed the hospitality of those parties who boycotted the election and who are demanding a plebiscite.

The inevitability of knitting together and running a coalition may lure some parties to raise the plebiscite slogan again. That contingency will never arise if the partners of the coalition can distinguish between the nation and the government. The National Democratic Alliance lost no time in assuring that it will negotiate the Kashmir problem with the parties forming the coalition in Srinagar. This is not a time to gloat over victories however deserving and celebrate the embarrassment of the rivals. The victory does not belong to any party. It belongs to the men and women of Kashmir who thronged the polling booths undaunted by weather and violence. It belongs to the entire nation.

For the present, it is a setback to dynastic manipulations. The Abdullahs are great survivors and cannot be dismissed lightly. With several ayarams and gayarams around the corner willing to barter their support for anything, the Abdullahs staging a comeback cannot be ruled out. One danger that must be insured against is the political mischief that a dethroned and vanquished dynasty is likely to resort to. The Abdullahs have a history of using secessionist politics as a weapon to wrench concessions from the federal government. Nearly every political party can be relied upon to help the Abdullahs in their designs against the federal government for short-term gains and pique.

The election results have embarrassed what many of us refer to as the international community. Snoopy diplomats descended in hordes to oversee, which really is none of their business, the poll in the troubled land. However, they have made amends by wholeheartedly endorsing the election as free and fair. The international community is a misnomer for the countries constituting the Group of 8. This group had done precious little to persuade Pakistan to stop infiltration. They get nothing in return from Musharraf for the millions of dollars they give him to stage a farce of an election in Pakistan.

Not to forfeit the opportunity to have the last word, the western countries want us to re-open the dialogue with a government that has ceased to represent the people of its country. Prime Minster Atal Behari Vajpayee had said a hundred times how it was India which took the first step in launching the bus diplomacy in Nawaz Shariff´s time and again inviting Musharraf to Agra. The one-upmanship the dictator staged at Agra was a misuse of hospitality. For any fresh talks, Vajpayee has made it clear, a check on infiltration is a precondition.

Besides the people of Kashmir, the brave jawans of the Indian army, the local militia and not the least the junior employees of the Uttar Pradesh government who risked life and limb to do election duty deserve praise and congratulation. The Election Commission did its duty, impossible without the sacrifices of the jawans, militia and local government machinery. Credit is due to the hundreds of reporters, TV crews and photographers who brought to the rest of the world the truth about Kashmir.

However, the task of the Election Commission is not over. There is Gujarat where people are waiting to elect a representative government. The Commission which saw no difficulty in holding an election in Kashmir in the face of armed uprising expressed its inability to do the same in Gujarat citing the inability of minority groups living in refugee camps to come out and vote. This condition was equally true in Kashmir where a million Kashmiri pundits continue to live in refugee camps. Hurriyat and sundry outfits boycotted the poll bringing down the percentage of the turnout. If the Commission obdurately rejects a fresh demand by Gujarat for holding an election, it loses all credibility.

The dust and heat of the election in Kashmir has settled. It is the aftermath that needs to be cautiously negotiated. Parties seeking to form a coalition must abjure horse trading and political barter. It is likely that one of the parties agreeing to lend support may make plebiscite a condition for such support. It is better to jettison the dream of coming back to power than rekindling the flames of secession or independence.