Kashmir's unending lockdown
To combat the Coronavirus, the entire country has been under lockdown for the last two months, but the lockdown has hardly been of any help to stop the community spread of the virus. It has, however, wrecked economic havoc in the life of the common man with the country finding itself in social and economic shambles. Further, using the lockdown as a pretext, the police brazenly committed atrocities against the common man which was reported widely in the media. The country needs at least one or two years to recover from the impact of the lockdown.
Before the lockdown was imposed across the country, Kashmir – an integral part of India – had already been in lockdown for six months. Other than Kashmir, the entire country celebrated the imposition of lockdown in Kashmir almost as if we had gained freedom. The six-month lockdown in the state seriously impinged on the rights of Kashmiris to lead their normal lives. For the rest of the country to experience how lockdown, curfew, and restrictions can suffocate and snuff the life out of people, the Coronavirus had to enter the country.
Today, let alone winning the war over Coronavirus, we have only succeeded in spreading it across the country and are now standing empty-handed having lost everything in the process. In this dire situation, we should not, however, forget the fact that Kashmir will soon complete one year in lockdown. We should ask ourselves some important questions about how successful the attempt has been to take over Kashmir through the might of the military and to what extent has the life of Kashmiris improved after annulling Article 370 and during the military lockdown. On August 5, 2019, Article 370 that gave special status to Kashmir was annulled and the state was divided as the Union Territories of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh.
Through these measures, a popular impression was created that Kashmir has been completely integrated into India. The Centre insisted that with the removal of Article 370, a huge block impeding democracy and development in Kashmir had eased off. At the same time, the country celebrated that Kashmir was also finally emotionally integrated with India. But, even after one year, Kashmir is being unofficially ruled by the military and Kashmiris are in a state of desperation after losing their rights and having been in lockdown for a year. Their lives have been further battered with the onslaught of the Coronavirus.
Leaders of Kashmir’s mainstream political parties have been in jail during this time. Not just that, opposition party leaders in Delhi have been denied permission to enter Kashmir. These actions show that after Article 370 was annulled, the gulf between Kashmir and India has only increased. The actions of the government to instill confidence in the people of Kashmir are also very disappointing. According to a report, as of 2020, farmers, businessmen, merchants, and farm laborers are battling feelings of shame, disgrace, deception, and helplessness. The number of people opposing the annulment of Article 370 is also increasing. For the elders of Kashmir, Article 370 was not merely a provision of the Constitution but also a symbol of their confidence in the administration. The annulment of Article 370 has not dented the political philosophy of extremists in the Kashmir valley in any way, rather it has handed over a powerful weapon for the extremists to take control of the common man. The government’s action is turning out to be a deeply wrenched wound. The most dangerous development, if one were to call it that, is the behavior of the mainstream political parties that have become rather dull and insipid with extremist organizations using the opportunity and trying hard to take their place.
The government’s belief that the annulment of Article 370 would stop the interference of Pakistan in Kashmir has also been proven wrong. The battle between extremists and the army has further intensified and the number of army personnel stationed in Kashmir has increased manifold. Even as the government is handling Pakistan’s interference, the relations with China and Nepal have also nosedived, which has further strengthened Pakistan’s position.
A small country like Nepal is raking up the border issue while China is repeatedly violating India’s border and trying to take control over Ladakh. Indian soldiers have already paid the price for Chinese incursion in Ladakh. The decision the government took in Kashmir has also resulted in escalating tensions with Nepal and China over the borders with clouds of war hovering around us. It has also opened up the possibilities of China encouraging extremism in Kashmir. Kashmir emerging out of the army stranglehold appears bleak. The way the situation in Kashmir has been handled has been a serious setback for India. We might have succeeded in legally integrating Kashmir through the annulment of Article 370 but till people of Kashmir are embraced and accepted wholeheartedly, Kashmir cannot be truly ours.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
