TRIBUTE
“Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s patriotism and his martyrdom in the cause of united India have left an indelible mark on my mind. In those days, one needed a permit to enter Jammu & Kashmir although it was an integral part of India. Dr Mookerjee launched a powerful agitation against that system and entered Kashmir without a permit. I accompanied him till the moment of his arrest. As he was being led away, Dr Mookerjee had turned around and said, “Go back and tell the people of India that I have entered Kashmir without a permit, albeit as a prisoner”. Those words still ring in my ears” said Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee to media when he was the Prime Minister.
Atal Bharat Ratna
Atal ji a multifaceted personality in real sense of the term was a journalist, a critically acclaimed poet with keen interest in music and the tallest statesman-politician in independent India. Shri Vajpayee ji commanded respect for his liberal worldview and commitment to democratic ideals. He was perhaps first leader of the country who brought poor, deprived and under-privileged sections into the focus of government policy planning and execution.
Born on December 25, 1924 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh was a man of the masses, liberal and flexible in his approach but firm in his convictions. He was a great nationalist, forward-looking committed to strong, united and prosperous nation confident of its rightful place in the comity of nations.
Atal ji was a legendary orator, a reputed Parliamentarian who had matchless skill to judge the mood of audience and respond to feelings on the ground. This sometimes was used to portray him in undesirable ways. Left–illiberal-pseudo secular echo-chamber has tried hard to misrepresent Vajpayee ji and use him for their divisive agenda.
They use rhetorical process in public discourse and routinely omit events incongruous to their designs. This echo system relies on inevitability of memories to be impartial and incomplete and use distorted messages to create selective amnesia that renders far-reaching ideas and political projects null or non-existent and eliminates the spectacular events and figures that follow non-conformist pathways.
Vajpayee ji in general and his Kashmir policy in particular has become a classical example of this unscrupulous modus operandi. Atal Ji’s Kashmir policy has been reduced, by his detractors, to three words “Insaniyat”, “Jamhooriyat” and “Kashmiriyat”.
Vajpayee & development Agenda
Atal ji was the first non –Congress Prime Minister to have completed his full term in office since 1947. Conscious of his responsibility Vajpayee government introduced many economic and infrastructural reforms encouraged private sector and foreign investments, reduced governmental waste, stimulated research and development and privatization of some government owned corporations.
Among Vajpayee’s pet projects were the National Highways Development Project and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan aimed at improving the quality of education in primary and secondary schools.
The telecom policy of 1999 released by his government paved the way for structural reforms in the sector leading to unprecedented growth of mobile subscribers and deep rooted reforms in the regulatory regime. Securing a simple telephone connection was luxury and a huge privilege.
It may sound unbelievable to present generation that the general waiting list for a telephone connection was 20 year long. There was quota for Members of the Parliament for recommending out-of turn telephone or a cooking gas connection leading to its availibilty at a premium in the black market.
It was Atal Bihari Vajpayee who first dreamed of connecting the four corners of the country through highways. He shall always be remembered as a great visionary leader who achieved a lot on the legislative as well as the economic front.
Jammu Kashmir was part of this developmental story unleashed during Vajpayee regime. He launched mobile telephone services in the state in 2003 gave required push to Railway connectivity with Kashmir on ground.
Passionate Recollection
Speaking during obituary references in J-K Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah heaped praises on Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying he was a visionary leader who “always tried to improve the situation in J-K”. The whole world would agree to what Chief Minister said.
“I have known him (Vajpayee) and worked with him as a minister in his council. When we remember Vajpayee, we remember him with reference to Jammu and Kashmir. He always tried to improve the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. He tried to ease the tension,” Omar said. Omar Abdullah further said that Vajpayee talked about (oft repeated words) ‘Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat, and sought to build bridges across divides and foster peace in the region’.
No doubt about it. But the problem arises when the reminiscences are selectively chosen to suit narrow political agenda. This type of selectiveness has a pattern and is part of narrative building exercise. Selective Amnesia as was described in the beginning. Experts are of the firm view that selective memory implies a certain amount of intentionality behind it.
The Chief Minister rightly said Vajpayee would always be remembered for his attempts to restore peace in Jammu and Kashmir. But I fear that is not only thing to be remembered about the great leader. Vajpayee ji was a popular mass leader with decades of transparent public life to his credit. He was connected with Jammu and Kashmir from the very beginning of his public life. In fact first editorial comment in Panchjanya was about Jammu Kashmir.
Vajpayee & Jammu Kashmir
Atal ji was a man of firm conviction. His views on Jammu Kashmir were accommodative and flexible but uncompromising on the basic premise. Unity, integrity, democracy and civilizational ethos were paramount for him.
“From the soil of Kashmir, I have a message today for the rulers of Pakistan and the people of the world, that Kashmir is not merely a piece of land for us in India, nor is it important to us from only a strategic point of view. Rather Kashmir is one of the best symbols of India’s ancient civilisation and modern nationhood. It is the strongest refutation of the communal basis for the two-nation theory,” the prime minister declared.
He repeated same from the ramparts of Red fort in his Independence Day address on 15th August 2002. He declared, “We wish to state once again that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. It will remain so.
The world cannot accept that the cruel massacre of the Amarnath pilgrims, or the carnage of innocent women and children at Kaluchak and Kasim Nagar are a part of any “Freedom Struggle”.
For us, Kashmir is not a piece of land; it is a test-case of Sarva Dharma Samabhava — secularism. India has always stood the test of a secular nation. Jammu and Kashmir is a living example of this. And this itself is Kashmiriyat.
In conclusion I recall a stanza of very famous poem of Atal ji on Kashmir.
Amerrica kya sansar bhale hi ho virudh,
Kashmir par Bharat ka sar nahi jhukega
Ek nahin do nahin karo beeson samjhote,
Svatantr Bharat ka nischay nahin rukega
(Even if the whole world, let alone America, is against India, India will not bow its head for Kashmir.
Not one or two, make as many agreements as you want, but the resolve of independent India will not break)
(Author is an Ex-MLC of J&K)
