SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2019 DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU

Kashmir thinks it's free

daily
Excelsior Established 1965

Founder Editor S.D. Rohmetra
(An excerpt from the book "KASHMIR THINKS
IT'S FREE" by Dr. Arun Kumar IAS Retd.)
Reservation for EWS, Srinagar April 2, 2022 (the
first day of Ramzan) 21:45 p.m.
IB residents Hasina Ittoo's heart was beat-
ing fast as she entered the confer-
steps were rolled out accordingly,
coolly and rationally. But the pub-
lic was not told, because they
wished, as they claim, to avoid a
py?
"Sapru ji," said Hasina as she
put the call on the speakerphone,
"is this some kind of sick joke? You
walk out on us and don't even give
us a warning?"
"What warning did you need
Hasina ji? Kashmir and Jammu
to be invaded by anybody? We
now have no army to guard our
borders and … no paramilitary
forces to guard us civilians. Har
mulk ki ek fauj to hoti hi hai.
(Every country has to have an
army of its own.) We're still a
young country and it will take time
always talked about de-militarisa-
tion. You have already announced
how you would be converting
swords into ploughshares by hous-
ing your educational institutions
into cantonments vacated by the
Indian Army. And now … you
want our army to guard your bor-
mean they have disbanded their
armed forces. You know …
France, Germany, the UK …"
She heard more chuckle. And
then Sapru spoke as if he was still
catching his breath from excessive
laughter. "Hasina ji, I don't know
about you. But we too are answer-

I
ence room attached to Fair View,
t is heartening to note that the proposal sent the Chief Minister's official resi-
by the State Administrative Council (SAC) in dence in Srinagar. As everyone got
up, she was surprised to find that
respect ofproviding 10percent reservation to
her Finance Minister, Law Minis-
Economically Weaker Sections among general ter, Housing Minister, Agriculture
category and three percent reservation to the Minister … everyone who held any
cabinet minister's portfolio in her
people living on the International border along cabinet, constituting the full J&K
with the people of Line of Control in Government Government, had made it to her
emergency cabinet meeting that
jobs and educational institutions , has been
evening. Why, even her chief sec-
approved by the Union Cabinet. The proposal of retary, the irrepressible, the one and
giving reservation in promotions to SCs and STs only, Bashir Ahmed Fukhtoo had
just entered the room and surprise,
categories too has been approved by the Union
surprise, was not yet sozzled.
Cabinet. The 55" TV on the wall in front
was on "mute" displaying pictures
Here, it is pertinent to mention that the people from the speech of the Prime Min-
living along the International Border were feeling ister of India. The scrolls said it all:
ignored and even pushed to the wall as reserva- Kashmir is FREE. India walks out
of Kashmir. Celebrations rock
tion had been their demand due to the reasons
Kashmir. And so on.
of having peculiar problems to face. Now that It was not yet summer in Kash-
mir, but Hasina couldn't help wip-
long injustice with them stands undone, they ing some sweat off her brow.
would feel compensated to a larger extent on "Gentlemen," addressed Hasi-
na, "do you think it's all a big joke?
account of intermittent disturbances from across A huge prank, with morphed pic-
the border which affects the education of their tures of the Indian PM addressing
the UN?"
children as also difficulties to stand at par in
Everyone was silent. But the
competitive exams with counterparts of other sombre mood indicated this was
no joke.
regions of the State besides intermittent disloca-
"But then, why were we not
tions due to the shelling and firing from across told? When the British freed India,
the border. The Prime Minister chaired the I believe, they gave a two-year
notice. And here, we don't even get
Cabinet meeting where the proposals sent by
a day?"
the State Government were approved for imme- "Madam," it was Bashir, the
Chief Secretary, "although the
diate implementation after the President's prom- phone companies now warn I am
ulgation as the State currently is under making an international call, I
have been able to reach a few batch
President's rule, the three approved decisions
mates of mine in Delhi … who say
shall have to be turned into ordinances to be this … that the decision to walk out
promulgated by the President of India . from Kashmir … was taken some
two years back. All preparatory
Technically speaking , the decisions were
partition-like situation where able to the people of India. We
Kashmiris outside Kashmir and
became separate states in October to form and train an army of our ders? Again? But why this turn-
2021. And so, you had almost six own-" around?" have elections to fight. What will
non-Kashmiris inside Kashmir
months to put in practice your con- "Hasina ji, now I'm puzzled. "Sapru ji, chodiye purani baat. we tell the people of India? Every-
could be heckled, harassed, even
lynched."
cept of self-rule or autonomy or What do you… exactly… want Woh zamana kuch aur tha." Sapru one is going to ask the same ques-
whatever. You had all the powers from us?" Sapru knew what Hasi- ji, let's not discuss the past. That tion: Why help a country which
"What?" Hasina was shell- hates our army so much? So many
and the opportunity to assert your na was hinting at but refused to was a different era.
shocked, "Two years back? Did of our boys were killed there. And
"Really, Hasina ji? So, tell me
you say two years? And we don't let's face this … you mention
even get a whiff, a hint, anything?
what has changed? You promised
Bhutan, but did the Bhutanese ever
the people of Kashmir that you'll
What were you all doing so far?
get rid of the BIG BAD Indian throw stones and hand-grenades at
With your great batch mates in our boys, shouting jive jive Pak-
Delhi? Smoking weed?"
Army. We have been listening to
so many of your press conferences istan (may Pakistan continue to
No one said a word. live)? They never did that, did
in which you accused the Indian
Hasina kept glaring. As if it they? So, they deserve our protec-
State of extra-judicial killings. So,
was all their fault. tion, while you do not. Simple,
tell me-what do you propose to tell
"This is just bizarre. I can't isn't it? So, Hasina ji, no matter
the people of Kashmir now? That
believe it. Abdul," Hasina
they still have to rely on the Indi-
how many times you ask us, our
addressed her private secretary, answer will still be no."
"get me please the PM of India."
an Army for defending them from
"Sapru ji, please try to under-
their enemies? Or that you're still
It took about three minutes to get
a slave of India?"
stand. Yeh zamana nahi hai nai
to the PM's office. Past the warnings sarhadein banane ka. Yeh zamana
"Sapru ji, this is not fair," hai purani sarhadon ko mitane ka.
that international call rates shall
protested Hasina, "my position has (This is not the time to create new
apply to this call, and the usual
always been very clear… from day borders. This is the time to wipe
recordings, the PS got through to a
one. I've never painted the entire out old borders.) The world has
human operator and asked to be
connected to the PM. As he listened
financial independence. But take the bait. Indian Army with one broad brush changed, Sapru saheb. We live in
instead, you kept on encouraging "Sapru ji, it's simple. Till the stroke. Instead I've been saying that
to the reply, his face fell.
your stone-pelting mobs to storm time we're able to stand on our own there are a few black sheep every-
a borderless world, a global vil-
"Madam, the PMO says the lage. So here are a few of my
PM is still in the US and is not
the streets chanting hum kya cha- two feet, we want a Bhutan like where, including in the army, and demands: One, like the Nepalese
he azaadi (what we want is free- status," Hasina cleared her throat. that they must be identified and or the Bhutanese, no Kashmiri
reachable."
dom), Kashmir ki azaadi tak jung "An independent country, if you punished. That doesn't mean the should need a visa to travel to
"Okay," said Hasina, "try
rahegi, jung rahegi (till Kashmir is have decided to make us one, but entire Indian Army becomes bad." India. Two, you will not deport any
Sapru ji, the Home Minister of
India then."
free we shall continue to wage with our defence being guaranteed "But you've also encouraged Kashmiri, from India to Kashmir.
war), and so on. And sending us by India." your boys to throw stones at the Three, every Kashmiri will have a
This time the call went through
the bill! So… we decided to let you Hasina heard, what she army... often in the middle of their
without a hitch. right to carry on with his life in
"Madam, it is the Indian Home
have what you have been demand- thought, Sapru chuckle at the oth- operations against terrorists … so India. You will not force a Kash-
ing. Your Azaadi. And you are still er end. "Who are you scared of, that they… the terrorists… escape. miri to abandon his job or his prop-
Minister's PA."
unhappy?" Hasina ji? India has walked out. And then cry foul when they get erty anywhere else in India. You-"
Hasina took the phone.
"Sapru ji," Hasina protested, And can you complain if Pakistan hurt in the cross-fire. That day, dur- "Too late, Hasina ji. Isn't this
"Halooo … PA saheb?! Sapru
"that was politics, or rather rheto- walks in? After all, your boys on ing that press conference, do you ironical that when you or your
saheb hain kya?" Is Mr. Sapru in?
ric, most of the time. You know the streets have been chanting Pak- remember, you talked about a bor- friends in opposition were in pow-
"Yes, mam. Just a moment,"
that very well. Most we ever want- istan se rishta kya, la-ilahi-il-allah derless Kashmir, something like er… as chief minister… you both
said the Home Minister's PA as he
connected the call.
ed… seriously… was to go back (what is our relationship with Pak- the European Union. Don't you wanted to go back to the pre-1953
to the 1953 position when India istan, that there is no God but think what you're asking now goes position. You wanted Indians to
"Hasina ji, the Prime Minister
had jurisdiction over just three Allah). And if I remember correct- against your own dream of having get a permit for entering the state
of Kashmir," Sapru almost sang,
areas - defence, currency, and ly, when you were in power as a borderless Kashmir?" of Jammu & Kashmir.
"war-e-chhuwas?" Is everything
communications. But you with- chief minister … before Kashmir "See Sapru saheb, Europe is Read full text of the article on our website
okay? "Khos peth?" Are you hap-
draw even the army and leave us became independent … you borderless today, but that doesn't : http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/edit/

Narrative on Kashmir must change

going to serve the purpose of application of rel- K N Pandita tion Government. That proved a
damp squib. The BJP pointman

P
evant provisions of the Constitution of India as ulwama suicide attack of
amended through the Constitution ( Seventy Jaish terrorists could
become a watershed in the
Seventh Amendment ) Act 1995 and the other of Kashmir narrative. The Jaish
2019 for Jammu and Kashmir by issuing the claimed the attack and Pakistan
Prime Minister wants India a
Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir
convincing proof. If Jaish were
) Amendment Order 2019 by the President not operating from Pakistani soil
under clause 1 of Article 370. The order will with a terrorist training camp hid-
den somewhere in the dense
pave the way for giving benefit of promotion in
forests of Balakot, Pakistan's
services to the Scheduled Castes , the stand would carry some sense.
From Imran Khan's statement
Scheduled Tribes and extend thereservation of
that India should produce proof
10 per cent for economically weak sections of of Pulwama attack, it can be
the society among general categories in addi- inferred that the Jaish is carrying
out attacks in Kashmir on its own
tion to the existing reservation in Jammu and
without either the knowledge or
Kashmir. After a long wait of 24 years or so, the
consent of Pakistan and its army-
77th Constitution Amendment of 1995 has now ISI combine. Therefore, if Pak-
istan really wants peace to pre-
been applied to the State of Jammu and vail in the region, its first task
Kashmir. Though currently there is no elected should be to destroy the terror
establishment of Jaish and other
Government in power in the State, the Governor
terrorist groups like Lashkar etc.
of Jammu and Kashmir has legislative powers
As such it should have welcome
India's initiative of striking at
Balakot establishment because
India has saved Pakistan the
unavoidable military operation
against Balakot just as it had to
undertake Zarb-e-Azab which
cost the lives of about 75,000 per-
sons according to the estimates
of Pakistan army.
The fallout of India's air
strike at Balakot has also secured
Pakistan civilian government
against threats posed by other
militant organizations particular-
ly LeT. Thus we find a change in
the narrative of Islamabad. If PM
Imran Khan feels that he has
demonstrated Pakistan's good-
will gesture for bringing peace to
the region by returning the cap-
tured Indian IAF pilot, it is all
right. POWs have to be repatri-
ated to their parent countries
under the Geneva Convention be
it one prisoner, prisoners or nine-
ty - three thousand.
Pakistan had the compulsion
of hiding the shooting down of its
one F-16 fighter aircraft and on
the other hand giving big hype to
the incident of capturing our pilot
and shooting down his Mig fight-
er. The people in Pakistan and
Pok danced and made revelries.
Pakistan television gave it widest
possible coverage because it was
eager to submerge the devasta-
tion it has suffered at Balakot
under the revelry of shooting
down our Mig.
How does this all impact the
political scenario in Kashmir?
Kashmiri separatists buoyed by
the Pulwama massacre of CRP
jawans were happy that the ISIS
or the Taliban-type suicide
bombing phase had for the first
time practically become part of
Kashmir insurgency. But it
proved a mirage. Owing to some
sporadic success which they had
achieved in the escalating insur-
gency in the valley in recent
months they were convinced that
India was incapable of taking any
precipitate action. Their surmise
was belied and the Indian Air
Force conducted an operation in
Balakot which reminds one of the
come American marine opera-
tions against Osama bin Laden or
the Israeli operation at Entebbe
airport. The message has gone to
Kashmiri militants and sepa-
ratists.
The message put bluntly for
that is that Kashmir will remain
an inseparable part of the Indian
Union come what may and no
amount of support from Pakistan
moral or immoral will be strong
enough to destabilize India in
Kashmir. The strength of India in
J&K lies in giving the state a sec-
ular democratic arrangement.
Under misplaced calculation,
Kashmiri political heavyweights
trampled secular ideology under
feet and subverted democracy
while staying in power. Both
these have now been exposed and
obviously, New Delhi reacted as
it should under the law of the
land. Jamat-i-Islami stands
banned because New Delhi has
solid proof that it worked for
sedition and had also planted are
people in positions of power.
Knowing it full well, the Modi
government still, demonstrating
large heartedness and hoping that
good sense would ultimately pre-
vail among Kashmiri rulers,
agreed to the forming of a coali-
in Kashmir went on speaking lie
after lie for four long years there-
by helping developmental works
get stuck up. Jammu suffered
much out of this naivety.
Pakistan has to change is nar-
rative on the relationship with
India and with its home-grown
terrorist crop. Kashmiris have to
change their narrative and stop
thinking that they made sacri-
fices. They got themselves killed
by their own machination. One
thing is very certain. After the
parliamentary as well as Assem-
bly elections, the new govern-
ment that will be formed in the
State will have to change its stale
and meaningless narrative and
scramble for a new narrative. The
new narrative is that of develop-
ment, pragmatic approach to
political problems and the imper-
ative of composite living.
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com

Indian collective conscience outraged

as well under the Constitution of the State and
on that count, there was no need of or room for
any speculations.
Ashok Bhan despite the fact that the two South Pakistani leaders and its intelli- to the brink of war. Pakistan's temper tantrums to book the perpetrators of 26/11
Once the promulgation is done, Jammu and Asian nations share common lin- gentsia have preferred to build the The Mumbai attack of 2008 and petulant responses are not Mumbai terrorists killings and

P
Kashmir State too shall stand on the same akistan-based Jaish-e-
Mohammed (JeM) has
pedestal as other States in terms of 10 per cent claimed responsibility for
reservation and in promotionbenefits to SCs and the terror attack in Jammu and
Kashmir's Pulwama district on
STs announced by the Government and passed Thursday, which left at least 40
by the Parliament . Scheduled Castes and CRPF soldiers dead and five oth-
ers critically wounded
Scheduled Tribes include in Jammu and This heinous act has outraged
Kashmir - Gujjars and Bakerwals who would be the collective conscience of the
benefitted after a long wait of 24 years. Also Indian nation.
India’s relations with Pak-
notable thing about the reservation for the State istan have been defined by the
is the principle of parity applied in respect of Partition of British India in 1947,
the Kashmir conundrum and mil-
dwellers along the IB to be treated at par with itary conflicts fought between the
those living along the LoC. Earlier 3 per cent two countries.
The relations have always
reservation was available only to the youth of been plagued by conflicts, hostil-
the LoC. ities and mutual suspicion,
guistic, cultural, geographical
and economic linkages.
Pakistan’s use of terrorist
groups as part of its security and
foreign policy is function of its
obsession with India, which it
perceives as an existential threat.
The ideology of Pakistan is
built on the twin pillars of Islam
and antagonism towards India. It
has never realised that as a nation
state, it needs to create a history
of its own and move forward. It
has preferred to live with histori-
cal appropriation and distortions
of the past.
Pakistan could acknowledge
its Indian heritage, as well as the
Muslim majority character of its
population. Instead, successive
idea of Pakistan on the pillars of
Islam and antagonism towards
India.
Pakistan’s paranoia regarding
India is unfounded. There have
been military engagements, an
ongoing undeclared war, numer-
ous skirmishes and stand offs.
Many successful attempts to
improve relations through the
Shimla agreement, Agra and
Lahore summits, among others,
have fallen apart.
Relations soured after the
Siachen conflict of 1980, the
Kashmir insurgency of 1989 and
the Kargil war of 1999.
The terror attack on the Indi-
an Parliament in 2001 almost
brought the two nuclear nations
by Pakistan-based terrorists and
killing of hundreds and continu-
ing support to terrorists in Kash-
mir to delegitimise the idea of
India, continues.
Pakistan is on notice from the
Financial Action Task Force
(FATF) and China has removed
its objections to put Islamabad on
the `grey list’by FATF.
Pakistan, on the global terror-
ist financing list from June 2018
onwards, risks endangering its
handful of remaining banking
links with the out side world,
causing financial distress to its
economy. Saudi Arabia, too, also
removed its objection and now
only Turkey stands in support of
Pakistan.
convincing. Islamabad has to
take a hard look at its options. It
has to effectively shutdown ter-
ror factories being nurtured in its
backyard.
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has received uncondition-
al support from the opposition
parties and the citizenry to deal
with Pakistan sternly and flush
out terrorists from Kashmir and
else where in the country.
The country is resolutely
standing behind India and the
Prime Minister in this critical
hour.
India does not buy any for-
mula on Kashmir, as it firmly
believes terror and talks cannot
go together,until Pakistan brings
accounts for other terror acts exe-
cuted. The territorial status of
Kashmir is clearly not nego-
tiable.
As part of its comprehensive
strategy, India is resorting to
aggressive diplomatic offensive
against Pakistan by mobilising
its resources and pressurising the
world to declare Pakistan as `ter-
roristan’.
India needs an appropriate
and calibrated modus operandi to
deal boldly with Pakistan. The
nation and the global communi-
ty is anxiously waiting and
watching.
(The author is Senior Advocate Supreme
Court of India)
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com

Dicey State of the Economy

Bharat Jhunjhunwala leaving no net impact on the

S
peaking at the Global
Business Summit Prime
Minister Narendra
Modi said that his Government
had provided a corruption free
environment in the last 4-and-
one-half years. He also men-
tioned that large numbers of
IITs and IIMs had been estab-
lished, there has been a huge
expansion of rural electrifica-
tion, plans are afoot to land an
Indian mission on the Mars, the
small farmers are being given
a Basic Income of Rs 500 per
month, and there has been a
huge thrust on developing
solar energy. These gains are
tangible and the Prime Minis-
ter must be congratulated for
the same.
The Prime Minister's
description of the economy,
however, stands on a different
footing. He said that India's
ranking on the Ease of Doing
Business Index had risen from
142 to 77, which is indeed a
remarkable achievement.
However, much of this rise is
attributable to the enactment of
the Bankruptcy and Insolven-
cy Code which the PM himself
mentioned elsewhere in the
same speech. In other words,
the improvement in rank is due
to the ease of closing business
rather than ease of opening
business, though both are tech-
nically "doing" business. Proof
of the slow pace of opening
business is available in the
lending of the banks. A
Reserve Bank of India report
says that the growth Gross
Bank Credit rose by 9 percent
per year during 2016 to 2018,
which is fine.However, the
share of loans given to indus-
try rose by a meager 0.4 per-
cent per year, and the share of
loans given to tourism and
computer software rose only
by 0.5 percent per year. These
numbers actually hide a reduc-
tion in lending. The amount
lent should increase at par with
the rate of inflation of about 4
percent. Thus an increase of
0.5 percent actually indicates a
reduction of 3.5 percent after
taking inflation into account.
The increase in bank lending
was driven by trade and per-
sonal loans. Therefore, the
improvement in the Ease of
Doing Business is not leading
to opening of businesses;
rather it is leading to ease of
closing productive businesses.
The Prime Minister said
that his Government was "pro-
growth and pro-poor." The pro-
growth achievements of the
Government can be assessed
by looking at the trends in the
Gross Domestic Product
(GDP), which is the amount of
production made in the econo-
my. The growth rate of GDP
during the previous UPA Gov-
ernment was higher than the
present NDA Government
according to the data published
by the Ministry of Finance two
years ago. Subsequently, the
method of calculation was
revised and the revised data
showed that growth rate during
the previous UPA Government
was lower than the present
NDA Government. This revi-
sion smacks of manipulation.
Therefore, let us assume that
there has been no credible
change in the growth rate dur-
ing the present NDA Govern-
ment. However, other proxy
data are available to assess the
correct situation. The average
monthly GST collection rose
from Rs 90,000 crores per
month in 2017-18 to Rs 97,000
crores per month in the first
nine months of the present year
2018-19. This translates into
an 8 percent growth rate. Thus
there has been no tangible
improvement in the growth
rate. In fact there is reason to
worry. The GST collection was
103,000 crores in April 2018
and declined to 95,000 crores
in December 2018. The trend
within the present year isnega-
tive. Therefore, the present
Government can hardly be said
to be "pro-growth."
The situation of job cre-
ation is also not very encour-
aging. The Government has
not released the official data on
employment which again
smacks of political manipula-
tion. The Centre forMonitor-
ing Indian Economy, however,
has said that the "unemploy-
ment rate in India has doubled
between July 2017 and April
2018… (it) rose from 3.4% in
July 2017 to 6.2% in March
2018." This suggests that the
Government has not been "pro-
poor." Counterargument is that
other Government measures
implemented by the Govern-
ment have been pro-poor even
if jobs have not been created.
Indeed, welfare measures such
as Ujjwala and Mudra initiated
by the PM are great; but the key
indicator of pro-poor nature of
the economy is the creation of
jobs. What good is a free
Ujjwala gas cylinder if one
does not have flour to make a
roti? In conclusion, the claim
of the PM that his Government
was "pro-growth and pro-
poor" is doubtful on both
counts at the best, and should
be rejected at the worst.
The PM said that the
investors from all across the
world had shown confidence in
the Indian economy. He said
that "in the last four years, the
amount of FDI received in the
country was almost equal to
what was received in seven
years before 2014." Data giv-
en by the official site of the
G o v e r n m e n t
(community.data.gov.in) gives
a different picture. The FDI
received in the last four years
(2014 to 2017) was 137 billion
dollars against 170 billion dol-
lars in the seven years before
2014 (2007 to 2013). Yet, it
could be said that 137 billion
dollars is "almost" equal to 170
billion dollars. Let us not quib-
ble about that. It is clear that the
average FDI has increased
from 24 billion dollars per year
in the seven years before 2014
to 34 billion dollars per year in
the last four years. The prob-
lem lies in the trend. A report
by Economic Times says that
FDI grew by 27 percent in
2015, 29 percent in 2016 and
mere 9 percent in 2017. It is
also to be noted that the
increase in FDI is not accom-
panied with an increase in
growth rate. The placid growth
rate does not give confidence
that FDI is coming in torrents.
My discussions with business-
men indicates that Indian busi-
nesses are selling to foreign
entities and remitting their
money abroad. In the flow of
FDI has increased along with
an outflow of domestic capital
economy. The increase in FDI
is only a change of hats.
The overall picture is
mixed. There has been
improvement in corruption,
establishment of IITs and IIMs,
rural electrification, Indian
mission on the Mars, Basic
Income to the farmers, and
solar energy. However, the
core economic indicators of
bank lending to productive
sectors, GST collections, job
creation and FDI are all lag-
gard to say the least.
The Mahabharata says that
the king's situation is like the
leather bag used to carry water.
The water does not hold if even
one of the 100 stitches is loose.
The PM must take heed. The
ground reality of a weakening
economy will not be repaired
by distributing Ujjwala cylin-
ders and landing on the Mars.
(The author is formerly
Professor of Economics at
IIM Bengaluru)
feedbackexcelsior@gmai
l.com