While the incumbent Narendra Modi led government at the centre does not muster the courage to unveil a road map for engagement with the separatist leadership holding key to stabilization of peace and political process in Jammu & Kashmir the Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his latest visit to Summer Capital Srinagar choose to be selective in holding talks over the present security and political scenario with the mainstream political parties. The Home Minister for the first time choose to invite only two largest mainstream political parties National Conference and Congress but not the comparatively smaller regional political parties including Sajad Gani Lone headed Peoples’ Conference, Hakeem Yaseen headed Peoples’ Democratic Front (PDF) , Er Rasheed headed Awami Itehad Party (AIP), M Y Tarigami headed state CPI (M) and Gh Hassan Mir headed Democratic Party (Nationalist). Barring Gh Hassan Mir headed Democratic Party (Nationalist) all other parties represent 1-2 assembly constituencies in the state assembly presently in suspended animation. Since the entire Kashmir valley was in a state of shock over the killing of seven civilians in Laroo village of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, political wisdom demanded that Home Minister Rajnath Singh should not have only sought audience with these smaller mainstream political parties also but with Kashmir’s civil society groups and trading bodies too to know the factual part of the Kulgam explosion which resulted in the killing of seven civilians.
Even if Home Minister should had to deliver sermons on democracy to mainstream political parties he should have offered audience to those who boycotted the municipal elections over an issue concerning the core political sentiment of the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
Announcing exgratia relief to bereaved families of the Kulgam blast victims and delivering sermons on restrain from going to gunfight sites in the aftermath of gunfights is just like a police advisory otherwise issued by the police top brass from time to time. Home Minister of the country coming to Srinagar and tending to be selective even in inviting the mainstream political leaders propagating Delhi’s stated position for last more than 70 years for a routine discussion over prevailing situation and the civilian killings shows non seriousness of the incumbent of the central government on current crisis in Kashmir. While delivering sermons of democracy in the name of recently held municipal and upcoming panchayat elections in the state the Home Miniter Rajnath Singh should have pondered over the conduct of these civic elections which are almost similar to the farcical elections held during the erstwhile unpopular regimes headed by late Gh Mohammad Bakshi and late Gh Mohammad Sadiq. Even if Home Minister should had to deliver sermons on democracy to mainstream political parties he should have offered audience to those who boycotted the municipal elections over an issue concerning the core political sentiment of the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
