New political combinations a dangerous trend of divisive politics in Kashmir

Srinagar: The new political formations and pre-elections fronts which are coming up in the Kashmir valley raise suspicions among as they believe such combinations are aimed to divide Kashmiris, political analyst believe.
Local news gathering agency KNS reported that senior political analyst and former vice chancellor of IUST Siddiq Wahid said Kashmiris should not allow fractured mandate for safeguarding the Kashmir’s future.
“It is a very dangerous approach. I believe if Kashmiris today care about Kashmir’s future, then they should not allow a fractured mandate and they should get around one party, one unit in order to prevent fractured mandate,” Siddiq Wahid said.
“I really feel that this new so-called alliance that has been formed is mudding the waters.”
Wahid didn’t rule out the BJP’s support for floating the new alliances and political formations before assembly elections.
“It has been Government of India’s policy for a decade to keep Kashmiris divided,” he said.
Senior political analyst and professor of politics at University of Kashmir Gul Muhammad Wani said that when the state is being directly run by centre, suspicions and doubts will intensify.
“There is greater scope for doubts and suspicions to become more sharp precisely for the fact that GoI is not in a mood to hold elections for state assembly when the elections for Panchayat, ULB or Parliament were celebrated,” Prof Wani said. “So, there is no reason why assembly elections cannot be held,” he said.
Wani said that the important factor for new combinations and outfits to emerge is because existing political parties don’t have or allow inner democracy.
“In absence of internal democracy, then political leaders and groups emerge out of those or outside those existing political parties,” he said, citing examples of Saifudin Soz’s departure from NC or recent situation in PDP.
He added that when existing political parties become family fiefdoms many people leave.
He added that why should politics of fragmentation and polarization have more advocates in Valley than in Jammu or Ladakh.
“If it is a pattern, then it should hold true for Jammu and Ladakh,” he said.
He said that the existing political parties NC, PDP and Congress have to increase ideological and political space and build credible leadership.
Former chief minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah had questioned the floating of new political parties in Kashmir valley and had said that they are being made to divide voters in Kashmir. He had said that why new political outfits are not being floated in Jammu or Ladakh regions of the state.