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The Economic Blockade of Indian-held Kashmir and the Road Ahead

Kashmir valley is on boil again and this time the massive up rising is beyond all speculations and expectations. The economic blockade which was enforced by the (ANSS) Amar Nath Sangharsh Simiti (A conglomerate of Hindu extremist organizations ) has forced the traders and fruit growers to look for alternate routes and when Muzaffarabad Chalo call was given by theseorganizations , it will generate such an response from all the sections of Society in Kashmir , was not expected .Although the agitation started by ANSM is for revocation of controversial Baltal land revocation order but it was already planned by the ANSS that in cover of this agitation they will block the Srinagar jammu national highway so as that the people of Kashmir are put to enormous loss and hardships. The unfortunate part of this episode is that when the ANSS was implementing its notorious agenda, the administration was simply a mere spectator for at least three weeks and allowed this blockade to be implemented in letter and spirit . The truck drivers particularly from Kashmir were subjected to torture, arson and even some trucks were burnt .

ANSS is being managed by the Hindu extremist organizations like BJP, Bajrang Dal, RSS, Shiv Sena and saffron brigade. In all this scenario the role of Administration in jammu has been dubious and irresponsible. It was expected that the administration would foresee the repercussions of such a blockade in Kashmir and will use all its options to keep highway operational and make arrangements for safety of trucks and drivers. But it simply worked as a puppet of ANSS and as one could see from the television footage shown on various TV channels, police and Para military forces were more friendly to the mobs who had implemented this blockade and in some pictures even Kashmir Police personal were beaten up mercilessly by mobs and security force personal present were mere spectators to all this hooliganism.

This clearly proves that the administration was part of the problem instead of an element which could have acted in a responsible manner and restored vehicular traffic onhighway . There was a foolish thinking among the ANSS members that Kashmiris will be pushed to starvation and they will have no option but to surrender to thiseconomic blackmail of Dogras. They could not foresee that what they have initiated will just be the beginning of the devastation that may took this entire region into its orbit. Neither they gave a patient thought to the repercussions to their blackmailing tactics. They forgot that the industry which is backbone of their economy is completely dependent onKashmir valley and once the Kashmiris act on the same strategy they have invented, their industry will come down crippling and so will their economy. And for implementing all this devastation of their economy we do not need to block anyhighway but simply a slogan is enough to get this boycott implemented from Banihal to Uri , as they are well aware of the fact that Kashmiris can unite on any issue en-mass as there are no divisions in our society and Kashmiris stand united in all such causes irrespective of their repercussions and fall out. It is this strength of our society that has kept us so strong against all odds in the centuries of our history in general and since last two decades in particular.

The Muzafarabad Chalo is not simply a search of alternate road link. It is the reaction of common man who has come to conclusion in the last one month that they can no longer trust the Indian polity and the administrative set up and will have to rethink not only about their political options but also economical viabilities.The massive participation in the march by the people of Kashmir towards Muzaffarabd is clear indication that despite repeated assurances and promises by New Delhi, the anger and unrest among Kashmiris not only exists but has increased over the past two decades. Things could have been different if Indian leadership would have taken advantage of various dialogue offers and peace initiatives from Hurriet as well as from Pakistan. But the Govt of India lost all such chances over the last 5-6 years. A lull before the storm was named a complete return of normalcy by the policy makers in Delhi.

The land issue may lost its momentum in the coming days in Jammu as the people in Jammu are more trade conscious and do not have a will to carry an agitation for decades together. They are trade conscious people but fell trapped to a larger conspiracy of Hindu fundamentalist forces. It can simply be proved if an boycott of jammu based industry is implemented inKashmir . The jammu business community may be on its toes and will be running to every corner of the valley to seek a revocation like they are seeking this time the revocation of land transfer order. They will understand this very soon that they have axed their own commercial interests instead of that of Kashmiris by becoming a part of this agitation.

The Govt of India will have to rethink its Kashmir strategy as they must have understood by this time that cosmic and short term measures are not going to solve the problem inKashmir . It can take any time an ugly turn which can put the peace of entire region to flames. Instead of talking to puppets they have created , they must call the Hurriet conference and talk some thing serious and concrete. It should also appoint a commission to enquire into the whole episode from land allocation order to its revocation, andhighway blockade to use of force at different intensity in two regions of Jammu and Kashmir. It should fix the responsibility for creating this situation which has resulted in loss of precious lives in both the regions.

M Rafique Bhatt, the author, is chief editor of Newspaper Sairaab published from Srinagar.http://www.kashmirnow.com The writer can be mailed at rafiqbhatt@yahoo.co.in
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