As nation prays for the safety and security for People of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and also the security personnel positioned there to maintain law and order, the separatist politicians in Kashmir have accelerated their efforts to destabilize the region, specifically the Kashmir valley. After the Indian parliament abrogated article 370 and reorganized the state into two union territories followed by a curfew in the valley, Shah Faesal, former IAS who joined politics, has made a provocative and divisive statement.
Shah Faesal, the separatist leader, has been putting out provocative statements against the Indian Parliament’s decision on Kashmir. In a tweet, he did not only try to malign Eid celebrations but also called for the ‘insult to be avenged’. He tweeted: “There is no Eid. Kashmiris across the world are mourning the illegal annexation of their land. There shall be no Eid till everything that has been stolen and snatched since 1947 is returned back. No Eid till the last bit of insult is avenged and undone.”
https://twitter.com/shahfaesal/status/1160569983602008064
Nonetheless, these skewed comments by Shah Faesal met swift resistance on social media. Researcher and author; Rajiv Malhotra took on these inflammatory comments and exposed the pseudo-secular hypocrisy that has plagued Indian politics for long. He tweeted “Why go back only to 1947 for returning everything stolen? Lets go back 1,000 years and have the invaders return all their loot & lands captured from Kafirs, and have them go back to the desert tribes.”
Why go back only to 1947 for returning everything stolen? Lets go back 1,000 years and have the invaders return all their loot & lands captured from kafirs, and have them go back to the desert tribes. https://t.co/PxuK0iD4hd
— Rajiv Malhotra (@RajivMessage) August 11, 2019
Shah Faesal had recently jumped into Jammu and Kashmir politics after quitting his job in the Indian Administrative Service, however with the reorganization of states most of the political parties based out of Kashmir PDP, NC and now Shah Faesal’s new party has completely lost relevance which they had enjoyed for long under the protection of toothless laws under the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir constitution.
While the nation moves ahead to amalgamate the Kashmiri Society with the mainstream Indian Society, leaders like Shah Faesal are irresponsibly inciting anger and instilling fear and panic in the valley as curfew restrictions ease so as to perpetuate their political relevance in two newly created union territories. In a similar way, India’s left liberal establishment, irked by the tight-lipped Modi government which does not risk national security related crucial intelligence, has also taken to strike fear and distrust in the hearts of people to incite them.
It is difficult to understand what the former IAS intends to avenge and how, but the threatening tone of Shah Faesal’s tweet has agitated many on social media. Nonetheless, the perpetual neglect of Kashmiri people by these same leaders who have not only used discriminatory constitutional provisions like Article 35A and Article 370 to drive a wedge between Kashmir and the rest of India but also virtually provided cover fire to terrorists like Burhan Wani and stone pelters not only justifies the abrogation of these discriminatory and divisive provisions and also calls for firm and conclusive action on terrorists and their sympathizers in the state. The desperate moves of Shah Faesal only show the true colors of these corruption plagued Kashmiri politics, and their struggle to remain politically relevant has caused panic in the valley among the common people who have been forced to stockpile food supplies and queue up outside ATMs to prepare for any violent incidents by the terrorists, and the threat of which are only being fabricated and peddled by double-dealing terrorist sympathizing leaders in Kashmir. Nonetheless, Rajiv Malhotra’s comments on the claims made by Shah Faesal put things in order for those who try using sensitivity and emotional rhetoric as a tool to aid their nefarious designs.