Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 24: Former RAW chief AS Dulat, who served in J&K for years and also remained associated with the PMO for several years, has said the political situation in the state is not good and that the PDP and the BJP are not trying to sort out differences between them to form coalition government. He has endorsed the view of political pundits that the PDP and BJP, if ultimately agree to form coalition government, would not do political business with each other for more than six months. Besides, he has also said that gulf between Kashmir and Jammu has further widened and both regions are pulling in opposite directions.
"How will the gulf between Srinagar, Jammu and Delhi be bridged?", he has asked and said that "as of now, even Jammu and Srinagar appear to be in different orbits rather than part of the same state: There have been simultaneous banners of 'thank you, JNU,' in Srinagar and 'with you, BJP,' in Jammu".
Regarding the talks within the PDP on government formation, Dulat has said: "Mehbooba has not discussed government formation with any party leader in the past 45 days; neither has she uttered a word to anyone outside the family. For the present her only confidants appear to be her brother, Tassaduq, and her maternal uncle, Sartaj Madni. This too is worrisome for the party because no one has any inkling of her thinking; partymen and legislators are alike, clueless. So with whose mandate and at whose bidding has Drabu come to Delhi?"
Dulat has not said anything directly regarding the possibility of midterm polls in the state, but if one reads between the lines, one can draw a conclusion that the former RAW chief has actually hinted at the possibility of midterm polls anytime from now.
"Political uncertainty gripping the state at present could be worse than increased militancy. As of now, the state appears to be in for a long spell of Governor's rule, during which every wrong will be attributed directly to Delhi. It took Prime Minister Narasimha Rao's vision and considerable effort to revive the political process in 1996. We should ensure at all costs that we do not slip back into the same abyss. Yet, if perchance the PDP and BJP patched up and formed a government, the question would be how long would it last? Most political analysts would not give it more than six months".
What Dulat has said is a candid reflection on the state's political situation and cannot be overlooked. After all, he knows much about the state politics and he also knows who is who and what is what. One may not like his leanings towards Kashmir, but one, at the same time, needs to listen to and read him when he talks about the nature of Kashmiri politics. After all, it is Dulat who has exposed both the mainstream Kashmiri leaders and separatists and revealed that most of them were on the payroll of the Government of India. |
