Jammu & Kashmir Floods : Tragedy and Politics

By Deepak Parvatiyar

September 23, 2014

None can justify politics over dead bodies yet none can ignore either. This is the sordid saga at a time when Kashmir faces the worst floods of the 21st century.

How else can one explain Pakistan-based terror outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa’s head and wanted terrorist Hafeez Saeed and militant outfit Hizbul Mujahiddin’s chief Syed Salahuddin blazing all guns against India, coming out with the theory of ‘water terrorism’ that they claim has been unleashed by India on Kashmir?

Similarly, why should Pakistan refuse the aid offer from India for the Kashmiri flood victims on the other side of the line of control? And for that matter, why should even India turn down the United Nations aid offer at a time of unprecedented natural calamity in the state?

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Flood in Kashmir: Widespread Suffering

Before we discuss the politics over Kashmir flood, let’s acknowledge the agony and sufferings of the ordinary Kashmiris, who lost their near and dear ones, livestock and properties because of the floods.

I remember one of my former colleague’s desperate and repeated queries on Facebook regarding the safety of his family members and the neighbours in the valley. Just imagine his anxiety – almost on the verge of hopelessness, since he was unable to get them over his mobile for well over a couple of days!

We acknowledge that the present floods in Kashmir are among the worst in our living memories. Deprivation breeds violence and Kashmir has been no exception where millions of hapless people were marooned for days on rooftops. They even witnessed carcasses of men and animals floating before their eyes – indeed a repulsive sight.

Doesn’t it make sense, therefore, to explain the reason behind irate mob protesting against the Omar Abdullah government’s inefficiency for a perceived delay in carrying out relief and rescue operations?

Weren’t such protests impromptu display of anguish? Or were they orchestrated?

Anti-India Rhetoric

Any distress call needs immediate attention and it is here the state government failed drastically. It in the process provided enough ammunition to the separatist forces to renew its propaganda against the Indian establishment.

It is on this count that terrorists Saeed or Salahuddin, head of the militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen succeeded in tongue-lashing the Indian administration and arousing anti-establishment (read anti-India in case of Kashmir) sentiments. They systematically berated the efforts of the Indian Army and were backed by the Pakistani media that abused the mainstream Indian media that had praised the army’s efforts.
Hasn’t been the PoK too an absolute disaster and registered much higher deaths? A report in Euro Reporter stated: “At a time when the Indian army was working towards relief measures in Kashmir, the relief measures in neighbouring Pakistan were nowhere to be seen.”
Yet, the likes of Saeed – a wanted terrorist – were silent about PoK. Why so? Wasn’t his whole purpose just an attempt to internationalise Kashmir? He hogged international media coverage for his contorted statements and succeeded in capitalising on the frustrations of the flood victims by poisoning their minds with the time-tested anti-India rhetoric. So, wasn’t he playing politics over the dead bodies of the Kashmiris?

Biased International Coverage of Kashmir Floods

This brings me to the role of international media in its coverage of the Kashmir floods. Could we say that its reporting was unbiased? By giving space to wanted terrorists such as Saeed, who expectedly spew venom against India, didn’t the international media willingly fall in the terrorrists’ trap? Won’t we say the international media preferred sensationalism than to capture the undeterred resolve of the Kashmiris to brave out a calamity?

Obviously for such obvious reasons, Saeed also enjoys the tacit support of the Pakistani government. How else could be a wanted fugitive with a $…prize on his head, so openly interact with media, without being caught?

Political Compulsions for India and Pakistan

It is in this light, therefore, that Pakistan’s refusal of Indian aid offer should be analysed. Any acceptance of the money from India would have further dented Pakistan’s own image in the PoK – which already remains a victim of Pakistan’s apathy towards its problems. Pakistan realises that unlike in the eighties and the nineties, Kashmiris today are more averse to the idea of being a part of a terror-infested, economically weak Pakistan. This is well reflected by the losing clout of the Hurriyat Conference in the valley and Pakistan’s desperation to prop it up.

So, won’t we say that Pakistan resorted to playing dirty politics behind the sugar coated words of its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief – who had initially welcomed the Indian offer for aid in PoK?

Now coming to India’s own refusal to the UN aid for the flood victims, isn’t it true that Pakistan always wants third party mediation in Kashmir? That at every given opportunity it rakes up the Kashmir issue at the United Nations? Suppose India accepted the UN fund for the Kashmiris, wouldn’t Islamabad have got enough fodder to bamboozle New Delhi on counts such as misappropriation of the UN money or that the money did not reach Kashmiris?

Hence, doesn’t it make sense that by declining to accept the UN fund, India denied any opportunity to the Kashmir baiters to raise their accusing fingers at the Indian government?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 1000 crore package for Jammu and Kashmir during his visit to the state. The international press has though reported absence of the state government machinery and raked up the issue of inaction even as the state Flood Control Ministry in 2010 had warned of “a major flood catastrophe in next five years”.

Obviously in face of the scale of the disaster, any help should be welcome. This explains the foreign media’s condemnation of India’s refusal to decline the UN aid offer. Al Jazeera in a damning report expressed its shock on India not allowing any direct aid or assistance offered by “major international disaster relief agencies, including the United Nations,” even when “the crisis has not abated, and already the cost of the damage is estimated at close to $1 billion”.

One may not dispute the veracity of Al Jazeera’s claims but the fact remains that there might be a political consequence to the relief efforts in Jammu and Kashmir where state assembly elections are due in a couple of months. Won’t political parties therefore vie with each other to exploit the situation for their own electoral gains in the state? Obviously the BJP eyes Jammu and Laddakh regions. The ruling National Front desperately seeks to avoid the anti-incumbency factor in the valley. Yet can such political manoeuvrings be justified at the time of a national calamity?

But Kashmir has rather been a tricky issue. Isn’t this sad?