Inking the truth | Shiv
ang Satya Gupta | Editor-in-Chief
Strange are the ways of politics and stranger is the behavior of the people that changes with the time and according to benefits available. Had it not been so how would one describe exchange of blows, spitting invectives and pelting stones in Valley not for so called Azadi but for a suitable berth in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which till recently was taboo in Valley. However with change of guard and shifting of power corridors from NC-Congress to PDP-BJP the people in valley are also changing their priorities to reap the benefits of the political power even if that means to align with the party they once termed as anti-Kashmir spreading Hindutva. With the new dispensation clinging to power for more than nine months now the hesitation to align with the party is slowly waning away in Kashmir valley and instead people are fighting to get a berth and share the spoils of the power. While political observers are still weighing the situation to announce the arrival of BJP in valley finally, the situation at the ground depicts a major shift in perception with people openly campaigning to get a berth in the party and staging show of strength to impress the party bosses. Prior to the elections and the subsequent win it was unheard of that a BJP leader from Jammu or among the Kashmiri Pandits would wield such power that people in hordes would follow him in Kashmir to align them with the party expressing their open support for India and Indian constitution with instances of counter threats during the recent beef controversy. For the politics of the state this is a welcome step as polarization on regional basis must not be encouraged and as far as political situation is concerned every party whether from Kashmir or Jammu must be free to propagate in any of the regions they chose to bring vibrancy in the democracy in the state. The scenes that were witnessed in Anantnag Dak Banglow yesterday where BJP workers openly exchanged heated arguments, blows, pelted stones and staged show of strength to fight it out for a suitable berth in the party is a change that many find difficult to accept in a situation where BJP and any party with Indian name was a taboo till recently. The clashes for party berth were such that the party was forced to defer the elections of the district presidents and office bearers to accommodate the disgruntled leaders who had brought along hundreds of supports shouting in their favour. Even though BJP later said that elections were conducted smoothly but the clashes that broke out are unheard of for a party that swears by Indian constitution and allegiance to RSS. But then as they say politics makes strange bed fellows and the axiom has been proved more than right in Kashmir after BJP and PDP joined hands to form the government least caring their vicious campaign against each other in the elections. Well while PDP had already made inroads in Jammu region BJP also seems to have arrived finally in valley, but whether it is able to convert the visible support into votes is a million dollar question?
