BJP leader Ram Madhav
Srinagar: The ruling Bharitiya Janta Party (BJP), Ram Madhav, has said that the political class in the valley has surrendered space to the “terrorists and separatists”.
“Unfortunately, the political class in the Valley has surrendered the space to terrorists and separatists. All that they do when the terrorists strike is to clamour for talks,” Madhav wrote in an opinion piece titled, “A suitable governor,” published in the Indian Express Newspaper while delineating what could be the conditions for talks with any shade of opinion.
“People want to talk to leaders. But leaders want governments to talk to terrorists. No government talks with anybody at gunpoint. For the rest, the government has expressed its willingness to engage with various sections of the state, who want peace and progress. The new governor being a politician can be an effective interlocutor for initiating the dialogue process”.
He stated the need of the hour is for national and regional political parties and players of various hues to reoccupy their “legitimate space”.
Underscoring the importance of the newly appointed governor, Satya Pal Malik, for holding dialogue in the state, Madhav wrote that being a seasoned he understands that the “seeming anarchy in Jammu and Kashmir has not answers in security or bureaucratic centers alone.”
“In J&K, too, governors like Jagmohan and SK Sinha, coming from bureaucratic and military backgrounds, had worked phenomenally well. But what J&K badly needed at this juncture was a politician with a political vision — one who understands the significance of political activism and with whom the local politicians can relate,” BJP leader wrote.
“A leader of great learning and knowledge, his past friendship and association with leaders like Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has given him valuable insights into the politics and problems of J&K”.
He stated that as governor, “his agenda is cut out — accelerating development activity, resolving the governance deficit, and continuing with strong counter-terror measures”.
“But what is most important is to kickstart political activity in the state. Elections to local bodies, announced by the outgoing Governor Vohra, are an important step in that direction. But they are not enough,” Madhav wrote.
“There is a tendency to treat J&K differently from other states. Special status, in a sense, is not just there in the Constitution alone; it is there in the collective subconscious of the political establishment of the country. The “penchant” for “controlling” the state from Delhi is acute in sections of our bureaucracy. It requires “special expertise” to manage the state, which only some “eminences” in Delhi have, they insist”.