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| Author interviewed by the Kashmir Images, Kashmir's first and only multi-edition daily English newspaper: 3 May 2008
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The full version of the interview conducted by Mr. Bashir Manzar, publisher of the Kashmir Images, is described below.
An abbreviated version of the interview was published in the newspaper on 3 May 2008 and is reproduced at the bottom of the original version. |
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| 1. What does politics mean to you? |
| It means a passion to serve the disfranchised, the poor, and the less fortunate so that they too have hopes and dreams of improving their lot and that of their progeny in years to come. In Kashmir, however, politics has taken a not-so-surprising meaning - "of the oligarchs, for the oligarchs, and by the oligarchs." So the result is that "local politics" means taking cheap potshots among the elected politicians, and "international politics" means taking cheap potshots among unelected politicians. It is demagoguery of the worst kind. The tragedy is that these oligarchs masquerading as politicians are getting away with it. Indeed, this bizarre trend proves that one can fool all the people all the time! |
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| 2. Corruption is so rampant in the state. Just two years ago, Kashmir acquired the dubious distinction of being the second most corrupt state in the country. What is more, politicians in the state are generally regarded as part of the problem rather than the solution? |
I did a study once and found out that in Jammu and Kashmir between senior bureaucrats, powerful politicians (elected and non-elected) and their appendages in business community and the civil society in urban areas of the State, most of the annual State Budget is consumed, leaving very little for the rural population and agrarian economy. While I have not researched, I am almost sure that Kashmir has one of the largest economic gaps in the subcontinent between the rich and the poor, though with God's grace most villagers own their dwelling.
My point is that it is not just politicians, though they do set the tone for others to follow. It goes down to that SHO or Naib Tehsildar or the person selling you cooking gas. It is across the board. Other day we all heard about how orderlies were insisting on cash handouts before they would release babies born at the Lal Ded Maternity Hospital. Kashmir has acquired a malignancy in its DNA and that malignancy is corruption. |
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| 3. Kashmiri politicians have traditionally displayed a dual personality. They have always tried to straddle the Valley's mainstream-separatist divide to get the support of people. When will Kashmiri politicians show political conviction? |
| The simple answer is no, they will not. The reason is not hard to fathom. As long as Kashmiri politicians can get away with it, they will. Kashmiris are emotional people who can be so easily taken for a ride. There are disappointments, but strangely it reinforces public bond to politicians that promise the most and deliver the least. In the West it is called "the abused wife syndrome." People through corruption have become so much dependent on easy money that they are incapable of thinking beyond the set-up that has created such a dependency and so nothing changes. Civil society could play a positive role here but even they are beneficiaries of the largess so other than the news of the day, nothing sticks long enough to ensure a change. These politicians have cheerleaders who ensure that the set-up will never change because the situation has paid off handsomely to their godfather, be he elected or non-elected. |
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| 4. Kashmir has no industry worth its name. In fact, the private sector is still to develop in the state. Is there any alternative development model for the state? |
I have actually analyzed this issue previously and concluded that there will not be any major private investment in Kashmir until the public is willing to accept some changes in the "pseudo-Marxist License Raj" that is the hallmark of administrative governance in our State. License Raj may be slowly dismantling in the rest of India, but in Kashmir it has not moved an inch. If anything, the window of transparency and good governance in Kashmir is shrinking as witnessed through the manipulations that accompanied the Right to Information (RTI) bill and the State Accountability Commission (SAC). At the same time there are other bills passed by the State Assembly that have granted extra-ordinary powers to bureaucrats and rules of approval for an applicant are so complex that corruption is inevitable. Even the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce has highlighted some such issues, though they have stayed away from what I consider the "core issue" for economic development by the private sector, which will require a secure framework for an investor to feel confident that he and his money are welcome in the State, the rules of business are clear and transparent, he will have absolute control over his assets and he will be allowed to repatriate profits without hindrance. I do not think that will happen in my lifetime.
The alternative model is what the Indian government is helping with, and that is to have large development banks like the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank (ADB) provide soft loans for the development of the State. These banks generally only invest in infrastructure, and God knows how much we need that. But the track record so far is not good because such institutions trust the State and want the general public to be its watchdogs. In rest of the country civil society provides that vigilance. In Kashmir, our civil society is obsessed with local and international politics.
Public focus, priorities and passion must change to nation-building before any development model will work in the State. It is good that India has a lot of cash in its treasury to send a substantial amount (Rs. 18,443 crores in 2008-09) to the State. But this dependency is harmful in the long run as it emasculates our society from initiating any organic growth with or without private sector involvement. |
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| 5. It is election year in Kashmir and the exercise has always been a
controversial subject in the valley. Do you view elections as a vote for development or referendum on Kashmir?
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I view them as both as everyone else should. Both politicians and public are fooling themselves if they think there is a difference in the two. We all want to see robust Kashmir where everyone is free to express their views, where there is peace and harmony, where there is democracy and the rule of the law, where there is pluralism and political space for minorities. That is what the election politics should be all about. It is not about the hegemony or tyranny of the majority be it the government of India in New Delhi or the Kashmiri Muslim community in the valley.
When you talk to an astronaut he will tell you that once you get out of your little area and see the world as a whole from the outer space, you begin to realize how inter-connected and inter-dependent we are. That is a fact. Whether it is environment, natural resources, outsourcing of labor, things do not abruptly stop at the border and neither should our Kashmiri minds. My late father long time back told me that I should see myself as a "citizen of the world" rather than citizen of country A or B. And he was right and his words still ring in my mind. Otherwise look at me - today I am sitting in Washington, but my mind is somewhere else. Tomorrow, I may be in Srinagar, and my mind will be somewhere else. With new tools for global connectivity, national borders have truly become irrelevant.
Kashmiris simply have to stop being fooled by politicians who have found the emotional hot button, and work for the betterment of their society for their children and grandchildren at the local level rather than fancy themselves as players in the global politics. |
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| 6. Kashmir is facing a leadership crisis. Sheikh Abdullah was the last mass leader who enjoyed a cult status. After him no one from the valley could gain acceptance? What factors do you attribute to it?
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I am sorry to say this, but Sheikh saheb set in motion the forces that are a model for a Kashmiri politician today. You know I wish he had told Nehru upfront that Kashmir wants to be independent and either give it to me now (in 1947) or I will get it sooner or later on my own. Instead, he started the process of duplicity of saying one thing in the Teen Murti Marg and saying the other in the Mujahid Manzil. He was a party to the creation of the Indian federation after the India's independence, while covertly seeking American support for independence for his own "Sheikhdom."
But Sheikh saheb had an inner group of loyalists and if he proved out to a legendary politician it was because he would listen to this diverse group of advisors many of whom would not agree with his initial suggestions. Today, politicians are created either by sycophancy or by blood lines. Even Sheikh saheb succumbed to this culture after his return to the State in 1975. From a euphoric feeling in 1975, the public slowly realized that Kashmiri politics had become a routine exercise in nepotism and corruption where one politician was no better or worse than the other. |
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| 7. Lack of leadership has militated against Kashmir and continues to mar the chances of its settlement. Who in your view represents the Kashmiri people? |
| It has to be its elected representatives along with representatives from disfranchised communities that do not have enough political voice. This can not be a hegemonic deal where community A or political party B proposes itself as exclusive negotiator for Kashmiris. I recently met a senior Pakistani political leader (before the latest national elections in Pakistan) and asked him why his party was insistent on elections knowing that the military regime would do everything to corrupt the electoral process. He said Pakistani public wants its leaders to gain their legitimacy through an election process. I then asked him if elections under a dubious regime are okay in Pakistan why do some Kashmiri leaders hesitate to participate in similar elections on the Indian side. His answer was that they are advising the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) to participate in the coming election, and did not know why they were reluctant. |
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| 8. What in your opinion could be the best possible solution to the
long-pending Kashmir imbroglio?
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I believe both Pakistan and India have realized that to solve the Kashmir issue they need to build trust between the two nations, and likewise Kashmiris have to build trust between each other. India and Pakistan have realized the fallacy of the past and are moving in the right direction. Unfortunately, the critical path is up to Kashmiris who too have to realize the fallacy of the past and recognize that any discussion, any position, any closure, has to be inclusive of all communities and reflect the common minimum agenda for self-governance.
My concern is that Pakistan and India may come to a closure some day soon while we Kashmiris will be still out there fighting among ourselves as small children. We have to grow up and understand geo-political trends of the times and of the region in a mature and a realistic manner. |
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| 9. What is your vision about Kashmir? |
I have a dream. God gave us a beautiful piece of real estate and but seemed to have changed His mind half-way by populating the place with people who are not smart enough to understand the beauty on the outside has to be matched by the beauty of the inner soul. Not that He did not try, from great Hindu and Buddhist philosophers to saints, sufis and rishis, but time and again the people of Kashmir failed to unite to appreciate the beauty of their land or to stop abuse by ruling oppressors. Today, our paradise is slowly turning into a wasteland and our minds and mouths are infected with violence, mayhem and discord.
My dream is that Kashmir and Kashmiris restore the glory of this paradise - not only with pristine waters and deep woods, but also with brotherly love, religious harmony and pluralistic tolerance towards neighbors and visitors. And yes, let us make corruption our number one public enemy once the guns have gone silent. |
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An Abbreviated version of the interview printed by the newspaper on the World Press Freedom Day (3 May 2008):
"Let Kashmiris realize fallacy of the past"
Dr. Vijay Sazawal, based in US, a specialist in nuclear fuel cycle technologies is founding member of the Indo-American Kashmir Forum.
By Shakeel-ur-Rehman
What does politics mean to you?
It means a passion to serve the disfranchised and the poor. In Kashmir, however, politics means "of the oligarchs, for the oligarchs, and by the oligarchs." "Local politics" means taking cheap potshots among the elected politicians, and "international politics" means taking cheap potshots among unelected politicians.
Corruption is so rampant in the state. Just two years ago, Kashmir acquired the dubious distinction of being the second most corrupt state in the country. What is more, politicians in the state are generally regarded as part of the problem rather than the solution?
It is not just politicians; it goes down to that SHO or Naib Tehsildar or a cooking gas seller. Other day we heard about orderlies insisting for cash before releasing babies born at the Lal Ded Hospital. Kashmir has acquired a malignancy in its DNA and that is corruption.
Kashmiri politicians have traditionally displayed a dual personality. They have always tried to straddle the Valley's mainstream-separatist divide to get the support of people. When will Kashmiri politicians show political conviction?
No, they will not. Kashmiris are emotional people who can be easily taken for a ride. There are disappointments, but strangely it reinforces public bond to politicians that promise the most and deliver the least. In the West it is called "the abused wife syndrome."
Kashmir has no industry worth its name. In fact, the private sector is still to develop in the state. Is there any alternative development model for the state?
There will not be any major private investment in Kashmir until people accept some changes in the "pseudo-Marxist License Raj." The investors need to feel confident that their money is welcome in the State and they will have absolute control over their assets and will be allowed to repatriate profits without hindrance.
It is election year in Kashmir and the exercise has always been a controversial subject in the valley. Do you view elections as a vote for development or referendum on Kashmir?
Both politicians and public are fooling themselves if they think there is a difference in the two. We all want to see robust Kashmir where everyone is free to express their views, where there is peace and harmony, where there is democracy, pluralism and political space for minorities. That is what the election politics should be all about.
Kashmir is facing a leadership crisis. Sheikh Abdullah was the last mass leader who enjoyed a cult status. After him no one from the valley could gain acceptance? What factors do you attribute to it?
Sheikh set in motion the forces that are a model for a Kashmiri politician today. Instead of telling Nehru upfront that Kashmir wants to be independent, he started the process of duplicity saying one thing in Delhi and the other in Srinagar. But he had an inner group of diverse advisors and would listen it. That makes him legendary. Today, politicians are created either by sycophancy or by blood lines.
Lack of leadership has militated against Kashmir and continues to mar the chances of its settlement. Who in your view represents the Kashmiri people?
It has to be its elected representatives along with representatives from disfranchised communities that do not have enough political voice.
What in your opinion could be the best possible solution to the long-pending Kashmir imbroglio?
Indo-Pak have realized that for Kashmir resolution they need to build trust. Kashmiris too have to build trust between each other. As India and Pakistan have realized the fallacy of the past, Kashmiris too have to realize it and recognize that any discussion has to be inclusive of all communities.
What is your vision about Kashmir?
My dream is that Kashmir and Kashmiris restore the glory of this paradise - not only with pristine waters and deep woods, but also with brotherly love, religious harmony and pluralistic tolerance towards neighbors and visitors.
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