View from the Right: Kamath on Kashmir

The Organiser has posthumously published an article written by senior journalist M.V. Kamath suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi involve US President Barak Obama in the Kashmir issue. Kamath, formerly an editor of The Illustrated Weekly, died at 92 earlier this month. The theme of the article runs counter to the longstanding Indian position on Jammu and Kashmir that it is a bilateral issue and there that is no need for outside interference. The headline is a poser: “Is there a ‘Future’ for Indo-Pak Relations?” It is followed by a single-sentence introduction, again as a poser, in bold: “Under such circumstances wouldn’t it be wise on the part of Narendra Modi to frankly discuss Kashmir issue with President Obama?”

The article has been pegged to the recent decision of the government to call off foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan. Kamath says that guesswork, on the basis of media reports, leads one to believe the decision was due to three possible reasons. “One: Even if it took its own time Delhi wanted to show that it takes seriously ceaseless violations by Pak forces of the international border in Jammu and Samba districts. Two: Delhi wants to make it clear that enough is enough and that no future talks will be held if Pakistan border forces indulge even in the slightest violation. Three: No more discussions are really necessary given past history of… violation of border lines.” Besides, he cites the remark made by army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag that, in future, any Pakistan action (such as the beheading of an Indian soldier) would be met with “more than adequate, intense and immediate” measure. This makes one wonder if talks are “held to be useless and largely unproductive, where do we go from here? If after all talks, Pakistan continues border violation, does it mean… it will end up in a short war?” “That is a frightening thought,” he feels. Kamath concludes by arguing: “Considering the Pakistan army’s current stand, it would seem the only way out would be to bring the United States in the picture — a state of affairs which has never been acceptable to India which wants no outside interference…”

JNU’S MAHISHASURA

While newspapers may have downplayed the Mahishasura puja on the JNU campus, the Organiser prominently carries a story: “A Report: A Campus that Spreads Venom”. It says that JNU, “which is popularly known for its communist style of operation, is yet again in news, this time for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus in an outrageous way.” It goes on to provide a detailed report on the celebration of the “sacrifice” of Mahishasura by a group of Dalit students on the “ideologically red campus.” It also reproduces “distasteful” comments made in the Forward Press Magazine — a Dalit journal — in its October issue. This article “had apparently encouraged All India Backward Students’ Forum (AIBSF)” on the JNU campus to celebrate Mahishasura Martyrdom Day. This resulted in a scuffle between the ABVP and the AIBSF. “This incident is not the first-of-its-kind to happen, apparently, the anti-national and anti-cultural events have been continuing in the university for quite some time. Apart from holding beef-pork parties, the university acknowledges the ‘efforts’ of Kashmiri separatists and Naxalites,” the report says. It contends: “The students and the academic community need to realise that the rights also come with conditions. They need to understand that blatant disapproval of established religious, cultural and national norms in an educational landscape will serve no one good.”

MAKING BABASAHEB PROUD

Panchjanya has an article on the emergence of entrepreneurs from amongst the Dalits: “Had the messiah of the deprived sections Babasaheb Ambedkar been alive today, he would have felt gratified that those who had been suppressed for centuries, are not content with small little jobs. They are carving out a niche for themselves in business.” However, the article says a lot needs to be done given the fact that Dalits, whose population is 20 crore, have only 1 per cent share in the country’s wealth.

Compiled by Pradeep Kaushal