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The Black & White of Black List
Priyaleen K
Renuka
 At a time when
New Delhi is refusing to budge on the issue of Black List of Sikhs,
thus forcing hundreds of innocent Sikh youth to remain abroad,
separated from their land, families, parents and children, the Jammu
and Kashmir Government led by Omar Abdullah is pushing the envelope
to get India to welcome Kashmiris who had gone to Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir (PoK).
The otherwise
belligerent Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram has also agreed to
the proposal stated explicitly by J&K CM and supported tacitly by
opposition PDP. “The idea that any Indian who had crossed over to
PoK and wishes to return to India is certainly welcome,” Union Home
Minister P. Chidambaram told journalists here.
“The idea is
accepted. This idea must now be translated into a scheme,” the Home
Minister said, adding it was one of the recommendations of one of
the Working Groups appointed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for
recommending measures to address problems of Jammu and Kashmir.
The fact is that
the various shades of fight going on in
Jammu and
Kashmir
often do seem acting in contradiction to each other but in reality
most of these shades actually complemented each other. The PDP
keeps up a shrill pitch, and many of the militant organizations keep
calling a strike now and then. The ruling party, the National
conference, faces many protests from the PDP as well as the militant
organizations. But at the end of the day, there has been a
continuous move forward in underlining the Kashmiri agenda.
Compare it with
the situation in Punjab. The Akali Dal has completely given up on
all panthic issues and has not only declared itself as a secular
political party but in fact has acquired all the demerits of a
mainstream party in India with similar levels of corruption and
misgovernance. On top of that, it has entered into an unholy
political alliance with the BJP, knowing fully well that the BJP
stands for an agenda of hatred and is a communal party.
 No wonder,
neither Parkash Singh Badal nor his government has ever seriously
taken up the issue of blacklist of the Sikhs. Except for lip
service, the Akali Dal has given up on the issue. It is clear from
the fact that its relationship with the groups who are actively
pursuing the issue is almost inimical.
Parkash Singh
Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal are personally responsible for
throwing into jail someone like Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu who has
consistently taken up the issue of the Sikhs’ blacklist.
Even a
comparison between the return of the Kashmiris who left for POK and
the Black List of the Sikhs seems odd for the simple reason of
pragmatics, when looked at, that is, from the point of view of
New Delhi.
The Kashmiris who left for POK is almost yesterday’s news, the
insurgency in
Kashmir
is still on, it is far more powerful than the aspirational struggle
of the Sikh youth in
Punjab.
The
Punjab phase of militancy is old news, decades have passed, most on
the black list are settled abroad and have not indulged in any
activity that New Delhi may have objection to.
Then, why
exactly the Sikhs have to fight so hard when Omar Abdullah can it so
easy? The answer lies in the leadership.
When Chidambaram
says that the return of the POK resident Kashmiris could be
facilitated through a scheme which would entail identification,
screening, travel, debriefing, rehabilitation and reintegration,
Parkash Singh Badal actually remains silent.
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Even a
comparison between the return of the Kashmiris who left for POK and
the Black List of the Sikhs seems odd. The Kashmiris who left for
POK is almost yesterday’s news. The insurgency in Kashmir is still
on and far more powerful than the aspirational struggle of the Sikhs
was ever. The Punjab phase of militancy is old news. Then, why
exactly the Sikhs have to fight so hard for what Omar Abdullah gets
done so easily? The answer lies in the leadership. |
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This, when many
in Parliament including former chairman of the Minorities Commission
Tarlochan Singh have spoken about the Black List. On the other hand,
Chidambaram was forced to agree to Omar Abdullah’s demand even in
the face of opposition from former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister
Ghulam Nabi Azad who had questioned the idea of allowing the return
of Kashmiris as he apprehended that they could return to foment
trouble.
The Jammu and
Kashmir government was quick to release the numbers but it did not
have any. So it even went to the extent of seeking help from the
POK. It said since the actual number of youths who had crossed over
to other side of the Line of Control since 1989 was not known, the
government of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir should help in obtaining the
figures.
Minister of
State for Revenue and Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani asked political
parties, including the Opposition PDP, to rise above party politics
and support the process. They are supporting.
Referring to the
policy, the Minister said this was a great move which would provide
the youths an opportunity to come back into the national mainstream.
Why don’t our Punjab politicians speak up? Why are the Congress
politicians silent? Are there not families in the areas they do
their politics in which have been affected? “The youths across the
LoC are craving to return home without weapons and join the
mainstream. We should give them an opportunity to come back and join
us in ridding the State of the scourge of violence that has gripped
us for more than two decades now,” the Kashmiri Minister said. The
Sikhs on the Black List never carried any weapons; they were simply
forced by the bloody Indian police to leave all and run for their
dear lives.
That the
advocacy for the cause is coming from the Omar Abdullah government
at a time when the Valley did not miss observing a shutdown to mark
the 26th death anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front
founder Maqbool Butt is significant. That means, the state is not
afraid of calling back its citizens even amidst much violence. Why
then is Punjab shy of calling back its people who yearn to return?
Many parts of
Kashmir are still sealed with barbed wires. Police restrictions come
into operation several times a week. The killing of a 13-year-old
schoolboy, Wamiq Farooq, and Zahid Farooq (16) had resulted in eight
days of clampdown. JKLF leadership is arrested routinely, or
detained. Clashes between the police and youth often break out in
Baramulla. Stone pelters are all over the Valley.
Even then, Omar
Abdullah wants his youth to come back from POK.
Punjab is so
silent that Badal wants to turn it into
California.
But he does not want those stuck in California and yearning for
Punjab to return and see how much development he has done.
17
February 2010
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