“It’s a welcome move. Let us see what happens in the coming days,” former RAW chief A.S. Dulat told THE WEEK hours after the release of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah from preventive detention under the Public Safety Act.
Dulat was among the few who had met Abdullah in custody recently to inquire about the well-being of the 83-year-old leader. Dulat managed to meet Abdullah after a lot of hard work, having pursued the matter with the government for 3-4 months before he was finally allowed to visit Abdullah’s residence in the valley.
However, sources said that neither the former spy nor the former chief minister felt the need to make an effort to discuss the fine contours of the developments in J&K that had landed the latter in detention. Both of them already understood the fine contours of the matter.
Dulat and Abdullah go back a long way as the former chief of the spy agency is among the few who had worked closely with Jammu and Kashmir authorities for decades. From holding Track 2 dialogues with separatists to handling the security implications releasing JeM chief Masood Azhar from Kot Balwal jail in exchange for the passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC 814; to managing the release of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of then home minister Mufti Saeed, from the JKLF militants who kidnapped her—Dulat has been the go-to man for successive governments when it comes to J&K affairs.
But this time, Dulat wants to wait and observe the developments in J&K post the historic decision that has changed New Delhi’s relationship with Islamabad besides bringing the state under an unprecedented lockdown.
However, with Abdullah’s release, the message that has gone out from North Block atop Raisina Hill in the capital is clear. The government does not want any leader to use political jargon to create unrest in the state as it limps back to normalcy. Abdullah’s quiet and composed reaction is evidence of this.
The home ministry does not want to take any chances with the security situation in the state, especially when the result could be a reversal of the peace.
It is under these conditions that the rest of the leaders under preventive detention will be allowed to roam freely.
The 83-year-old leader had been detained along with several other politicians including son Omar Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti—both former chief ministers—when the government abrogated Article 370 which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The PSA is a stringent law that allows detention for up to two years without trial.
A senior security official said that with the threat of cross border terror looming large in J&K, the security agencies cannot take any chance to allow any individual or group to take advantage of the prevailing scenario and stoke up a disturbance or law and order problems.
However, Abdullah’s release is also a step taken by the government to “further bring normalcy” in J&K and kickstart the political process, public outreach, and subsequently hold elections; making way for all political parties to build afresh their relations with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The “Naya” Kashmir will have all shades and hues and the democratic process will set in soon, said an official.
Interestingly, the voices welcoming Abdullah’s release and demanding the release of all other political leaders contain a cross-section of people, including new entrants to J&K politics. Notwithstanding political and ideological differences, even young political leaders want the Abdullahs and Mufti to be freed.
“The revocation of detention of Dr Farooq is a welcome move. After all, we have a beautiful constitution forming the fundamentals of our democracy,” Mir Junaid, president of the recently-launched JK Workers Party, told THE WEEK. The party has the support of the majority of young panchayat leaders who were elected last year during the panchayat and block development council elections in JK.
Junaid said detentions are not a modern process of dealing with crime. “To make world and nation a better place we will have to deal with corrupt hands with iron fist.”
Echoing the words of many youngsters who have made a foray into J&K politics recently, he said that investigation and speedy trial of all economic offences has to be set in motion.
“We need a Kashmir free from violence and corruption. Moreover, rule of law demands that the government has to deal with any pending cases against Farooq Abdullah and others under the law, without keeping in view his post or posture.”
How quickly the investigating agencies open up cases against the political leaders who were in preventive custody remains to be seen.
A senior police official said that probe and detention should not be mixed up. “The release or revocation of detention does not waive the clause of investigation. Revocation of detention does not mean a clean chit for anti-national actions and anti-people agendas,” the official explained.
Junaid, however, said that there must be fair investigations. Definitely, freedom of liberty of the other detainees including former ministers and small political workers has to be respected equally, he said.
Pitching for assembly elections in J&K, Junaid said, “Elections will bring normalcy only if genuine people and the youth are given an opportunity.”
“Those who’ve failed us for last seven decades won’t do a miracle any more,” he said.
Junaid, however, alleged that the political activities taking place on the ground in Kashmir are suggesting that the corrupt are trying to make a comeback by combining with various forces who are working with vested interests in J&K.
He said New Delhi must be cautious not to fall into complacency and fulfil its promise to the people of J&K. “It should give a chance to Jammu and Kashmir to come out of defective democracy by conducting free and fair elections,” he said.
