Sinha’s Hidden Agenda and our response
(By Abdul Majid Zargar)



The spontaneous agitation against land transfer to shrine Board has engulfed the whole state. The catchment area has been so widespread that it has even taken separatists by surprise. Did Sinha have a hidden agenda in this whole episode? To ascertain this,we will have to peep in his past & take note of some recent events.

Sinha is said to be an able army officer but with a polluted mind. He is notorious for knowing Geography more than History, the former obiviously for Militaristic purposes. In 1983 he was superseded & denied Top Army post, on the basis of intelligence inputs, for wearing a Khaki Nicker beneath his trousers .He was subsequently posted as Governor of Assam where a genocide of Muslims, mostly poor Bangladeshis, was carried under his nose.

Follwing events of the recent past need also to be noted:

a) J&K Married Women’s( property rights) bill was not allowed to pass although it had the backing of all parties in the legislature. The congress had to beat a hasty retreat after New-Delhi instructed it to abandon forthwith.

b) The Govt made an abortive bid to allot vast chunk of Land at Gulmarg to non-residents. It had to drop the idea in the wake of stiff resistance especially from Kashimr Chamber of Commerce.

c) A major chunk of land at Gandebal, Manasbal in illegal occupation of Defence Department was dubiously allotted & regularized in it’s favour by the Govt. through an obliging & palliative beaurocrat. .

d) There are credible reports that Wakf land in Jammu district has been and is being continuously usurped by the Govt. & it’s agencies.

e) 800 Kannals of forest land has been transferred to Shri Amarnath Shrine board(SASB) inspite of Apex court’s standing instructions to the contrary. The said board, under law has to be headed by a Hindu Governor. It’s aims & objects do not contain a single word to preserve the ecology & environment of the area. Necessacity has been felt to transfer such land in Valley only though the starting point for yatra
Has been shifted to Jammu.

The above events are a clear indication of the nefarious designs of New-Delhi & its representatives in Srinagar to change the demographic character of the valley. This is mainly because of its failure to contain the popular mass uprising for plebiscite through brutal force. In a way the above events are also an admission by New-Delhi of the fact of such failure.

It is extremely essential to be very cautious & guarded in our response. We should not only be secular & peaceful in our approach but also appear to be so. In this connection the recent stone-throwing incidents at Yatris needs to be condemned by one & all. Instead We should welcome these yatris with open arms & offer them free water & cold drinks etc. enrout the holy cave. Our response to the main problem of Land Transfer could be in following ways.

1) First of all, We should prepare a white paper listing all facts & figures about the recent land transfer. We should attach clear photographs to the said paper depicting permanent constructions made by the Board en-route holy cave to nail it’s lie. The said paper should be sent to all Indian parliamentarians, notable people among the Indian civil society and various international organizations connected with preservation of ecology & environment.

2) A group of selected environmentalists from India or SAARC countries should be invited on a “See it Yourself Tour” to witness the vandalisation & devastation of fragile environment & ecology of the area. Well meaning people from Jammu should also be invited as part of this tour. We should bear the expenses of said exercise through voluntary contributions .The Agency executing such programme could be Kashmir Chamber of Commerce.

3) An Aid-memorai should be submitted to the security council of United Nations in view of the disputed nature of Jammu & Kashmir State. Simultaneously a well drafted Memorandum should also be submitted to President & Prime Minister of India drawing their urgent attention towards the problem and request them to advise their representatives to exercise restraint & not vitiate the peaceful atmosphere till the problem of J&K is politically settled.

4) Mass Public protests could take shape of waving of Black flags, wearing black badges & observing black -outs for ten minute everyday. Blowing of horns while driving through UN office in Sonawar is also a good option. Similarly Banging of tin sheets of roof tops could also be thought of at a later stage.The above modes of protest are peaceful & costless unlike Hartals which have an adverse effect on our economy. Such form of protests will also save precious lives lost to bullets of Trigger-happy security forces.

5) If everything fails then We may think of suspending payment of taxes & other dues to Govt. But this form of protest has to be chalked after due deliberations & coordination.

(The author is a practicing chartered Accountant and a member of the Executive Committee of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry.The views expressed herein are his own. The author can be contacted at amzargar1@indiatimes.com)