Why politics on those who are no more with us?
Even a month after the hush-hush hanging of Muhammad Afzal Guru the situation in Kashmir is practically unmanageable. The authorities are unable to restore order and mollify the people’s anger. During this month of anger, anguish and pain people of Kashmir have suffered a lot, whereas politicians of all shades made proverbial ‘hay’ while the sun of uncertainty was shining. Every political party—left, right and centre tried to distance itself from the unjustified hanging and very finely tried to pass the buck. Overnight, every politician became messiah of oppressed Kashmiris particularly that of Afzal Guru. Political actors of all parties—irrespective of their political ideology and mindset on one hand played their clandestine role to down play the issues of legal flaws and inconsiderate approach in Afzal hanging to appease their political masters sitting beyond Pir Panjal range and on the other hand were beating the sympathy drum. This absurd theatre of sympathy and political blame game was played in open till the budget session of state assembly.
And now, for the last more than a week the venue of political browbeating on murky hanging has shifted to legislative assembly—the highest forum for lawmaking and safeguarding the interests of people of this state. Whatever the political status or situation in the state, the legislative assembly is the highest and most valued institution. Misuse of its floor by exploiting sentiments of people and playing political tricks is sheer desecration. Legislative assemblies are meant for making laws for living and protect their genuine rights and not to play politics on dead. Muhammad Afzal Guru’s case was there with investigating agencies and courts for more than a decade and went through many ups and downs, controversies, and manipulations. But during these long years no political party made any concerted effort to plead the Guru case in right perspective or at least make a plea for genuine investigation based on facts, not merely on circumstantial and fudged findings. Fortunately or unfortunately almost all major political factions who are now crying hoarse on Afzal issue took turns to be in power during last decade of Afzal’s incarceration. During this period no one of them ever made any genuine effort to plead Afzal case, instead behind the curtain knowingly or unknowingly they provided all possible support to fix his over-prosecution and enact a tailor-made exaggerated sentence.
Common man on the streets is unable to understand this politicking on the dead. A shameless political bunch unable to provide good governance and provide an efficient opposition has hijacked the whole house just to push their agenda and proposal of exploitation, deception and lies. No politician in this house is a holy cow. Instead all are doing politics on the dead. Those who were unable to plead Afzal and hundreds of such cases are now misleading masses by promoting themselves as claimants of mortal remains of not only Muhammad Afzal Guru but even Maqbool Bhat after almost three decades of his hanging. In a democratic setup law making institutions are not meant for settling political scores and earn brownie points; instead these are establishments for welfare of the public. However in this part of the world most of the politicians after making entry into this august house use its floor not only to bully opponents but to keep themselves in news even at the cost of desecrating its sanctity. A prestigious house has been turned into a share market! Where political stakes and interests are not only traded but over inflated. These power hungry politicians resort to every ploy to safeguard their own political constituencies even at the cost of dead. Present political stake holders in state legislative assembly irrespective of their political affiliations and agenda should stop cashing the unjustified hanging of Afzal Guru and killing of other innocents; by doing so at least they will do a favor of peace and solace to these departed souls.
