Editor's Desk

Kashmir’s strange political alliance for power

Editor

Jumada' al-Ula' 10, 14362015-03-01

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The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has entered into an electoral alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. This gives the Hindu fascist outfit, the BJP a foothold in the disputed state. Many Kashmiris are horrified by this development.

The Kashmiris have suffered decades of oppression at the hands of successive Indian governments. Living under Indian occupation, people in Jammu and Kashmir have periodically gone to the polls to elect a local government. Last December’s election resulted in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) winning 28 seats, not enough to form the government, while the Hindu fascist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 25 seats.

On February 24, an alliance was announced between the PDP and BJP to form the government. Many observers were surprised by the announcement given the BJP’s strong anti-Muslim bias. It has been behind the campaign to Hinduise the state by settling Hindus from mainland India.

The BJP that won last May’s general elections has made no secret of its intention to scrap Article 370 of the Indian constitution that confers special status on Kashmir.

While the PDP has demanded the removal of draconian laws that give Indian occupation forces sweeping powers to search, enter homes and shoot on sight in Kashmir, the party still went ahead with the alliance. Indian occupation forces have committed egregious crimes in Kashmir, killing more than 100,000 since 1989. Tens of thousands have simply disappeared while more than 10,000 Kashmiri women have been raped.

No one has been prosecuted for such heinous crimes, all well documented by human rights orga-nizations. So how can the PDP enter into such an alliance? The simple answer is hunger for power.

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