WEB: www.epilogue.in MAIL: editor@epilogue.in BLOG: epiloguemagazine.blogspot.

com, TWITTER:
@epiloguekashmir

JAMMU & KASHMIR, MAY 11, 2010

Caste Discourse in Rajouri-Poonch

Boon for individuals, Bane of Region
By offering petty largesse to local legislators, NC and
Congress have systematically kept this region
unrepresented in Cabinet for last 10 years

ZAFAR CHOUDHARY

Within the definition of ‘mainstream’ if you are looking for best examples
of participatory, competitive and truly democratic politics in Jammu and
Kashmir, the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, perhaps, offer an
excellent example. If castes were not a factor, Rajouri and Poonch would
have offered best examples of secular politics as well but such a
possibility is remote. Even if people burry the caste hatchet the political
parties –particularly National Conference and Congress –would never let
them do.

A mix of different identities and cultures, the political landscape, particularly the
electoral politics, of Rajouri and Poonch has always remained different from any
other part of Jammu and Kashmir. Elections have never been unusually rigged here
and the poll percentage has often registered much higher than the state average.
Consisting of seven assembly constituencies, this Muslim majority region never
allowed the separatist politics to creep in in any form. A part of larger definition of
Jammu region, Rajouri-Poonch have always rejected the religious factor in politics as
it prevails in the plains of Jammu where the discourse often veers around Jammu
versus Kashmir to touch down an obvious undercurrent of Hindu versus Muslim. The
twin districts have mixed population of Hindus and Muslims even as Muslims further
stand bitterly divided along castes and languages. It is this division between
Muslims –Gujjars and Paharis –which offers fodder to the political parties. These two
communities differ from each other on a range of issues and the political parties in
power often offer doles to keep both in good humour. As bitterness between Gujjars
and Paharis grows over the years, the political parties have walked an extra mile to
catch hold of the either community. In this reach out drive from time to time,
individuals have benefitted greatly while the plight of common peoples has not
improved much. The region therefore remains one of the most backward –
educationally, socially and economically –in the state.
Rajouri-Poonch is perhaps one and the only region in the state which has always
remained under-represented, sometimes not represented at all, in the decision
making process even as these two districts constitute the safe pocket boroughs of
the ruling parties. National Conference has its deep roots in the region and
Congress as its traditional competitor until Peoples Democratic Party of Mufti
Mohammad Sayeed made inroads. There were times getting National Conference
for assembly elections would in itself be taken as a victory and the voting a mere
formality. Such was the influence of National Conference and following of Sheikh
Mohammad Abdullah in the region. The Congress later made steady inroads and
became a main competitor of the National Conference. In 1957 elections when
there were only five constituencies, the National Conference bagged four while one
–Nowshera –went to the Congress. However, in 1962 elections all five seats went to
the NC basket. Since 1967 and 72 elections were all Congress affairs while Sheikh
Mohammad Abdullah was in jail, National Conference bagged one of the five seats –
Darhal –in 1972. In a discredited poll history of Jammu and Kashmir before 2002
elections, the 1977 elections were regarded as the best of the times. That year,
with addition of one more constituency, NC won two seats, three went to Congress
and one to an independent. In the bitterly fought elections of 1983 when National
Conference was almost routed out in Jammu region, the party had two face savers
from Rajouri-Poonch. In 1987, NC bagged two seats from the region, Congress
walked away with three and one went to an independent. The Congress was quick
to decode the message and it inducted two of them as Cabinet Ministers with
important portfolios and third one was made Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
Perhaps this was the time that initiated the process of erosion of the base of
National Conference in this region. In 1996, National Conference won five seats
from the region and Congress got two. NC formed government while Congress
returned to opposition with only eight seats in its kitty. Despite being in opposition,
Rajouri-Poonch again figured prominently in Congress scheme of things as the
partly installed one of its two legislators from the region as its Chief Whip in the
assembly. National Conference again misread the message. In return of five seats it
bagged from the region, the party inducted two legislators –Mohammad Sharief
Tariq and Nisar Ahmed Khan –as Ministers of State. Two years later they were
elevated to the rank of Cabinet Minister but only to be sacked disgracefully in year
2000. Close to elections, Dr Farooq Abdullah inducted party’s senior-most leader
from the region Chowdhary Mohammad Hussain and a new comer Mushtaq Ahmed
Bukhari as Ministers of State but that was largely seen in the region as an insult.

In 2002, the National Conference tally remained intact but the party had lost power
to a ragtag coalition of Peoples Democratic Party and Congress. This was the time
for most of its hurt leaders to say enough is enough and switch sides to other
parties. In these elections, the NC had bagged five seats, Congress one and one
went to an independent. The Congress won over the lone independent candidate
and then inducted both its legislators as Ministers of State. Another leader from the
region –Shabir Ahmed Khan –was appointed as Vice Chairman of the Advisory Board
for Pahari Speaking People, a post equivalent in status and rank of a Minister of
State.

Latest elections of 2008 have returned the National Conference with lowest ever
tally of three. Two seats have been bagged by the Congress and the remaining two
by the Peoples Democratic Party. This time the ruling alliance is a partnership
between Congress and the National Conference. Congress picked up its senior-most
leader from the region Choudhary Mohammad Aslam, who won from Surankote
constituency and installed him as leaders of its Legislature Party in the assembly.
Though people had expected a ministerial berth for him but since party is
encouraging young blood, the CLP leadership is an honour for Aslam. Its other
winner from the region, Shabir Ahmed Khan has been inducted as a Minister of
State with an array of departments under his charge. National Conference again
missed the message only to late react in a hasty manner.

As long as it was about giving representation to the region in decision making

process, the Congress went slow and the National Conference just slept over things
until the Gujjar Pahari factor hit the politics. It was at the time of distribution of non-
ministerial posts between alliance partners, Congress and National Conference, that
the caste factor in politics of Rajouri-Poonch suddenly assumed prominence. The
Congress picked up a Gujjar from Poonch –Chowdhary Bashir Ahmed Naaz –and
appointed him as Vice Chairman of the Advisory Board for Development of Gujjars,
a post equivalent to a Minister of State in status and rank.

This came in as knee jerk reaction for National Conference. Instead of making
efforts at removing caste from politics, as one would have expected from a young
and western educated leader like Omar Abdullah, the National Conference went on
with a balancing act. To outsmart Congress, Omar Abdullah picked not one but two
Pahari leaders for appointments to the posts carrying status and rank of a Minister
of State. Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari, who lost 2008 elections in Surankote
constituency, has been appointed as Vice Chairman of the Advisory Board for Pahari
Speaking People while Kunwar Rashpal Singh, MLA from Kalakote, was appointed
Vice Chairman of Kissan Board, a new office created for welfare of farmers. Now
Congress is harping on its Gujjar card and the National Conference is going full
throttle to consolidate the Pahari speaking constituency. Both parties have been
able to play their cards well at the cost of the people of Rajouri-Poonch. Individuals
have benefitted from NC’s and Congress’s new penchant for Paharis and Gujjars and
the region is against thrown outside the decision making process. Selective largesse
offered to few leaders has clearly suggested that no legislator from Rajouri or
Poonch is likely to make to the Cabinet in the present government.

Meanwhile, the murky battle between Gujjars and Paharis has been left to them as
keeping this caste conflict alive between the communities helps the parties. The
main contention between the Gujjars and Paharis is the Scheduled Tribe state on
which both groups continue to fight against each other under the larger political
patronage.

Author is with Epilogue Magazine. Feedback: zafarchoudhary@epilogue.in