look news india
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's statement that talks with Pakistan can only be held if it stops supporting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, while he was campaigning for elections, is bound to evoke reactions from both sides of the border. The reason for this is that he had also said that the people of occupied Kashmir would prefer to join India because the Pakistani rulers see them as foreigners.
There is a lot of evidence of how Pakistan is oppressing and exploiting the people of occupied Kashmir. This is why people often take to the streets against Pakistan and demand permission to go to India. The people there are seeing very well how fast development is taking place in India and how Pakistan is deceiving them.
It is difficult to say what Pakistan will say on the statement of the Defense Minister, but it is unlikely that it will stop supporting terrorism. It is a bitter truth that every ruler of Pakistan has provoked the public by raising the issue of Kashmir. Pakistani politicians have always been making their living by making Kashmir an international issue.
The Defence Minister also targeted the National Conference, PDP and Congress. It became necessary for him to do so because the leaders of the National Conference and PDP are insisting on talks with Pakistan by giving evidence of their friendship with Pakistan, but while doing so they do not say that terrorism will have to be curbed for talks.
The National Conference and the PDP are also dreaming of the return of Article 370 for the people of Kashmir. This is nothing more than a daydream because it is no longer possible to bring back this divisive and separatist tendency and that is why the Defence Minister has said that no one has the courage to do so.
Saying this, he also targeted the Congress, which is contesting the elections in alliance with the National Conference and is silent on its promise to withdraw Article 370. The Congress should tell whether it agrees with the promises made in the manifesto of the National Conference. It should also clarify whether it agrees with Omar Abdullah's assessment that nothing has been achieved by hanging Afzal Guru, who conspired to attack Parliament.
This statement is meant to win the sympathy of supporters of the return of the era of separatism and terrorism and that is why Rajnath Singh mocked him by saying that if Afzal had not been hanged, he would have been given garlands around his neck. It is sad that the Congress is silent on this statement of Omar Abdullah, even though he was hanged during the Manmohan Singh government.