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EDITORIAL

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2016

The death of a statesman

friday, january 8, 2016

North Koreas
provocative move
he underground nuclear test by North Korea
that apparently used a hydrogen bomb has expectedly aggravated tensions in East Asia.
South Korea, which called the explosion an
unpardonable provocation, has already cancelled
cross-border initiatives. Japan has termed it a serious
threat to its national security. Most major global powers, from the United States to Russia and even China,
have condemned the explosion. The provocation is likely to invite more economic punitive measures by the
United Nations Security Council. The North Korean
economy is going through a tough phase, and any further
sanctions would jeopardise it further. Why Kim Jong-un
took the extreme step now is anybodys guess, though
the move itself was not surprising given the regimes sinister, paranoid ways of operating. Ever since Mr. Kim became North Koreas leader after his fathers death in 2011,
he has flexed the countrys military muscle and caused
provocations without hinting at any tangible foreign policy goal. He ordered the countrys third nuclear test,
which led directly to additional UN sanctions. Tensions
escalated between the two Koreas last year after they exchanged artillery fire. With the latest hydrogen bomb explosion claim, he has upped the ante in this game of
provocations.
Mr. Kims aim could be to tighten his grip of power
over the state. The number of executions in North Korea
reportedly rose under his watch, triggering speculation
over whether the regime is facing internal strains. In
2013, Mr. Kim had ordered the execution of his uncle and
former mentor. He may also be playing a high-stakes diplomatic game for an Iran-like deal where he could swap
his countrys nuclear arsenal for international recognition and economic partnership. The third and more likely explanation is that Mr. Kim is sending a message to
South Korea and the West that his regime is ready to go
to any extreme in the wake of military hostilities. This
clearly demonstrates the failure of the nuclear diplomacy which the U.S. and other major powers were involved
in for the past several years. Whatever Mr. Kims real intentions, his moves come at the cost of regional stability,
and pose dangerous portents for the world. The only
country that could reason with North Korea and persuade it to join back talks is China. Even for Beijing, despite its historical ties with Pyongyang, it is a daunting
task. Mr. Kim does not seem to be particularly interested
in the China-ally tag. In September, he refused an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend celebrations marking the end of the Second World War. Four
years after coming to power, he is yet to visit Beijing. Despite his detachment and potential militarism, the world
doesnt really have any option but to resume talks with
Pyongyang. China has the historical responsibility to
lead the efforts to solve the crisis on the Korean peninsula, much like what the Russians did in securing the Iran
deal.

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed,

Chief Minister of Jammu and
Kashmir, died yesterday after
a prolonged illness. Though
not unexpected, his death was
untimely. He will be sorely
RADHA
missed at a time the State is
KUMAR
bracing for two challenges:
recovery from the losses suffered in a series of natural disasters, and the
search for a revival of the long-stalled peace
process.
This was Mr. Sayeeds second term as
Chief Minister. His first term, from 20022005, was when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was in
power at the Centre and his party was in coalition with the Congress in the State. The period can be seen as a turning point for Jammu
and Kashmir, when the State began to move
away from armed conflict and into peacebuilding. Mr. Vajpayees three-pronged initiative talks with Pakistan and separately
with the Hurriyat, cease-fire negotiations
with militant groups, and a humanitarian political approach to the valley and its dispossessed Pandits was not only crafted with
Mr. Sayeeds support, it was matched by initiatives within the State by Mr. Sayeeds
government.
Prime Minister Vajpayees talks with Pakistan soon foundered, and violence hit an
all-time high between 2002 and 2004. But the
peace process within the State and between
New Delhi and Kashmiri dissidents continued under Mr. Vajpayees oft-quoted and
still-remembered dictum, insaniyat ke daire
mein (within the bounds of humanity). Mr.
Sayeed and his daughter, Mehbooba,
launched a healing touch policy that was a
complement to the insaniyat doctrine; it
comprised restoration of the rule of law in
Jammu and Kashmir, including disbanding
entities that were outside of it such as the paramilitary Special Operations Group, revitalising administration, especially services for
widows and orphans, establishing new institutions of education and health care, supporting civil society, including an independent media, and encouraging erstwhile
Kashmiri militants who had crossed over to
Pakistan to return to the valley under his version of a disarmament, disbanding and reintegration programme.
Man with the healing touch
It was Mr. Sayeed who implemented the
longstanding demand for devolution of pow-

CARTOONSCAPE

For justice in
equal measure
ews that Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt will be
released by the end of February after serving
a five-year prison term for being in possession of an AK-56 assault rifle over 20 years
ago will surely draw contrasting reactions from the film
industry on the one hand and wider society on the other.
His peers in filmdom and his legion of fans may see
cause for great happiness in his impending release.
However, there may be a larger section of society that
may wonder whether justice will truly be served if Mr.
Dutt, who is already seen to have enjoyed generous
spells of furlough and parole while serving his sentence,
is being treated in a special way by his release being advanced by about eight months. Given the widespread
perception reinforced by the recent acquittal of another film star, Salman Khan, in a hit-and-run case
that the system will work only to the advantage and benefit of celebrities, questions will naturally be asked
whether Mr. Dutt is being treated preferentially. Arrested in the aftermath of the 1993 Mumbai blasts, he spent 18
months in prison before getting bail. In March 2013, the
Supreme Court confirmed a lower court conviction, but
reduced his jail term from six to five years. After being
given time to wind up his film commitments, he began to
serve the 42-month remainder of his term in May 2013.
Even then, citing reasons as trite as that he was married
and had children, and that he had depicted on screen a
form of Gandhian protest, many had appealed for pardon on his behalf. The Maharashtra Governor, however,
did not succumb to the demand for preferential treatment to him solely on the basis of his popularity.
In the normal course, a prisoners release eight
months ahead of the completion of his term will not give
rise to unusual scrutiny. Good behaviour is reason
enough for routine remission for all convicts, and there
may be no cause to suspect that Mr. Dutt has been chosen out of turn. Yet, the State government will have to be
cautious and scrupulous in computing the exact number
of days he is legally entitled to, mainly to dispel the popular impression that he is being favoured. The actor may
have spent as many as 146 days on parole or furlough
since May 2013. In law, a furlough is an entitlement
earned by spending specified periods in jail, while parole is granted only in an emergency. Both are considered necessary to help prisoners maintain continuity in
their family life and help them avoid the ill-effects of protracted incarceration. Comparisons are also bound to be
drawn between Mr. Dutts case and that of Zaibunissa
Kazi, a septuagenarian fellow-prisoner who is also serving a five-year term in the same case. It will only be fair to
expect that the rules of remission will apply in equal
measure to all prisoners regardless of their social stature
or background.

CM
YK

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

North Koreas claim
While
nuclear
armament
stockpiling and proliferation in
general are a matter of concern for
the world, there is no particular
justification for those in the nuclear
club to sit in judgment and
condemn
North
Korea
for
upgrading its own deterrence
capability (North Korea claims to
have tested hydrogen bomb and
India joins in global outrage, both
Jan.7). Whats sauce for the goose is
sauce for the gander. India of course
is concerned that the North Korean
capability may be acquired by
Pakistan, which is a real threat.
A.N. Lakshmanan,
Bengaluru

The claim has come as a rude shock

to the world. The defiant bid by
North Korea to show off its nuclear
prowess is a dangerous feat and no
peace-loving country can treat this
as a scientific development.
P.U. Krishnan,
Udhagamandalam

Nuclear bomb technology poses a

real danger to all of us especially if it
falls into the wrong hands. It is
shameful that North Korea now
claims to possess hydrogen bombbuilding capabilities given that it
has starved its citizens of even the
most basic necessities. It must
realise that with this act, it has set
itself up on the path to selfdestruction.
Kshirasagara Balaji Rao,
Hyderabad

The report makes for chilling

reading. What is the guarantee that
North Korea will not let this

Taking everyone along was the hallmark of

Mufti Mohammad Sayeeds politics. His steady
hand will be missed as the stage is set for
peace-building to commence once again in
Jammu and Kashmir

the new government. Hard-line groups such

as Syed Ali Shah Geelanis Hurriyat group appeared to grow in influence and youth began
to flaunt Islamist violence, posting pictures
of themselves carrying guns or waving Islamic State flags, with a permissive government appearing content to passively watch
or even to fan the flames, as happened
when a hapless truck driver was beaten to
death by a group of Hindu extremists beer in Ladakh, establishing the Leh and Kargil after cross-border trade began. Militancy be- cause he was suspected of transporting beef.
Hill Councils for local instead of direct ad- gan to wane and by 2008 casualties had dropFinally, with the announcement of the
ministration from Srinagar. The hill councils, ped below 150, from a high of over 4,000 in Rs.80,000-crore aid, combined with renewed
especially in Leh, rapidly became a pivot for 2004.
efforts at India-Pakistan talks, it seems that
development and improved governance in
the stage might be set for peace-building to
Ladakh; their creation settled the bulk of La- Second innings, twin challenges
commence once again in the State. But there
dakhs political grievances. Though the deMr. Sayeed won his second term in end will be no Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to steer
mand for Union Territory status remains, it 2014, when the State was once more in a vola- the policy. How far will his passing impact
no longer has the potential for unrest that it tile situation. Youth unrest, high in 2009- the State and its government?
did earlier.
2010, had declined in 2011-2012 but had again
Similarly, it was under Mr. Sayeed that the begun to rise. The State was devastated by The post-Sayeed scenario
Central governments policy to encourage floods in September 2014, and the new govWe have already seen how Mr. Sayeeds illPandit returns was supported by the State ernment that was elected soon after was ex- ness impacted the State. Fringe radicals of all
government, albeit reluctantly. Mr. Sayeed pected to tackle these two menaces the af- hues have been able to stir absurd grievances
saw to it that 2,000 flats were built to relocate termath of the floods and the rise of a new the most recent one being over whether
returning Pandits, but did not succeed in get- militancy urgently. But the election in No- the State flag is acceptable. Administration
ting many to return, largely due to the inter- vember-December had been fought on a has been sluggish, with each coalition partnecine politics within the State.
rest vs. the BJP plank and threw up a split ner struggling to retain its constituency rathMr. Vajpayees initiative with Pakistan was verdict, with the Peoples Democratic Party er than focussing on policy formulation and
revived after the Parliament attack of De- (PDP) the largest winner in the valley and implementation. Jammu, the valley and Ladakh are further from each other than they
already were, and communal sentiments
flare more and more frequently far too ofFor the BJP, it would make sense not only to support Mehbooba
ten in this State that was once hailed for its
Muftis chief ministership but to also work in such a way that the pluralism. Mr. Sayeeds successor, his daughter and PDP chairperson Mehbooba Mufti,
government is seen as administering the State
will inherit this difficult situation, and also
the new opportunities. Contrary to the speccember 2001 by Pakistan-based militants, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the largest ulation that her first challenge will be whethwhich was followed by an eyeball-to-eyeball winner in Jammu. The two parties had to step er coalition partner BJP accepts her, her first
confrontation between the two countries back from their bitter contest to form a coali- task will be to hold her own flock together.
militaries in 2002. Despite the grim situation, tion, and it took four months of hectic nego- Her biggest hurdle will be getting the States
his renewed initiative did yield some results. tiation to agree upon a common minimum civil administration to implement her govIn 2003 Pakistan declared a unilateral cease- programme for the coalition, during which ernments policies. Ms. Muftis gender and
fire along the International Border and the the PDP lost considerable support, especial- her age will both go against her in our politiLine of Control, which India reciprocated. ly amongst the intelligentsia.
cal society, based as it is upon respect for age
The NDA, however, lost the 2004 general
Another six months or so were spent in and men. Had Jammu and Kashmir been in
election and Mr. Sayeed then worked with working out the amount of Central funds that the south or east of the country, this latter
the Congress-led United Progressive Alli- would be disbursed to the State for addition- hurdle would have been lower, but it is at the
ance to continue peace talks. Together with al flood relief, infrastructure development northern tip of our largely chauvinist and
Manmohan Singh, he supported efforts to and economic stimulus. At last, a substantial ageist north.
open roads between the two parts of divided sum of Rs.80,000 crore was announced in
On the plus side, she has considerable poKashmir; with the typical Kashmiri penchant November 2015.
litical experience in the State and at the Cenfor symbolism, he lined the roads of the valIn all this time 11 months since the As- tre, and a large group of well-wishers in both.
ley with signs saying Muzaffarabad - x kms. sembly elections, eight months since Muftis A smooth transition is essential for the State,
The impact was electric and the pressure on swearing-in the healing touch was absent. which has waited almost a year for its new
Pakistan was difficult to resist. The Srinagar- Coalition spats, policy dissonance and bar- government to take charge of the tasks of ecMuzaffarabad road opened in 2005, and soon gaining with the Centre appeared to occupy onomic and political recovery. It is also essential for the country given the risks of renewed militancy in Kashmir and the Pir
Panchal region. For the BJP, therefore, it
would make sense not only to support Ms.
Muftis chief ministership but to also work in
such a way that the government is seen as administering the State.
What role the States political leadership
can play in an India-Pakistan peace process is
another question. After Sheikh Abdullah and
to some extent Farooq Abdullah in the 1980s,
Mr. Sayeeds role was unique. My hunch is
that the onus will now lie even more strongly
on New Delhi and of course Islamabad.
That the militants in both the Pathankot and
Mazar-e-Sharif attacks cited the hanging of
Afzal Guru as their justification puts the finger squarely on Pakistan-based militants and
makes a Jammu and Kashmir peace process
that much more difficult. Ideally opposition
to such misuse should come from the State itself, since this would also help build political
will in Pakistan. Fifteen years ago, the Jammu
and Kashmir peace process was launched by
local demand for an end to cross-border violence, including by dissidents such as Abdul
Ghani Lone and the Hurriyat (M). While the
latter may now be too weak to reiterate the
call, the people of the State continue to fear
the revival of militancy. It is for New Delhi to
work with the new Chief Minister to craft
policies that will strengthen the local will to
peace.
(Radha Kumar is Director-General of
the Delhi Policy Group. The opinions
expressed here are her own.)

Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.

technology fall into the wrong

hands? The excuse of self-defence
is unacceptable even if there is a
spurt in the growth of terrorism.
The UN must act firmly against
North Korea.
Rony George,
Bengaluru

The report reminded me of the days

of the Cold War when there was
virtual competition between the
two superpowers. It was in
response
to
the
nuclear
development programme of the
U.S. that the USSR carried out
underground testing of a hydrogen
bomb. There was even talk of the
manufacture of the more lethal
cobalt bomb, either by the Pentagon
or by the Kremlin.
Arun Malankar,
Mumbai

Whatever the weapons used, war

and its outcome is most often a
futile exercise. With its shock
announcement, Pyongyang has
cocked a snook at the world. This
development will only escalate
tensions in a fragile region besides
setting off an arms race.
T.K. Nandanan,
Kochi

Questions on Pathankot
We must stop living in a dream
world and be prepared for reality.
Pakistan knows that it can only fight
a proxy war with India and we need
to be prepared for that (Editorial,
Jan.7).
Despite
multi-layered
security at our borders, it has been
shown that terror elements are able
to slip across the border, something
which raises questions about the
way in which our borders are being

guarded. Rather than divide the job

between the paramilitary forces
and the Indian Army, there should
be a move to have only one line of
command in the border States. The
same principle should apply to the
police. Talks with Pakistan can
never succeed as non-state players
manage the countrys affairs.
D.S. Thukral,
Ambala

It is terrible that despite several

alerts and warnings about a possible
terror attack, the authorities chose
to remain passive. When the system
is incapable of safeguarding vital
installations such as an air force
base or even a nuclear plant, how
can we be reasssured that we are
safe? Every attack only exposes the
level of complacency and casual
attitude towards security.
N. Sadhasiva Reddy,
Bengaluru

It is a matter of shame that there was

gross
mismanagement
and
inefficiency in countering the
terrorists (Deploying NSG instead
of Army was a mistake: experts,
Jan.6). With no clear chain of
command and control, the
operation lost its prime element.
What is striking about Pathankot is
that there was a well-trained
infantry and armoured teams but
they were kept waiting. The
military needs to understand the
importance
of
functional
foremanship.
Vishwesh Hande,
Mumbai

Sectarian tensions
West Asia is on the boil ever since
Saudi Arabia and Iran have locked

horns. (World U.S. caught

between Iran and Saudis, Jan.6. and
Saudi Arabias deadly gamble,
Jan.7). The fragile and wounded
region now runs the risk of plunging
into full-blown military conflict. It
is time the international community
takes concrete steps to douse the
fire of conflict between Shias and
Sunnis.

will now be a thing of the past.

There was a time when the most
precious gift the common man
thought of was an HMT wristwatch;
schoolchildren would be motivated
to perform better academically with
the promise of an HMT watch.
What is surprising is that the
closure comes amidst a strong
campaign for Make in India.

M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu

Balasubramaniam Pavani,
Secunderabad

Freed for good conduct

Celebrities like Salman Khan and
Sanjay Dutt appear to have more
leverage in the system and over
others who have to face the law and
its consequences (Sanjay Dutt to
be freed on Feb.27 for good
conduct, Jan.7). It is quite evident
that in our system, justice and
equality are not being dispensed the
way they ought to be. One can wryly
remark that it all boils down to how
famous one is.
Ashvarya Sinha,
Bengaluru

Time runs out for HMT

It is sad that the HMT watch units,
the timekeepers to the nation, will
now be closed (Cabinet approves
closure of HMT Watches, Jan.7).
Jawaharlal Nehru once called HMT
the Jewel of the nation and the
watch unit was his brainchild. It is
clear that the managers failed to
keep pace with the changing times.
One hopes that other public sector
units will not face closure in a
similar manner and instead be
revived.

The decision is short-sighted

especially when mechanical and
automatic watches are making a
comeback. If the Bullet motorcycle
was able to make a comeback in an
era of high technology, why not the
HMT watch?
H.N. Ramakrishna,
Bengaluru

For an engineering student who

graduated in the 1960s and the
1970s, bagging a job in any one of
HMTs factories was a dream. It is
strange that many public sector
units that were started soon after
Independence have been allowed to
fail. Is it a deliberate strategy?
K.H. Krishnan,
Shencottai, Tamil Nadu

G.V. Narasimha Murthy,

Hyderabad

In the 1980s, a person who sported

an HMT watch and who drove an
HM Ambassador car was seen to be
someone respectable. These two
brands were once the identities by
which Indians were known and are
now a thing of the past after
globalisation and the advent of
imported brands. Top Indian
brands should not be allowed to
vanish.

Its sad to note that HMT watches

Tipston Rubus,
Bengaluru
ND-ND