Mufti Mohd Sayeed has demanded that GOI and Pakistan should allow the use of Both Indian and Pakistani currencies in J&K. In other words as per Mufti currencies of India and Pakistan should be operated in the territories of the erstwhile Princely State of Maharaja Hari Singh. debate for from where the idea came in Mufti´s mind. Let us try to see what it is, why Mufti called for it and why and how Mufti is now trying to cover his being called an anti national ( India ) element with respect to sovereignty of India. Mufti has been the Home Minister of India when militancy was at peak and he has also been the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir from Oct 2002 to November 2005 ( that too with the support of Indian National Congress ).
It is true that the most unfortunate tragedy for the people of J&K was no doubt the 1989/1990 migration of the Kashmiri Hindu from Kashmir Valley . But the agony of people of J&K it did not end there itself. The leadership at New Delhi has nearly made the J&K affairs to reach a point where all appear to have accepted that there is some thing like Kashmir issue that need be discussed even across the geographical boundaries of India. In other words as a long out standing issue worth discussing at even international levels. Some local opinion makers from Kashmir valley have seen the reasons for this in cynicism of the local population, arrogance of the national policy makers and the conservatism of the international audience. But I would reason it out more in un concernedness of policy makers at New Delhi .No doubt the emotional as well as strategic values at the level of the common man have been hit by the behavior and attitude of some local intelligentsia and also some main stream politicians. Some local Kashmiri muslims are emotionally hurt and even accuse their own community as having lost the desire to think intensively . No doubt many are caught in polemics of the superficiality.
People of J&K can not afford more disintegration of the socio- communal fabric of J&K. Some chapters need be closed now. Otherwise Mufti´s would unknowingly write many more chapters to benefit the separatist elements . Ofcourse the so called separatist leaders from Kashmir valley too are not honest to their words . They are simply exploiting the sentiments of the people of J&K . They themselves cannot afford to leave the economical benefits that they enjoy in India .New leaves are being added to the chapters on the so called " Kashmir problem" even by those who are considered to be working with in the frame work of Constitution of India.
Every second day debates are initiated. And a new in the race is raging indo = pak currency debate. Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, a seasoned player in the political arena has recently floated the idea of a "dual currency". In his usual style he did not provide much details earlier. Immediately protests started from the leaders of parties other than National Conference and Congress , mainly from Jammu Region.
PDP, the coalition government partner of Congress in J&K , demanding that towards a step forward for settlements with regard to J&K ( Kashmir dispute ) currencies of both India and Pakistan should be made operative in this side of J&K and Pakistan Administered part of J&K. Mufti has called for use of dual currencies only in J&K and not in all states of India and Pakistan .To defend his demand and save Congress lead Government at New Delhi from embarrassment Mufti has tried to take cover under the SAARC proposals. He has called for dual currency ( not common currency ) trials in only J&K. Does Mufti mean that J&K is a separate Country. Demand for use of INDO-PAK currencies only in J&K questions 1947 Accession. .Mufti should not think that all people in J&K are so ignorant.. Strangely Man Mohan Singh was silent with regard to such a sensitive issue when he visited Jammu on 25-04-08.
Through his actions and proposals Mufti Mohd Sayeed has nearly suggested to Government of India that Pakistan is a Party to deciding the territorial sovereignty of J&K . From the statements of such leaders who are even part of the Government in J&K world could well infer that even GOI accepts that the 1947 accession of J&K with India is not a closed chapter.
No doubt National Conference called it a usual Mufti gimmick. National Conference leadership went to the extent of naming it as an effort made by Mufti Sayeed to exploit the sentiments of Kashmires. This way Dr. Farooq Abdullah confirmed that as regards the affairs of J&K talking of Pakistan in Kashmir valley does touch people sentimentally . Therefore the criticism as was done by National Conference did not harm Mufti´s PDP. It rather added some thing to the purse of PDP since as per Farooq Abdullah it was an attempt made by Mufti to fascinate the local Kashmiri. No doubt some local secessionist and other local main mainstream parties too attacked Mufti for his statements. But it was not their being against Pakistani currency but it was since they feared Mufti making some inroads even in their domains.
Some have tried to term the Mufti proposals as "co-circulation of two currencies" in J&K . To be more precise, it means, allowing direct circulation of the Pakistani & Indian rupee in the Indian part of J&K as well as in Pakistan administered Kashmir. He later called his demand as being only a suggestion. Some have tried to equate the proposals with Mehbooba Mufti using a credit / a debit card in the high street Jinnah market of Islamabad where her bank account got debited in Indian rupees and the account of the shopkeeper credited in Pakistani rupees . And hence it has been argued that what Mufti Sayeed has suggested amounts to cutting out the complicated backroom currency exchange process and making it more direct. But this does not stand to technical issues involved in the use of two currencies of two countries and that too in a limited geographical area.
It can not be overlooked by any sovereign country that there is a geographical aspect of currency money with respect to the territories of any country. Currency in general is inexorably linked with sovereignty of a nation state..
The currencies are linked to sovereignty and territory of a country. The suggestion made is not for Pakistani currency buying in all Indian state markets and the Indian currency buying in all Pakistan markets. But the suggestion made is that Pakistani Currency should directly buy in Indian Kashmir market and Indian currency should buy in Pakistan Administered market. It is true that Mufti Mohd Sayeed and his daughter are part of the Congress run Government in J&K. But still the accusations may not be valid that Mufti might have received some secret signals from New Delhi and made the statement on use of dual currency. Yes, may Congress leaders at New Delhi might have sent some unhappy signals on the behavior of Mufti and hence Mufti has termed the demand as a suggestion . His trying to talk of SAARC and other related arrangements is surely to avoid the harsh hand from New Delhi. The Congress too ofcourse has to carry on with PDP as it can not afford the fall of its government in J&K. And Mufti has to fight in valley only against National Conference and has to talk some thing to out beat Farooq Abdullah. Mufti has to take lead over demands like moving to pre-1953 position as of national Conference. Mufti can not straightway afford to talk of undoing 1947 accession and hence has to devise some agitating issues those could raise questions on Indo Kashmir relations. And talks of use of Pakistani currency only in Kashmir along with Indian currency and calling POK as Pakistan Administered Kashmir ( J&K ) could be such agitating issues. afitating issues like
The so called co-circulation of two currencies makes the Kashmir issue as contested issue at international level since it gives special definitions both sovereignty and territory wise. So, it is not a simple issue of economics that is at the core of the dual currency paradigm or model. Rather it makes the Kashmir problems more complex . Mufti Mohd Sayeed need to understand that circulation of national currencies does coincide with the territorial frontiers of nation states. And J&K is part of a Nation State, India. J&K is not an independent State.
( Daya Sagar is leading scribe on Kashmir affairs dayasagr@yahoo.co.uk)
It is true that the most unfortunate tragedy for the people of J&K was no doubt the 1989/1990 migration of the Kashmiri Hindu from Kashmir Valley . But the agony of people of J&K it did not end there itself. The leadership at New Delhi has nearly made the J&K affairs to reach a point where all appear to have accepted that there is some thing like Kashmir issue that need be discussed even across the geographical boundaries of India. In other words as a long out standing issue worth discussing at even international levels. Some local opinion makers from Kashmir valley have seen the reasons for this in cynicism of the local population, arrogance of the national policy makers and the conservatism of the international audience. But I would reason it out more in un concernedness of policy makers at New Delhi .No doubt the emotional as well as strategic values at the level of the common man have been hit by the behavior and attitude of some local intelligentsia and also some main stream politicians. Some local Kashmiri muslims are emotionally hurt and even accuse their own community as having lost the desire to think intensively . No doubt many are caught in polemics of the superficiality.
People of J&K can not afford more disintegration of the socio- communal fabric of J&K. Some chapters need be closed now. Otherwise Mufti´s would unknowingly write many more chapters to benefit the separatist elements . Ofcourse the so called separatist leaders from Kashmir valley too are not honest to their words . They are simply exploiting the sentiments of the people of J&K . They themselves cannot afford to leave the economical benefits that they enjoy in India .New leaves are being added to the chapters on the so called " Kashmir problem" even by those who are considered to be working with in the frame work of Constitution of India.
Every second day debates are initiated. And a new in the race is raging indo = pak currency debate. Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, a seasoned player in the political arena has recently floated the idea of a "dual currency". In his usual style he did not provide much details earlier. Immediately protests started from the leaders of parties other than National Conference and Congress , mainly from Jammu Region.
PDP, the coalition government partner of Congress in J&K , demanding that towards a step forward for settlements with regard to J&K ( Kashmir dispute ) currencies of both India and Pakistan should be made operative in this side of J&K and Pakistan Administered part of J&K. Mufti has called for use of dual currencies only in J&K and not in all states of India and Pakistan .To defend his demand and save Congress lead Government at New Delhi from embarrassment Mufti has tried to take cover under the SAARC proposals. He has called for dual currency ( not common currency ) trials in only J&K. Does Mufti mean that J&K is a separate Country. Demand for use of INDO-PAK currencies only in J&K questions 1947 Accession. .Mufti should not think that all people in J&K are so ignorant.. Strangely Man Mohan Singh was silent with regard to such a sensitive issue when he visited Jammu on 25-04-08.
Through his actions and proposals Mufti Mohd Sayeed has nearly suggested to Government of India that Pakistan is a Party to deciding the territorial sovereignty of J&K . From the statements of such leaders who are even part of the Government in J&K world could well infer that even GOI accepts that the 1947 accession of J&K with India is not a closed chapter.
No doubt National Conference called it a usual Mufti gimmick. National Conference leadership went to the extent of naming it as an effort made by Mufti Sayeed to exploit the sentiments of Kashmires. This way Dr. Farooq Abdullah confirmed that as regards the affairs of J&K talking of Pakistan in Kashmir valley does touch people sentimentally . Therefore the criticism as was done by National Conference did not harm Mufti´s PDP. It rather added some thing to the purse of PDP since as per Farooq Abdullah it was an attempt made by Mufti to fascinate the local Kashmiri. No doubt some local secessionist and other local main mainstream parties too attacked Mufti for his statements. But it was not their being against Pakistani currency but it was since they feared Mufti making some inroads even in their domains.
Some have tried to term the Mufti proposals as "co-circulation of two currencies" in J&K . To be more precise, it means, allowing direct circulation of the Pakistani & Indian rupee in the Indian part of J&K as well as in Pakistan administered Kashmir. He later called his demand as being only a suggestion. Some have tried to equate the proposals with Mehbooba Mufti using a credit / a debit card in the high street Jinnah market of Islamabad where her bank account got debited in Indian rupees and the account of the shopkeeper credited in Pakistani rupees . And hence it has been argued that what Mufti Sayeed has suggested amounts to cutting out the complicated backroom currency exchange process and making it more direct. But this does not stand to technical issues involved in the use of two currencies of two countries and that too in a limited geographical area.
It can not be overlooked by any sovereign country that there is a geographical aspect of currency money with respect to the territories of any country. Currency in general is inexorably linked with sovereignty of a nation state..
The currencies are linked to sovereignty and territory of a country. The suggestion made is not for Pakistani currency buying in all Indian state markets and the Indian currency buying in all Pakistan markets. But the suggestion made is that Pakistani Currency should directly buy in Indian Kashmir market and Indian currency should buy in Pakistan Administered market. It is true that Mufti Mohd Sayeed and his daughter are part of the Congress run Government in J&K. But still the accusations may not be valid that Mufti might have received some secret signals from New Delhi and made the statement on use of dual currency. Yes, may Congress leaders at New Delhi might have sent some unhappy signals on the behavior of Mufti and hence Mufti has termed the demand as a suggestion . His trying to talk of SAARC and other related arrangements is surely to avoid the harsh hand from New Delhi. The Congress too ofcourse has to carry on with PDP as it can not afford the fall of its government in J&K. And Mufti has to fight in valley only against National Conference and has to talk some thing to out beat Farooq Abdullah. Mufti has to take lead over demands like moving to pre-1953 position as of national Conference. Mufti can not straightway afford to talk of undoing 1947 accession and hence has to devise some agitating issues those could raise questions on Indo Kashmir relations. And talks of use of Pakistani currency only in Kashmir along with Indian currency and calling POK as Pakistan Administered Kashmir ( J&K ) could be such agitating issues. afitating issues like
The so called co-circulation of two currencies makes the Kashmir issue as contested issue at international level since it gives special definitions both sovereignty and territory wise. So, it is not a simple issue of economics that is at the core of the dual currency paradigm or model. Rather it makes the Kashmir problems more complex . Mufti Mohd Sayeed need to understand that circulation of national currencies does coincide with the territorial frontiers of nation states. And J&K is part of a Nation State, India. J&K is not an independent State.
( Daya Sagar is leading scribe on Kashmir affairs dayasagr@yahoo.co.uk)
