Nayeema's decision! A vision or a confusion?

(Nanne Kour, Mehjoor and the Nilwath!)

AHMAD KASHMIRI

So Nayeema Ahmad Mehjoor finally landed onto politics, not expected! Nayeema, a unique name in the mass media for her outstanding performance first locally in Radio Kashmir Srinagar and then internationally at BBC Urdu Service. There are many people with outstanding work in Radio Kashmir in many aspects of media levels, but, perhaps, Nayeema has a privilidged credit of worked or starting masses interested programs like that of the Zoone Dab, where she performed as a child artist, Nanne Kour and then ahead in her career the Shaherbeen, a current affairs program of day to day public issues and problems. Nayeema was known for her innovative media service to public. She at BBC despite fixed and specific corporate guidelines did a good service to the world listeners in general and to her own masses ( Kashmiris) in particular. We need not to discuss that contribution here because that is known to every familiar person. But her joining "mainstream" politics back home has surprised many people. She is known as a media icon exceptionally for keeping a feeling heart and a helping brain. That is evident from her articles, she has been writing for reputed news papers from time to time and has been expressing her such feelings and experiences which she could not express in her assigned jobs that is BBC etc due to the bindings of her employer/corporation. Though we have seen many people with potential background profiles joing politics after they retire from their VIP jobs, thus a common sense based experience makes us to believe that to keep the VIP status somehow sustaining these people desperately join the politics and no other way seems them to remain "alive". 2014 has already reached and assembly elections are drawing nearer. The shadows of new faces and parties are fading in day by day. This time the people and parties, interestingly, can be categorised in a binary status nomenclature viz the pro Indian mainstream, pro-Aazadi mainstream parties or candidates. Many new, young and high academic and professional degree holders, faces with mainstream political background have already decided to inherit the politics from their guardians and are supposed to fight 2014 elections. Circumstancial environs say that in the forthcoming elections, some more candidates and parties are in the making, some of them uphold an outstanding work or perspective with regard to their past performance either in social reforms or in some other dimension and for keeping a staunch belief in ongoing freedom struggle. Such people are likely to come up with a motive to plead for freedom struggle of Kashmir through elected representatives or as a party on the analogy of Engineer Rashid's strategy ( barring the discussion whether one agrees with such a strategy or not). Indeed, the new entrants wheather young or of the age of Nayeema in their motive to join politics have talked of a "change"! The "change" in the system known long for its obsoleteness is thus the motivational factor and the seemingly motive of these new entrants to join the politics, they dream to bring the Kashmir on the forefront of progress and prosperity. The curiosity and desire of these new entrants can be imagined. But the question is that with regard to Kashmir situation, can even a small change be expected from them under the 65 year old prevailing deadlock generally and 25 years situation particularly? There are examples of people like Engineer Rashid (MLA Langate) who seemingly has been a different kind of legislator comparatively. Now prior to coming elections he has launched his own political party 'Awami Aetihaad'and is obviously waiting for 2014 elections to contest therein as a party now. What would be his fate of winning as a party can’t be predicted and if he emerges with some assembly seats in that case what will be his strategy of pace-keeping with his history as a legislator, remains to be seen (barring the debate how much it worked or can work. Another, surprising thing of Nayeema Ahmad Mehjoor's joining politics is her choice of joing Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which upholds the slogan of Self Rule with regard to Kashmir issue. Self Rule with its analogous sister solutions by some other parties has been debated much and has been rejected by the profreedom camp and the civil society intelligentia. PDP is lead by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who is believed to be an indepth politician. A large section of masses believe him to have brought respite to the torture and fear ridden valley during his tenure as a ruling party. But all Profreedom leaders and the intelligentia treat him and his party at par with other pro Indian political parties with regard for not having any potential to touch the core issue, The Kashmir Issue. Of other new entrants coming from different reputed professions into mainstream politics is their passion, their discretion for they belong to political archaelogy and thus carry on the inheritance. But Nayeema besides being a differently arisen media legend has comprehensivly written in favour of Kashmir freedom movement and has shared stages with JKLF even, and she in her name bears "Mehjoor" as a status name part. "Mehjoor" as a legendary personality is a buzz name known to Aam Aadmi of Kashmir for his pro-freedom and pro people poetry, " Walo ha bagbano Nav bharuk shaan paida kar phoulan gull gath karan bulbul tithee samaan paida kar" (Come O gardner, create such tools and an environment which will reshape a splendid new spring, that will sprout blossoms and then the nightningales will dance with happyness). The couplet is perceived as a revolutionary one with phrasal meanings and specific metaphors from the poet for his people written in his contemporary times. The metaphors like " Valo ha, bagbano, navbahar, shaan, pholan gul, gath, bulbul, samaan" are the key words to understand things. Anybody who claims a relationship, a philia with the name tag "Mehjoor" wheather in blood relation an insider or an outsider is expected to carry on and uphold the essence of the meaning and motive of the poet, MEHJOOR. Nayeema Mehjoor is well aware of the tall claims of changing things of primary issue (Kashmir Issue)made by politicians since long but over the ground nothing has changed and common people now are used to and aware of these hollow claims of politicians. Pro Freedom camp believes in the boycott of elections for the sake of taking ahead the struggle of freedom. Indulging into electioneering means to disagreement of boycotting politics and then the option for change desirers remains to find the alternative in representing the people on legislative platform but then again they have to ponder on the bitter pages of history that has tasted chronology of events with regard to pleading of Kashmir from verbal to documented resolutions from elected profreedom leaders (as MLAs) to mainstream ruling parties ( Pointing to Autonomy Bill passed by National Conference). Nayeema while joining politics has said that Kashmir has gone from bad to worst it needs positive politics with constructive people. Nayeema has lived outside for twenty long years and obviously keeping a feeling heart and helping mind she might have been dreaming to bring positive changes at her place in her own people back home but a bitter fact remains that the places she has lived in or visited there are autonomous, independent, indigenous or Azaad or whatever the befitting term you like and ours is a place which is all total different with regard to such reality. Nayeema's bringing a change at her home politics is as to warm up a place with a warmer in a winter climate which despite sincere efforts can warm up the environment only upto a few surrounding inches or at the most a feet or two. The otherday I happened to add few more lines to this write up coming to know that Nayeema Ahmad Mehjoor has outruled her contesting elections for becoming an MLA or a minister and instead had affirmed that she has jouned PDP on what I can call an agreement that she will fight for Kashmir Issue resolution after a Vision Document is prepared by PDP as according to her has been already discussed with the party and Nayeema withe that Vision Document will go to world community and plead the cause. This has become the third surprising thing that in a political party that has all focus on electioneering and searching for such new people for contesting on party mandate who have a reputation and public footing on their back a Nayeema declares that she will never contest elections, neither has she joined politics for becoming an MLA or a minister. One fails to understand that then why did she join a party just for obtaining Vision Document from it when the party needs her in election campaigning if we believe her commitment as not to contest election in person. Will not she have to move here and there with PDP during its rallies whether in campaigning times or at other occasions and thus indirectly helping the party in mere electioneering. Yet another and the fouth surprising thing is that of the Vision Document, Nayeema expects from PDP having Self Rule as its "Brain Child". The surpring thing at this point is that a media personality of international repute well versed in the internatinal documents, drafts and resolutions which in case of Kashmir is UNRK (United Nations Resolutions on Kashmir) and its value and validity thereof is asking and awaiting for a Vision Document! Why? Has she lost all hopes in UNRK? Anyway, we all are well versed with the Kashmiri Saying, “ Hund Mauertan Ya Kath , Lalle Nilwath Tschalle Ne” (Whether a big animal or a sheept is slaughtered, the stone for Lal (Lal Ded) is very much in the bowl) History has seen politicians coming and going with sloganeering of removing the ‘Nilwath’ (stone) from the bowl but even after 65 years the “Nilwath” is very much in the bowl of Kashmir. But everyday the sun rises with a new hope, whether Nayeema's decision is a vision or a confusion! remains to be seen.