MP Mehdi’s Firebrand Posturing: Is This Deliberate to Shield NC, Or Tactical to Outshine NC?
There are two ways to look at the apparently brewing tensions between Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, and MP Mehdi’s firebrand posturing.
One is that these are political optics, and attention diversion tactics by Jammu Kashmir’s ruling party. The other is that MP Mehdi’s aggressive posturing may be for real – to stride ahead of the Abdullahs and become the dominant political figure across Jammu Kashmir.
Option 1: Diverting Attention from The Impossible Manifesto
After coming to power, the National Conference (NC) is caught between idealism and realism over the party’s utopian manifesto.
Read manifesto details here:
“NC gave lofty slogans and promised everything to people from the milk of birds to the bones of mosquitoes. Looking at the financial crisis J&K is grappling with, NC is in trouble to come up to the expectations of the people. The promises of free electricity, ration and gas cylinders are now proving mere election campaign jumlas,” said a Kashmir University scholar.
One reading of MP Mehdi’s radical positioning is that he is trying to deviate people’s attention from NC’s electoral promises. Perhaps with this headline grabbing, the National Conference is trying to keep the people tactically engaged in non-issues instead of the real issues.
Option 2: MP Mehdi Is Trying to Emerge as Brand Kashmir
If MP Mehdi is trying to emerge as Brand Kashmir in politics, he is certainly succeeding. In the season of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, MP Mehdi is stealing the limelight. With his recent outbursts and his political posturing, for many Kashmiris and especially the youths, MP Mehdi is getting bigger and bigger in stature.
If MP Mehdi is trying to emerge as Brand Kashmir, he is certainly succeeding
The new words brought into circulation in Kashmir by MP Mehdi have become a point of discussion in Kashmir. They are also being hotly debated by the Indian media houses. In an interview, MP Mehdi called the high tourism to Kashmir as “cultural invasion – by purpose and by design.” He called upon CM Omar Abdullah to be the “chief rebel”, and he called upon people to engage in “democratic rebellion.”
MP Mehdi is not speaking the language of the National Conference. His language is that of a soft separatist. He is calling for radical political resistance to be regarded as democratic and constitutional.
Soft separatism and radical political resistance – both remain potent forces with sizable traction in Kashmir. The constituency of nationalist Kashmiris is large too, but they continue to remain fearful of revealing their India colours.
Combative Positioning by MP Mehdi
Kashmir gave the National Conference an absolute majority and the mandate to form the government. On October 16, Omar Abdullah took oath as the Chief Minister. Less than three months later, MP Mehdi seems keen to position himself as the voice of Kashmir. He is also making efforts to position himself as the bridge between the people and the National Conference.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and MP Mehdi are not directly confronting each other. The confrontation is tactical via their statements on social media and in their interviews.
The National Conference is clearly provoked. This is reflected in the statements of NC’s youth wing president and Hazratbal MLA Salman Sagar, and also in the statement of Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo.
Nevertheless, the National Conference is unlikely to officially question MP Mehdi regarding these provocations. Election is due for the Budgam Assembly constituency. NC’s success in the constituency depends a lot on MP Mehdi, who is a prominent Shia leader of the area.
MP Mehdi and His Projection as Man of Solid Stance
MP Mehdi has projected himself as the only man in NC who is a man of principles. He is giving out the message that he is the conscience fulcrum of the National Conference and shall ensure that the party keeps its promises as mentioned in the election manifesto.
The equation between CM Omar Abdullah and MP Mehdi is getting more complex. Many feel that it shall benefit MP Mehdi instead of NC. MP Mehdi is playing the lead role in this controversy, where he is supposedly the hero figure and NC is the villain figure.
Radical Views on Kashmir Tourism
Tourism in Kashmir is the new success story of the valley. All sectors of Kashmir’s economy are flourishing with the high inflow of tourism. MP Mehdi has given a new twist to the tourism story. “In my eyes, this is not tourism. This is a cultural invasion – by purpose and by design,” he said in a recent interview.
It is true that there are fears in Kashmir regarding the sociological impact of over-tourism. But framing it as a deliberate cultural onslaught and deliberate cultural aggression is new articulation for Kashmir.
There is agreement on MP Mehdi’s point that tourism should not hurt the environment or the society. Tourists should respect local values and culture.
Simultaneously, there are concerns in Kashmir that this articulation has the potential to have a negative impact on a section of the radicalised youths in Kashmir. There are fears that a section of the youths may misinterpret the messages of MP Mehdi, which in turn may cause disaffection in Kashmir against the Indian state.
MP Mehdi is becoming a bigger brand with every passing day. One of the ways of achieving political stardom is to keep the people alarmed and assure them of leading them to safety. Is this the template at work here? Time shall tell.
Zahoor Ahmad is the Deputy Director, Center for Kashmir Analysis and Research (C-KAR)
(Got a fresh perspective? C-KAR invites original articles and opinion pieces that haven’t been published elsewhere. Send your submissions to deputydirector@c-kar.com)