Amit Shah on Sunday held up an analogy on Kashmir that gave a peek into how the Union home minister's eyes view the state and the restrictions now imposed on it.

Shah was in Chennai to release a book, Listening, Learning and Leading, on Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu when he spoke about 'dard (pain)' in the eye to explain a point on Kashmir. He said that once a communist professor asked Naidu, then a BJP leader: 'Have you ever seen Kashmir? Then why are you agitating on Kashmir?'

The BJP has always been oppoed to the special status granted to the state.

Shah said: 'Naiduji quickly said, 'has one eye seen the other eye?'' The home minister smiled as he relayed the quip.

Looking pleased, he continued: 'Naiduji told the professor 'lekin ek aankh ko dard hota hai, toh doosri aakh ko turant pata chalta hai (when one eye is in pain, the other eye immediately feels it).'

Although, Shah did not specifically mention the abrogation of special powers to Jammu and Kashmir, Article 370 or the lockdown, it is tempting to test the analogy of 'dard in one eye' in today's situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of India.

From the time Shah brought the resolution in the Rajya Sabha scrapping Jammu and Kashmir's special powers, there have been celebrations in several parts of the country on the move. Few questions were raised on how the move was imposed on Kashmiris without consulting them. Criticism on the abrogation of the special powers and the lockdown came only from Left-of-centre figures, political parties in Kashmir and voices in the media who are known speakers for Kashmiri rights.

Not even all Opposition leaders are on the same page regarding the scrapping of the special powers and the administrative and legislative process used while implementing it.

Shah today said that he had no doubt in his mind that the removal of the special status to Jammu and Kashmir was necessary. 'Desh ka bhala nahin huwa. Kashmir ka bhala nahin huwa (Neither did the country benefit, nor did Kashmir),' he said. 'Main nishchit roop se maanta hoon ke dhara 370 hatne ke baad, Kashmir mein aatankvaad ki samaapti hogi (I believe that now militancy will end in Kashmir),' he said. 'Kashmir will move on the path of progress.'

Written with PTI inputs