news details |
|
|
| NC dilutes its stand on autonomy, says would evolve consensus | | Manifesto 2014 | | Neha
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Nov 27: Gone are the days when the Abdullahs would say without mincing words that the National Conference stood for greater autonomy and that it would go to any extent to force New Delhi to withdraw all the central laws and institutions extended to the state after August 9, 1953. After the dismissal and arrest of Sheikh Abdullah on that day, the Government of India with the concurrence of the state Government extended 94 of the 97 entries in the Central List of topics for legislation to Jammu and Kashmir. Not only this, the state was also brought under the ambit of 260 out of 395 Articles of the Constitution of India after August 9, 1953. Besides, the state was also brought under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, Election Commission and Auditor and Accountant General.
The NC had all through described these extensions as deliberate attempts to erode the state separate status and integrate the state politically and constitutionally into India. It always held these extensions responsible for the "alienation" of Kashmiri Muslims from India. In 1999, the NC led Government had even adopted a resolution seeking autonomy from India, but the Government of Vajpayee threw the nasty resolution into the dustbin. That was the time when Omar Abdullah was a minister in the NDA Government. The NC didn't come out of the NDA Government despite the fact that the BJP-led NDA Government had not given any importance to the autonomy resolution and snubbed it by rejecting the divisive resolution and break-India resolution.
The NC of today is not the same as it was in the 1990s. It has become weak. Its strength in the assembly between 2002 and till date remained static: 28 members in the 87-member House. Besides, it suffered an ignominious defeat in the Lok Sabha election and lost all the three seats it contested to the PDP, its arch-political rival. The nature of the NC defeat could be determined from the fact that even party president and then Union Minister and Omar Abdullah's father Farooq Abdullah also lost his election and lost very badly. Significantly, the NC lost all the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir, which was considered its stronghold. The NC did not contest Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Ladakh and it was a proof that the party owners had admitted that their party was not a regional, but a sub-regional, party. Besides, its insignificant presence in Jammu and Ladakh and humiliating defeat in Kashmir valley weakened its position to the extent that it couldn't speak for the entire state.
That the NC has lost its moorings and that it has also lost its confidence could be seen from its election manifesto, which was released on Wednesday by party general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar and other party leaders in Srinagar. The manifesto did talk about autonomy, but in a diluted form. It said it would evolve consensus on its demand seeking autonomy from India. "NC has always maintained that restoration of autonomy was the only viable solution to the Kashmir problem. The party shall strive with renewed vigour to build a consensus in the country on this matter and remind the Government of India about the resolution of the state assembly in this behalf which requires their urgent consideration," the manifesto said.
The very fact that it talked about consensus was an admission that the NC is striving to achieve something which is not acceptable to Jammu and Ladakh and the Indian nation as a whole. It may put in any amount of efforts to achieve its sinister objective, but all its efforts are doomed to a mischievous failure. As for the nation, less said the better. Suffice to say that the nation, like the Government of India of Vajpayee, will reject with contempt the NC's demand for autonomy. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
