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| Anti-Karan Singh campaign in the Valley | | WP Refugee issue | |
Neha
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 13: Senior Congress leader and former Sadar-e-Riyasat of J&K Karan Singh is under fire in the Kashmir Valley. The reason is that he had championed the cause of the hapless and persecuted refugees from West Pakistan with a view to changing the demography of the state. Only the other day, a prominent Kashmiri attacked Karan Singh and accused him of pursuing an anti-Kashmiri agenda.
"Dr. Karan Singh, former Sadar-e-Riyasat and a Congress stalwart, has been perusing this agenda with New Delhi since seventies. His moves became more pronounced after Sheikh Abdullah assumed power post 1975 Indira-Abdullah accord. In a letter to Indira Gandhi dated 7th July 1980, Karan Singh, a patron of West Pakistan Refugee Central Committee of J&K, vehemently pleaded their case for full citizenship status, including voting rights to these refugees. He even suggested an amendment to State Constitution to achieve the nefarious objective In March 1981, he organized a march of these refugees towards Pakistan border to put pressure on the state government headed by Abdullah. However, Abdullah resisted New Delhi's persistent moves in this regard and in an interview published in all national dailies of 31st March 1981, he categorically refused to oblige New Delhi on this issue which created uproar in Indian Parliament. Speaking on the subject through a calling attention motion in Parliament, Karan Singh denounced Abdullah for his rigid attitude," he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Karan Singh has all along held the view that the refugees from West Pakistan deserved a special attention, as they do not exercise citizenship rights in the state and as they have been leading a miserable life in the state despite the fact that they are Indian nationals. It is a different story that he, like many others, couldn't succeed because of tough opposition in Kashmir from some vested interests and communal forces in the Valley. It is also important to note that Karan Singh has not spoken a word on these refugees since years now, but the communal forces in the valley continue to attack him for the good and positive role that he played in the 70s and 80s.
It would not be out of place to mention here that the Financial Commissioner GD Wadhwa Committee, which was constituted in 2007, had recommended grant of citizenship and voting rights to these refugees, but no action has been taken on the report, which was never made public. The Supreme Court of India, too, has in the 80s urged governments to amend certain rules so that these refugees also enjoyed all the rights like all other citizens of J&K. It is unfortunate that the vested interests in Kashmir, instead of appreciating the West Pakistan refugee issue, are targeting Karan Singh and others who want these refugees to lead a dignified life in the state. |
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