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| Does Sagar now question finality of state's accession to India? | | | early times report
Jammu, Oct 10: Following the footsteps of independent MLA, Engineer Rashid, senior NC leader and state law and rural development minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar has joined the chorus by saying that Kashmir is a dispute accepted by both India and Pakistan.
Strange, such a statement should come from somebody who holds the law and rural development portfolio in the state cabinet and somebody who is a senior member of the ruling NC. The minister has sworn allegiance to the constitution of the country and the constitution of the state according to both of which the state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. The NC's founder late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah after his return to mainstream politics in 1975 declared the finality of the state's accession to India.
For political reasons the politicians of the state have of late been touching highly sensitive issues which concern the integrity and sovereignty of India. These are something on which there can be no compromise or revisiting. It only helps strengthen the separatist forces in the state when a sitting legislator and minister asserts that Kashmir is a dispute. It might be a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan because the Parliament of the country has passed a unanimous resolution stating that the parts of the state under the occupation of Pakistan are in fact parts of India under illegal occupation of the neighbouring country.
If some Valley centric politicians believe they would be improving their political fortunes by joining the chorus with the separatists then it would be better for their political prosperity to join the ranks of the separatists.
Taking the common man for a ride by touching issues which do not concern his day to day survival can cost the politicians dearly especially those who are in power in the state. What is most surprising is that the politicians of the Congress party with whose support and participation the coalition government exists in the state should have remained silent on such a sensitive issue.
The Congress party might have internal compulsions to remain silent when its allies in the NC issue controversial statements, but the people within and outside the state are watching carefully the developments. In the days to come both the Congress and the NC would have to undertake some serious damage control to undo the damage done to their image by the type of statements the NC leader has made recently.
For someone who swore allegiance to the country's constitution and the finality of the state's accession to India making irresponsible statements could cost dearly. What does Mr. Sagar mean by saying that India and Pakistan have accepted that Kashmir is a dispute? Does this mean the party to which he belongs questions the integrity of the country by disputing the state's accession to India? An explanation will have to be tendered sooner or later.
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