news details |
|
|
| Bhim's straight but very relevant question to Modi | | Article 370 & J&K | | STARK REALITY
Rustam
Jammu, Mar 12: Chief patron of National Panthers Party (JKNPP) Bhim Singh's approach towards Article 370 of the Indian Constitution has all along been consistent. He is a bitter critic of Article 370 under which the solitary State of Jammu and Kashmir enjoys a different status in the Union and has the right to have a separate Constitution and a separate flag. Article 370 has practically created a republic within a republic recognizing Kashmiri Muslims as a race apart and empowered the ruling elite in Kashmir to deprive the people of even those normal civil and political rights which are available to other Indians across the nation.
Article 370 is so discriminatory and irrational that the Indian Parliament, the highest law-making body in the country, cannot enact any Act for Jammu and Kashmir. Laws enacted by the Parliament are automatically applicable to the entire country, barring Jammu and Kashmir, and the man who was responsible for holding the State aloof from national politics was Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, a bitter foe of Maharaja Hari Singh, a nationalist of nationalists. And the nation is paying through its nose ever since the incorporation of this highly obnoxious Article in the Indian Constitution in October 1949.
The JKNPP leader considers Article 370 as the mother of all ills facing the people of the State as well as the country as a whole. He has been demanding an amendment to this archaic, anti-democratic, anti-people and anti-State Article for more than two decades now saying in the abrogation of this Article lies the salvation of the people of the State, including refugees from West Pakistan, all non-Muslims and Muslims themselves. Just on the eve of the budget session of Parliament, Bhim Singh had written a letter to the Indian lawmakers urging them to amend Article 370 in order to bring Jammu & Kashmir at par with other States of the Union so that the people's problems are mitigated.
And on Monday Bhim Singh asked a straight but very relevant question to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who could be the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate for general election 2014, which could take place even earlier. His question was: "Does his 'India First vision' also include Jammu & Kashmir which has a separate Constitution, separate Flag and (which is) outside the legislative jurisdiction of the Parliament of India?" notwithstanding the fact that he endorsed the definition of secularism as contained in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution and asserted that it cannot be amended by anyone, not even by Modi/Modis, still the fact remain that he recognized Modi by asking him if he would include Jammu & Kashmir in his scheme of things. This was quite evident from his statement. Bhim Singh is senior Supreme Court lawyer and he should know that Constitutions are made and unmade taking into consideration the needs of the people and exigencies of the time. He knows it fully well that word secularism was not part of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution: It was incorporated only in 1976 by Indira Gandhi for reasons best known to her. One of the reasons was to pander to communalists for vote-bank politics.
But this is not the main issue. The main issue is the question that he posed to Modi - question that needs to be answered by Modi. A definite answer to the Bhim's question is needed all the more considering the unsatisfactory track record of the BJP, which dropped Article 370 immediately after coming to power in New Delhi in 1996 to appease "pseudo-secular" parties like the Janata Dal (United). It doesn't matter whether Bhim Singh likes the BJP or not. What matters is his stand on Article 370 as well as his desire that the "India First" vision must include Jammu & Kashmir as well so that a parity is established between this border State and all other States of the Union.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
