EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu/New Delhi, Oct 26 : J&K Accession and Merger Day was observed with great spirits and enthusiasm by several political and social organizations at India International Centre, New Delhi today, stated NPP spokesperson here today from New Delhi. The press statement issue from New Delhi stated that former Professor Sushil Kumar of Jawahar lal Nehru University (JNU) presided over the function while Prof Bhim Singh attended the occasion as Chief Guest. In his address chief guest Prof Bhim Singh made historic revelations on the legality of Accession followed by the merger of J&K. Prof Singh said that those people who have been shouting loud to please their foreign masters expressing doubt about the merger of J&K with the rest of the country have been misleading the nation. He said that Article 370 was enacted only to tame Maharaja Hari Singh as the Head of the State. "The Constituent Assembly of J&K in a resolution terminated the Monarchy thus removing Maharaja Hari Singh as the Head of the State on 20th August, 1952. With this Act the temporary provisions of Article 370 became infructuous. These provisions have been on the constitutional ventilator since 1952 as it suited both the major national parties to keep the ghost of Article 370 alive, he stated. "J&K acceded to the Union of India in 1947. Maharaja Hari Singh of J&K signed the Instrument of Accession on 26th October, 1947, 66 years ago in the presence of V P Menon at Amar Singh Palace, Jammu, Prof Singh said, adding, "Dr Karan Singh is the sole surviving witness to this historic event." Criticizing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his remarks on the floors of the Legislative Assembly 'J&K acceded to the Union of India but J&K never merged' Prof Singh added that today I would like to remind the great countrymen, thinkers, parliamentarians and experts in the Constitution that J&K forms as good part of the Union as is the case with Rajasthan, West Bengal, Bihar, Hyderabad, Himachal Pradesh or any other state." He concluded, " Let us resolve this day that India is one from Ladakh-Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Composite culture is the beauty of our nation. Let us make it clear that we are Indians first and Indians last." Prominent among who addressed the distinguished audience included Prof Sushil Kumar, Dr Raghubir Singh Shekhawat, Pramod Kumar Gupta, Social Activist, Attar Singh, Advocate, Supreme Court, Dr Manas Banerjee, Journalist, Sunil Pokhriyal, Social Activist, Ms. Renu Sharma, Kali Ram Tomar, Convenor, Bhartiya Samata Samaj, Rajiv Jolly Khosla, Working President-DPNPP, Sushil Khanna, Convenor Bhim Brigade, S. Sukhwinder Singh Siddhu, Trade Unionist, Ms. Nasreen Hamid, Journalist/Social Activist, Mrs. Sudesh Dogra, Political Secretary, Faiz Khan, a Descent of Martyr Asfaqullah Khan who moderated the discussion. In the end a resolution was also passed unanimously that the only dispute vis-à-vis Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan is the liberation of entire 33000 sq. miles of territory from Pakistani occupation. It also endorsed the view-point of Prof Bhim Singh that J&K was merged with the Union of India in 1952 following the termination of Monarchy besides endorsing the proposition that Article 370 of the Indian Constitution has become infructuous and has no relevance at all. |
