Early Times Report
JAMMU, Nov 1: Kashmir's premier religio-political organization, NC, doesn't appreciate anything Indian except Indian rupees. This became clear from NC vice-president Omar Abdullah's latest statement made in Mumbai during an event organized by the United States Consulate. He said the root of the Kashmir problem lay in its troubled politics and it could not be solved without a political engagement.
"The erosion of Jammu & Kashmir's autonomy, which was granted to the State at the time of its accession to the Indian Union, made its people angry," Omar Abdullah said, adding that if New Delhi wished to end anger in Kashmir, it had to respect the conditions as laid embodied in the October 26, 1947 Instrument of Accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh.
Jammu & Kashmir was different from other parts of India and "we need to recognise that," he said, adding that Abdullah said on August 14 and 15, 1947, not two but three nations emerged -- India, Pakistan and Jammu Kashmir, whose ruler refused to merge with either India or Pakistan. He conveniently chose to overlook the fact that not only Jammu & Kashmir, but a few other princely states also had not acceded to India on or before August 15, 1947. For example, Hyderabad and Jodhpur became part of the Indian Dominion only after August 15.
Omar Abdullah not only misled the audience by saying but he said about the state's independent status, but also suppressed the fact that the Instrument of Accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh was similar to the one signed by 560-odd other princely states. It was prepared by the State Department (Home Ministry) of India. And it is a hard fact, which no one contest.
Former Chief Minister Abdullah crossed all the lines when he sought to tell the audience that the Instrument of Accession signed by the Maharaja had limited the jurisdiction of Indian over Jammu & Kashmir to four subjects - defence, foreign affairs, communication and currency.
"Tribal invaders accompanied by regular Pakistani Army invaded a part of my state, continue to occupy it even today and perhaps in some way, Jammu & Kashmir's destiny was written there. Even after becoming part of India, the state 'held on to its distinct identity. The Union was to be responsible only for currency, communication, defence and foreign affairs, and everything else was the domain of the state," he said.
The Instrument of Accession nowhere talked about currency. It only talked three subjects -- communication, defence and foreign affairs. But it has become customary with Kashmiri leaders to interpret things or describe things which suit their own requirements.
The worst part of the whole situation is that New Delhi allows them to go scot-free as it because it hardly counters the Kashmiri misinformation campaign. And here lies the whole problem. |
