| Is Muzaffar Beigh trying to swim with the tide? | | For him Gupkar Declaration was dead, so was Article 370 | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 23: A typical example of swimming with the tide was seen on Sunday when the PDP patron, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, who all of a sudden has come out of the hibernation and supported the Gupkar declaration.
Beigh after remaining away from the public gaze for months together is out in the open again, demanding restoration of Article 370. His wife who is also PDP’s women wing President said in a statement on Sunday that her husband had right from the beginning stressed for a joint and unified efforts to deal with the situation that arose out of the controversial August 5 decision and supporting the Gupkar declaration that was signed by the political parties on August 4, last year.
However, little is this fact being explored that Muzaffar Hussain Beigh who now is stressing for the restoration of the special status was first amongst the Kashmir centric politicians who stated that it was time to look beyond the Article 370. “The current situation is that Article 370 and Article 35A, safeguarding land and jobs, do not exist. The issue is before the Supreme Court. If the final judgment is in favour of the Centre, then we need to come up with practical solutions, taking into account all religious, regional and linguistic groups. So that there will be some degree of safety achieved, dignity and reinstatement in their own eyes. The North-East in fact has a special provision under Article 371, which gives protection on land and jobs somewhat like Article 35A. The same benefit should be extended to J&K. Besides, the sooner the better for statehood to be restored in J&K. In a Union Territory (UT), most powers rests with the Centre and the Lt Governor, who may or may not consult the Council of Ministers to take the decisions. A UT offers a disempowered structure for the elected representatives to take decision on economic, employment, social and development issues. We have to be unanimous in our demands,” he had said in an interview on January 30, this year to a newspaper based in south India.
He had this to say on Gupkar declaration at that time: “The Gupkar declaration was overtaken by the events thereafter. The declaration perhaps did not reach the Prime Minister’s Office. Now, it all depends on the Supreme Court and its final verdict on Article 370 and Article 35A.”
Now, when NC and other political groups have joined hands, has Beigh felt left out and is now trying to milk the situation? Time alone will answer this tricky question. |
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