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| Working Group on Center-State Relations must complete deliberations | | | DAYA SAGAR
J&K affairs have become a free for all subject. But now the approach has to be practical .Goal Posts have to be narrowed down. Fields can not be kept wide open for ever. Otherwise it will be a never ending process of stripping the innocent naked, slitting the throats, chopping off the ears and nose, draining the hard earned money of the common people of India and J&K .
Mufti Sayeed shared political power in J&K with Congress but the views as expressed by Mufti Sayeed regarding the Kashmir Affairs are at divergence to the national policy of Government of India. What has been the compulsion of GOI to still go with Mufti ‘s PDP has remained a billion dollar question for Man Mohan Singh to answer? The indirect questions raised by Muftiies on the trueness of 1947 accession of J&K with India are of no less dimensions than the challenges thrown by the separatist leaders . Mufti Mohd Sayeed has demanded for the use of currencies of India and Pakistan in J&K only. Demand has not been for use of dual currencies in whole of India and Pakistan. The impressions that such utterances give to the world community are that there are valid reasons for Pakistan and separatist leaders to question the accession of J&K with India. People like Moulvi Farooq, Mehbooba Mufti and Yasin Malik have been discussing even foreign affairs of India with the Pakistani leaders during their visits to Pakistan after November 2007.
Enough time has been lost in appointing committees and groups for identifying treating the agonies of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. So much so that Round Table Conferences have been held on the disturbances and requirements in J&K. The over ground separatist leaders like Omar Farooq, Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani, Yasin Malik, Prof Ghani Bhat ,Shabir Shah did not except even the invitation of Prime Minister of India for participation in the Round Table Conferences. National Conference , PDP, BJP and other regional leaders did participate. During the Indian Independence Movement the British held RTCs and where even Mahatama Gandhi participated. Who advised Man Mohan Singh to name such meetings as ROUND TABLE CONFERENCES need be questioned. These RTCs could not do any good to the Indian cause but have surely made some contributions to make the Kashmir turmoil an issue for the international community to take notice of. Five working groups were constituted as decided by Man Mohan Singh in the Round Table Conference held at Srinagar on 24 and 25 May 2006. Reports of 4 working groups on J&K were presented in the 3rd Round Table Conference with prime Minister in Chair on 24th April 2007 at New Delhi.
A two day meeting of 5th working group ( on strengthening of Centre State relations ) was held at New Delhi from 2nd to 3rd Sept 2007. The group had last met at New Delhi on 28 March 07. But the report by this, the most important working group ,has not been submitted till date.. No questions of significance have been raised by Kashmiri leaders ( including separatist leaders ) as regards the status of action taken on recommendations of 4 out of 5 working groups . PDP did question for not implementing some commitments as regards security related issues .. Ofcourse some Kashmiri migrants , POK DPs, West Pakistan Refugees and 1965/ 1971 displaced/ refugees did make protests for government having not met their demands as discussed in the working groups/ RTCs. The separatist have not shown any interest in the recommendations / reports of the groups. One of the sure outcome of RTCs and WG s was that crores had been spent directly or indirectly on the RTCs and WGs out of the so deficit government exchequer.
Of course in view the forth coming October/ November r elections to J&K legislative assembly Congress and PDP did make some unsuccessful attempts to draw some political benefits in the name of working group recommendations .
Looking at the requirements of turmoil hit State of J&K the most important of the working groups was that on the center state relations ( Fifth Working Group (WG) headed by Justice (Retd) Sageer Ahmed with sensitive agenda of autonomy, self rule, article 370, issues of refugees and problems of backward areas etc ) National Conference and PDP did talk of Greater Autonomy as well as Self Rule at these forums. National Conference has prepared a draft of Greater Autonomy. J&K Legislative Assembly has also passed a resolution in 2000 accepting the Autonomy committee report. PDP should have been asked to spell out in clear terms what it meant by self rule. It was also an opportunity for PDP to clear the allegations that PDP was pursuing the agenda of Pakistan. President Parvez Musharraf. But even these issues were not taken up seriously by the concerned working group as well as in the RTCs. Of course PDP did come out with a document on its self rule in November this year but it was simply to indirectly promote its separatist agenda in the guise of a mainstream party with campaign for elections in mind, particularly in Kashmir valley.
Examining National Conference’s Greater Autonomy / J&K Assembly Autonomy Resolution and PDP self rule did not need any participation of Pakistan. Nor did these issues need any participation of separatist elements. Government of India should have seized the opportunity to atleast settle these subjects. National Conference and PDP could have been given the verdict on the subject to shelve the issues or accept the same with some modification . Ofcourse the participation of other parties and groups for settlement of these demands too was to be ensured. This way one time settlement with two Kashmir centric parties who claim that they are otherwise for trueness of 1947 accession could be have been made. Why are the findings of the WG on center state relations kept close to the chest ? Or it is also feared that the concerned working group has not been able to make any recommendation.
Article 370 so often comes in the news. Recently Bhim Singh has been making some statements regarding recasting of Article 370. What ever he has been saying surely did not suggest its abrogation. He has suggested constitution of 3 Legislative assemblies for three regions of J&K by amending article 370. He too has not called for carving out three states out of J&K as it happened for UP, Bihar or MP.
BJP has been advocating for abrogation of Article 370. Constitutionally it can be abrogated by the Parliament of India .So far , looking at their reactions and suggestions ,all most all political parties in India except BJP and Shiv Sena could be taken in favour of retention of Article 370 in Constitution of India . Hence the Majority of the representatives of Indian people in the Parliament are for retention . Congress Party had heavy majority in the Parliament in !980s but did not touch this issue so called temporary article .So Congress too is not for abrogation of article 370.
Some leadership in J&K have been suggesting trifurcation of J&K into Jammu State, Kashmir State and Union Territory of Ladakh. BJP in the past has been demanding Regional Councils . As per the indications BJP has no objection to trifurcation of J&K in to two states and one union territory. Kashmir centric parties have advocated for keeping the interests of Kashmir valley at level one.
The settlement of disputes raised by Pakistan over J&K appear no way possible in the near future. Even if India wants to work with some give and take approach Pakistan can not afford to close the dispute on Kashmir. Pakistan is passing through worst of the situations it ever had. The separatists and those who are part of J&K Hurriyat Conference too can not afford any settlement with in the Indian Constitution .If they do so they will be lost in the dust. So they can not help settling the flares.
No participation of Pakistan is needed in issues like Farooq’s Greater Autonomy, reorganization of J&K and terming the acts of some separatists as treason. Over the years J&K affairs have been made a dispute out of no dispute. Constitutional and political compromises may have to be now made. Why not to make local settlements with the Kashmir Centric Parties like National Conference, J&K PDP, J&KDP, BJP, Jammu State Morcha and Ladakh United Forum. If some solution is drawn it would plug many holes and provide some stability . This would strengthen efforts to corner the separatist elements . And above all many leaders would get exposed of their being not serious to the cause of the common man and welfare of Kashmir Valley or Jammu Region or Ladakh Region.
N. N. Vohra,J&K Governor has enjoyed the confidence of Atal Behari Vajpayee and Man Mohan Singh. He has had enough of peep into the veins of J&K .He could take a lead and New Delhi could make use of his experience, commitment and courage. Rather the work of 5th working group could be assigned to Mr. Vohra. Otherwise separatists would keep on using election campaigns in Kashmir valley for cultivating separatist ideas and frustrating Indians like Farooq Abdullah.
Ball will have to be kicked at the highest levels. Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani is said to have called upon GOI to repeal February 1994 Resolution of Parliament of India on liberation of POK as a precondition to talks. If not for Geelani’s Hurriyat, surely for Indo Pak talks the February 1994 resolution will have to be voted out first in case any talks regarding realignment of Territories of pre 1947 J&K for a democratic settlement ( without bullet) are to be held with Pakistan by GOI. It can not be so simply ignored that Pakistan has always named Kashmir issue as the core issue for talks. Pakistan and separatist elements too can not overlook the technicalities of 1947 Accession with India.
( Daya Sagar is leading scribe on Kashmir affairs [email protected] ) |
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