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| Why not NC and PDP head for forging together in Greater Autonomy and Self Rule ? | | A Look through he mist | |
By *Daya Sagar
Kashmiri leaders will keep on saying that India and Pakistan should settle the Kashmir ( J&K) affairs with due participation of Kashmiries { separatists should also be heard }. Though they keep their priority only on Kashmir Valley, they also talk of some solution for governance taking the people of all the regions of J&K in confidence. What to negotiate, what to demand , what to revive , are the questions that no expert of Kashmir affairs have been able to explain. But ,on the face of it no seriousness is in sight { to turmoil in J and K }. Return of even migrants back to Kashmir Valley appears having been forgotton .Even the beneficiaries of the packages drawn at the cost of common tax payer are not that serious.
Where are we looking for a solution to Jammu and Kashmir turmoil. In commonly understood terms say Kashmir turmoil. Even in pre 1947 times Jammu and Kashmir State was addressed as Kashmir State. Though National Conference held firm to 1947 accession of J&K with India, NC still held reservations regarding the Center State relations. Mirza Afzal Baig had lead the Plebiscite Front that was later practically disbanded after 1975 Indira Sheikh Accord. The way {i} Kashmir (J&K) affairs had been handled over the years and {ii} the way mass migration of Kashmiri Hindu had taken place from Kashmir Valley have disturbed many thinking minds. Such like state of affairs also made the local mindset of the Kashmiri people in Valley move some distance away from oneness with India. More doubts and confusions had taken birth. Not much efforts have been made over the years by New Delhi and Congress in Kashmir valley to check the separatist { and Pak Sponsored } view points lay more impressions in the minds of new generation. National Conference had already passed a Greater Autonomy Resolution in 1994 and later on NC had got a resolution on similar lines passed by J&K Assembly in 2000. Some termed the NC’s Greater autonomy as moving to pre 1953 position { before the arrest of Sheikh Abdullah August 1953 } . National Conference did not directly say so but it was surely some thing like that. Under the circumstances the separatist ideology and those who talked of referendum or plebiscite did not have much opposition to face { particularly after 1989}. National Conference cadres too did not work in the masses to promote sadbhawna for New Delhi. Yes Dr. Farooq Abdullah has been the tallest advocator of the 1947 accession of Kashmir with India.
In Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Mohd Sayeed’s Peoples Democratic Party has the first rival in National Conference. So Mufti Mohd Sayeed had to come up before Kashmiri people with some thing that looked different or more than the Greater Autonomy of National Conference. PDP came up with Self Rule demand. Mufti Mohd Sayeed I did not outrightly reject those who painted his Self Rule as an idea from Pakistan President Parvez Musharraf. New Delhi kept on sharing power with PDP in J&K from 2005 to 2008. It was here that PDP played its trump card when it suggested that (i) the currencies of both India and Pakistan should be used in J&K and POK (ii) there should be common control of Indian and Pakistan on certain subjects as would pertain to J&K and POK. The suggestions did raise controversies. But in Kashmir Valley PDP did succeed in sentimentally exploiting the Kashmiri masses. PDP did succeed in its approach and 2008 assembly elections proved PDP tough on both Congress and NC.
PDP well knows hearts that it can dare adopt anti accession approach . Norr can it afford to join the separatist ranks. It had to remain loyal to Indian Constitution for enjoying power rides. So PDP did not refute accession in plain words . It asked some thing like joint control of India and Pakistan over J&K . PDP well knows that it was a vague dream as long as 1947 accession of India is not nullified.
Mufti Mohd Sayeed has surely set some firm roots in Kashmir. PDP has now understood {1} that to remain in the political race and {2 } to lay hands on the seat of governance it has to make its stand on the 1947 Accession of J&K with India clear { so that New Delhi’s sword does not fall on its head }. So it is for the first time that Mehbooba Mufti has defined the PDP Self Rule with in the scope of 1947 Instrument of Accession and the Constitution of India. To the people of J&K ( Kashmir Valley in particular ) PDP has introduced Self Rule as more a personal rule of Kashmiries than the Greater autonomy of National Conference.
Some even allege that PDP has sufficiently succeeded in exploiting the sentiments / emotions of innocent Kashmiri around Pakistan/ Two Nation theory. PDP has even succeeded in setting some working roots in Jammu region .So now PDP can afford to work on a broader platform. Mehbooba Mufti is there to compete with Omar Abdullah who too is playing soft on the separatists.
The Mehbooba Mufti has changed tracks to retain the goodwill of the common Kashmiri masses as well as New Delhi. PDP leadership also wants to remain at the international scene not much behind the separatists by playing tunes in the name of settlement of Kashmir dispute. UK and US would always be available for nods pretending as neutral peace players. PDP does not want to lose Delhi and has so far also succeeded in handling the Kashmiri masses emotionally.
It was on 9th July that Peoples Democratic Party in a special meeting presided over by Mehbooba Mufti said that PDP Self Rule flows through Article 370 and Instrument of Accession. The spirit of Self Rule document was explained in the party meeting by Muzaffar Hussain Baig who said {1} “Self rule was provided to the State in Instrument of Accession but later on it was snatched and taken back from Jammu Kashmir by the Government of India , {ii} “ PDP now wants it to be back” , {iii} “even the sovereignty of the State was maintained in Delhi agreement signed between Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and GoI “. It was agreed upon that the controversial Article 356 of Indian Constitution won’t be applicable to JK { by which New Delhi has the powers to dismiss an elected State government}, {iv} “PDP wants Article 249 of Indian Constitution be amended { by which New-Delhi can legislate on JK }”. {vi} PDP also wants Article 357 be deleted by which New Delhi has powers to make legislation in place of State legislature”, {vii} “by a constitutional order-101 signed on 30 July 1975 by Sheikh Abdullah, Article 368 Clause 4 was made applicable to J&K and according to it JK had no authority to change the powers or privileges of Governor.”, {vii} “NC themselves surrendered the authority to the GoI to legislate on State and now they are demanding autonomy”, {viii} Article 312 dealing with ‘All India Services’ need be rolled back in the State “,. {iX] We want State’s share should be around 70 to 80 percent { in central services } , {x} “ UnderSelf Rule, party wants the word ‘temporary’ written along with the Article 370 deleted, {xi} at that time it was envisioned that the final decision regarding accession has to be reached by the State Constituent Assembly. Later on Constituent Assembly ratified Instrument of Accession, so now there is no need to have the word ‘temporary’ along with Article 370.It is realistic if we ask amendment or roll back of a minimum number of constitutional measures from the Government of India, and {xii } ” In its Autonomy report, NC sought rollback of article 155 and suspension of Fundamental Rights in JK. It would have been madness to accept such demands from the NC “,
Same day while talking to newsmen Baig said: “Self Rule addresses the problem of JK in four different dimensions, which includes New Delhi-State relations; relations between the two divided parts of JK, resource sharing including trade, transport and other issues; relations between Pakistan and PaK and Inter-regional and sub-regional issues”. So now PDP has accepted 1947 accession in total and any otherwise views if addressed by PDP would be only compulsions as rest in Kashmir policy.
PDP is very nearly echoing what NC has been demanding . National Conference did ask for Greater Autonomy but never went for a mass movement to attain the same taking refuse under the plea that it did not want to infuriate the local environment in J&K. NC did not do much of work to carry the message of greater autonomy to ground level masses { particularly in Jammu and Ladakh Regions}. The same has been the case with the Self Rule of PDP.
To make it more agitating for the people, particularly in Kashmir Valley, PDP did talk of {i} use of Indo Pak currencies and {ii} dual Indo Pak control on some local matters pertaining to J&K and Pak held part of J&K. PDP well knows that this would not fit in the frame 1947 accession. But surely it did create some extra pressures on NC in Kashmir valley.
Now PDP has started comparing its self rule with Greater Autonomy of NC and has also accepted the 1947 Accession of J&K with India like NC. People in Kashmir valley are so simple to understand the technicalities and rhetoric. The mild separatist ideologies too would be carried by PDP as have been carried by NC in the name of Kashmiriat, erosion of autonomy, 1952 Delhi Agreement, 1975 Indira Sheikh accord and 1987 Rajiv Farooq Accord. Kashmiries have seen even Farooq (Abdullah) &. ( 0mar ) Farooq accord without not much surprise.
Why do not PDP and NC come together and come out with an “alloy” of Greater Autonomy and Self Rule with in the provisions of Article 370 of Indian Constitution? May be one day they will be forced by the common man { to end his sufferings } to forge together this way.
( Daya Sagar is social activist and leading scribe on Kashmir affairs)
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