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| Autonomy, for regions first please | | |
SANT KUMAR SHARMA
Jammu, Jan 13: The state of Jammu & Kashmir is a mosaic of diversities in its regions, groups and communities. Protection of minorities and regional interests is a prime duty. Mindful of this fact, the government of the state appointed, simultaneously with the State Autonomy Committee (SAC), a committee on regional autonomy.
The above paragraph is an extract from the 253-page report of the SAC which it submitted to the state legislature in June 2000. This makes it clear that the need for granting autonomy to the disparate regions was admitted by the SAC itself.
Despite this, the National Conference (NC), which has been demanding autonomy for the state, has done virtually nothing to grant autonomy to the regions. Originally, the regional autonomy committee (RAC) was headed by noted journalist Balraj Puri.
Mr Puri’s appointment had raised hopes in Jammu and Ladakh regions but he was later replaced. The RAC, sans Puri, did submit a report for the autonomy of the regions but not much has been heard about it ever since.
Minus Mr Puri, nobody believed that the RAC would come out with anything substantial for the regions, particularly Jammu and Ladakh. These apprehensions were proved true as autonomy for regions is truly not a priority for the NC.
In Jammu and Ladakh regions, the feeling that these two regions are fiefs or satellites of Kashmir-based politicians are fairly widespread. The grant of autonomy to regions would have redressed the real (or imaginary as NC claims) grievances of the two regions.
In retrospect, the constitution of the RAC and consigning its recommendations to a remote corner appear to be aimed at hoodwinking the people of Jammu and Ladakh. If indeed the NC was keen to grant parity to regions, it could have pursued the agenda of regional autonomy more vigorously.
The NC has been assiduously pursuing the ``more autonomy for state’’ agenda for a long time. What it wants is decentralised governance, more powers from the Centre for the state government and argues openly that this is a desirable thing.
It wants the Centre to allow it (the state government) maximum autonomy and not ask too many questions on day to day governance. It also wants the Centre to adopt a hands off approach in governance of the state.
It says the state would continue to be a constituent unit of the Union (of India) but the Centre should have very little, if anything, to do with it on a daily basis.
Its pursuit has often been dubbed as pandering to secessionism by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as also regional players like the Panthers Party of Bhim Singh.
It looks paradoxical when one considers the fact that it is not willing to grant the same amount of autonomy to its regions. The NC’s argument with the Centre is: Give more autonomy to J&K within the Indian Union but no autonomy for the regions of J&K please.
If the party believes that autonomy is indeed a panacea that will cure the ills plaguing J&K, its prescription should hold good for the regions too. The point is that any more autonomy for J&K (than it enjoys now) will be palatable in Jammu and Ladakh only if the same degree of autonomy is granted to these regions as well.
The NC has been arguing for the grant of unbridled autonomy within the Union of India. The Jammu and Ladakh regions would not oppose its demand if only they were to get the same amount of autonomy within the state.
Regional autonomy fulfilling the aspirations of the constituent regions will have to precede, not succeed the grant of more autonomy to the state of J&K. The old adage that charity begins at home will have to be put into practice by the NC on home turf.
It can wage its battle for the grant of more autonomy for J&K from the Centre more effectively if it were to grant the same autonomy to the regions, to begin at the beginning.
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