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| Instead of autonomy Omar must seek power projects | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 31: The infamous Indus Water Treaty is under attack yet again. This time the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah criticized it while addressing the core group of power ministers last week. Omar knows IWT cannot be amended not to speak of its abrogation. There is no exit clause in the IWT and, therefore, seeking its abrogation is as good as seeking Azadi.
For New Delhi, granting autonomy to the state is easy. It is between State and New Delhi. But when an amendment is sought in the IWT, it ceases to be an internal affair. Omar is right when he says the state has suffered huge loses because of the infamous treaty. But what is the alternative?
Honouring the IWT has become a compulsion for New Delhi. In any case, legally speaking, it is virtually impossible for India to abrogate the treaty. Article XII (4) states that 'provisions of this treaty shall continue in force until terminated by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two Governments.' This is the reason India did not seek unilateral abrogation of the treaty in the wars of 1965, 1971 and 1999; therefore, India is not likely to consider abrogation in the event of any future war as well.
Omar's repeated requests for transfer of power projects to the state have been turned down the recommendations of the Rangarajan Committee notwithstanding. This reflects the influence he exercises in New Delhi.
Reports suggest that the union Power Ministry has repeatedly urged the state government not to insist on transfer of the power projects. Omar has been told such demands will encourage other states to come forward with similar demands.
Seeking abrogation of the IWT is too big a task for Omar Abdullah or any other politician for that matter. The problem with the politicians is that they raise issues which they should not raise. Had the successive governments raised the issue of transfer of some of the power projects to the state, the situation today would have been different. Former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah sought transfer of Salal Project but when he was told to behave like a `good boy' he forgot the issue for obvious reasons. Omar has not played his cards well, believe knowledgeable people. Instead of seeking autonomy, he should have taken the people of state into confidence and sought transfer of the power projects in strong words. "Nobody in Jammu needs autonomy. Ladakah is happy with what it has been given. Kashmiris hate the word autonomy. But people in Ladakh, Jammu and Valley need power", they said.
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