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| Mufti Sayeed's self-rule mission to UN is premature | | |
By:Yash Bhasin
There is an element of mystery over the former J&K Chief Minister and
PDP patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's visit to New York, as head of the
non official Indian delegation to participate in the United Nations
General Assembly session, where, as per Mufti's statement, he will
sell the PDP's self-rule proposal as a viable solution to the Kashmir
problem. More than the confusion in the public mind over the
adventurous mission of Mufti Sayeed at the world body, at the present
stage, the attitude of the Indian government over this mission is
intriguing the public mind. In a subtle move Mufti has sought to
convey an impression of Union government's agreement and even
blessings to him to sell his proposal at the international level. A
few days before leaving for UN, he called on the Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and Chairperson of the ruling UPA and Congress
President, Sonia Gandhi, besides two former Prime Ministers of the
country and some leaders of the Left parties, in Delhi. Obviously, he
would have discussed the agenda he is carrying to the UN, with the PM
and the Congress President. While the Central government is
maintaining a studied silence over the matter, Mufti at a public
meeting in Srinagar, two days before leaving to the United Nation, has
conveyed the impression that the Centre is not only reconciled to his
mission, but has also blessed him. This has sparked off sharp
criticism by the Kashmiri separatists to his mission, who have termed
the same as sponsored by the Indian government to hoodwink the
Kashmiris and divert their attention from the real issue at stake.
While the NC President Omer Abdullah has asked the Prime Minister,
Manmohan Singh to explain the government stand over Mufti going to the
United Nations with an agenda of the separatists, the separatist All
party Hurriyat Conference (moderate faction) too has reacted sharply
to Mufti's suggestion that his self-rule proposal is similar to the
Hurriyat proposal of self governance and is aimed at solution of the
Kashmir issue. Reacting to Mufti's call for the support of Hurriyat
Conference to his mission, Mir Waiz, Omer Farooq has asked Mufti to
quit power before "asking us to join hands with him". On the other
hand, the hard core secessionist leaders and Chief of the rival
faction of Hurriyat Conference, Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani has charged
Mufti of acting on behest of Indian government with the slogan of
self-rule, which is aimed at defusing the on going movement for J&K's
total independence from Indian occupation. Describing the self-rule as
old wine in a new bottle the Hizbul Mujahadin Chief and United Jihad
Council Supremo, Salahuddin has termed the self-rule proposal as
perpetuation of Indian slavery over Kashmiris. He has added that five
lakh Kashmiris have laid down their lives not for obtaining self-rule,
under Indian sovereignty, but for complete freedom from India.
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed carrying the self-rule agenda to the United
Nations at this stage, to say the least, is premature, since it has
hardly any buyers within the state itself, either from the separatists
or the main stream parties. There is no consensus and clarity over the
issue yet even within the state, not to speak of the political opinion
in the country. Even the coalition partners of PDP in the J&K
government, including the major partner, Congress and JKNPP are
strongly opposed to the proposal. The Congress Chief Minister Ghulam
Nabi Azad has, on several occasions, ridiculed the PDP slogan of
self-rule and has described it as aimed at fulfilling the personal
ambitions of the protagonists of this idea and not aimed at empowering
the people at large. Another senior Congress leader and former Deputy
Chief Minister in Mufti government, Mangat Ram Sharma, too has duded
it as a hollow slogan, lacking and substance.
The Jammu based political parties and political thinkers look with
suspicion any proposal coming from PDP, the party which they perceive
to be Kashmir centric and anti Jammu, which has its background in the
three years rule of Mufti in the state. Paradoxically, The PDP itself
is not clear about the broad contours of their self-rule agenda and
different party leaders spell it differently, on different occasions,
laying stress on its variant aspects before the people in different
regions. Further the senior PDP leader and Former Deputy Chief
Minister, Muzafar Hussain Baig, who is credited with drafting the
self-rule proposal and who has been appointed by the party as Chairman
of the committee to prepare discussion paper on self-rule is on record
to have stated at a gathering of some independent opinion builders and
politically awakened individuals at Jammu, on October 17, that no
detailed aspects of the self-rule proposal have been chalked out by
the party and that he has been on the mission to obtain opinions of
various sections of the people in all the three regions of the state
and sub regions under these, to evolve consensus over the detailed
proposal on self-rule.
Under the circumstances, when there is no consensus at home over the
idea, what is the fun of discussing the same at international forum.
Moreover if the self-rule proposal of PDP, as per Mufti Mohammad
Sayeed's own statement, is within the framework of Indian
constitution, where lies the need to discuss at the world body. It is
a matter among the people of Jammu and Kashmir and between the
political leaders in the state and the government of India. Then how
will the separatist and the people in POK and Pakistan going to accept
the formulation, which seeks J&K's solution within the framework of
Indian constitution? In fact the propounders of the idea are
themselves confused and have been conveying confusing notes over their
formula. While on one hand the proposal is claimed to be within the
Indian constitution an in fact an other exercise to review and decide
afresh states constitution relationship with the Indian union, on the
other hand its speaks of the joint overall control of the federal
unions in two parts of Jammu and Kashmir by India and Pakistan.
Coming to the broad points envisaged in the self-rule proposal of the
PDP, some of its points like regional federalism and political and
economic empowerment of the three years of the state, viz Jammu,
Kashmir and Ladakh and under these to sub regions and further
devolution of power at the grass root level is highly attractive and
will be acceptable to the people of Jammu and Ladakh. But will
Kashmiri politicians, who want to perpetuate their hegemony over other
two regions, accept it is a million dollar question. Then Jammu and
Ladakh will not be reconciled with mere regional autonomy, as this
proposal envisages. They seek their further integration with the rest
of the country and will not accept any striking back of the needle of
clock with regard to the constitutional relationship of the state with
the Indian union. Will the two regions or their regional councils or
sub legislatures be free to decide over their relationship with the
rest of the country? The advocates of the self-rule have to explain
this.
The proposal for non application of the Article 356 of Indian
constitution to J&K and the state governor to be elected by the state
legislatures need be thoroughly debated and consensus among the people
in all the three regions over the issue is highly essential.
Similarly the viability and feasibility of the proposal of J&K police
replacing the central paramilitary forces to combat terrorism in the
state at this stage, when terrorism is still at its height, needs be
discussed dispassionately at length. The present strength and the
capability of the state police to undertake the job on its own is
doubtful. Apart from the higher vulnerability of state police,
compared with the central paramilitary forces to the infiltration in
it of the pro secessionist and terrorist friendly elements is more, as
the experience has shown. The present strength of J&K police is not
adequate to undertake this Herculean task it requires at least the
four time more strength of the state police and again the state will
be depended on the Centre for raising many more battalions of the
state police and then equipping them with most sophisticated latest
weapons and impart them the required training to deal with hit and run
and guerrilla war fare. The intelligence network of the police too
shall have to be strengthened and modernized.
As far the proposal of creating free economic zone in two parts of
Kashmir. The same is no doubt an ideal situation, but as the things
stand today it appears an utopian idea. Curbing terrorism and bringing
back peace and normalcy in the trouble state should be the first
priority. All other solutions can follow. Let their be no attempt to
put the cart before the horse.
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