news details |
|
|
| PDP's self-rule cat is out of bag | | editorial | |
PDP's self-rule cat is now out of bag. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has
himself spilled the beans and come out in his true colours. His
assertion on the eve of his leaving for New York that by the self-rule
they mean the rule which existed in Kashmir during the regime of 14th
century king, Yousaf Shah Chak has betrayed the communal mindset of
Mufti and other top party leader of PDP, who want to setup a
theocratic Islamic state in Kashmir. His reference to the rule of
Yousaf Shah Chak has touched the hornet's nest. Yousaf Shah Chak's
rule over Kashmir in the 14th century, according to the students of
history, was the worst period in the history of Kashmir, when the
ruler and his cohorts indulged in forcible conversion, on the strength
of sword, not only of Hindus to Islam, but also of Suni Muslims to
Shia sect of Islam. It are not only the BJP, the KPs and Hindu
organization who have sharply reacted to Mufti invoking Yousaf Shah
Chak, but even National Conference and Suni Muslims too have sharply
criticized him on this account. As far the PDP President Mehbooba
Mufti is concerned, she makes no secret of their self-rule purely
meant to perpetuate the hegemony of Kashmiris over other two regions
i.e. Jammu and Ladakh. She has asserted that under the self-rule as
they envisage, the Chief Minister will always be from Kashmir region,
which will have majority of legislators, though Governor as the
elected representative of the people of the state through indirect
elections, with the electoral college comprising members of state
assembly and legislative council, will belong to Jammu and Kashmir
regions by rotation. The concept of the Governor being elected by the
state legislators and not the appointee of the President of India,
read government of India, is a retrogressive step, which can take the
state away from India. While the PDP asserts that its self-rule
concept is within the Indian constitution, the concept of elected
governor is not inconsonance with it. The elected head of the state,
called Sadre Rayasat was replaced by the governor as a nominee of the
Centre, by the state legislature in 1964, so that the Centre could
have some power and checks and balance on the authoritarian
functioning of the state government. The governor, elected by the
legislators will in fact be the choice of the ruling party who will be
in majority in the state assembly and council. He cannot function
independently of the state governor. PDP's argument in governor not
being a nominee of the center, as he can always, on the dictates of
the Centre, dismiss a duly elected state government is myopic and is
not borne by the facts. While Dr. Karan Singh, as Sadara Rahasat,
elected by the state assembly, did dismiss Sheikh Abdullah government
in 1953, B.K. Nehru as governor appointed by the center refused to
oblige the Indian Prime Minister, Indra Gandhi, who wanted to dismiss
Farooq government in 1984. Even Jagmohan, as governor did not exercise
the option to dismiss Farooq government, but had to engineer
defections of MLAs supporting Farooq Abdullah to topple his
government. As far the PDP's concern of center misusing Article 356 of
the Indian Constitution to bring down duly elected state government,
this concern has been shown by almost all other states and is a matter
not only for J&K but for all states in India and particularly those
which are ruled at a time, by the party other than the one ruling the
center. It needs be reviewed at all India level and not in the context
of J&K alone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
