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| Verghese defends the indefensible, misinterprets the concept of State | | “Kashmir Problem” | |
STARK REALITY
RUSTAM
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 7: Former editor of Indian Express and a commentator B G Veghese, who has written scores of political essays on Jammu and Kashmir – all lop-sided and controversial and all suggesting a differential treatment to Kashmir -- has once again come out with a solution to the vexed Kashmir issue. He is a known votary of an autonomous Jammu and Kashmir, notwithstanding the fact that Jammu and Ladakh are vehemently opposed to such a pernicious idea. He, like all other Delhi-based so-called Kashmir experts, doesn’t consider Jammu and Ladakh relevant. He, like Geelani and others of his ilk, wants Jammu and Ladakh to throw in their lot with Kashmiri leadership, which has already destroyed Jammu and Ladakh politically, culturally, socially and economically.
Verghese has said in his latest political essay “Dangerous gamesmanship” (April 5) that his solution, if accepted and implemented, could lead to the resolution of the issue. His solution is based on the reported recommendations put forth by the New Delhi-appointed interlocutors. What motivated him to swing solidly behind the interlocutors is the bitter opposition of the BJP to the reported suggestions made by the interlocutors.
What exactly has he written as far as the “Kashmir problem” and its solution is concerned: He has written: “The J&K interlocutors have in turn been wise to put all proposed variants of internal autonomy - Centre-State, regional, and local - on the agenda for serious debate at all levels both within the state and across the country. The BJP's gut reaction, that any discussion of this will weaken J&K's 'integration' with India is misplaced and underlies the need to build a national consensus in Delhi. Constitutional illiteracy on some of these issues is extremely high all round as we have never encouraged open discussion or learnt from examples of innovative nation-building measures embodied in the Constitution and actually tried out in the Northeast. Baulking at the J&K governor and chief minister being called Sadr-i-Riyasat and Wazir-e-Azam is best dismissed with reference to Lenin's instructions to the new Soviet plenipotentiary at the signing of the Treaty of Brest Litovsk. The envoy asked for directions about his attire as the German insisted on frock coats and top hats. Lenin's tersely replied, "If it will serve the cause, go in a petticoat"! Small words should not be allowed to defeat big gains.”
What does all this show? It shows his unflinching support to the idea of the offices of Sadar-e-Riyasat and Wazir-e-Azam being revived in Jammu and Kashmir. It also indicates his willingness for the creation of another republic within the Indian republic on the ground that the Muslims of Kashmir are a race apart; that they do need a special dispensation; that acceptance of their demands – all separatist and essentially communal – will not make any difference whatever; and that it would be wise if New Delhi follow the erstwhile USSR model.
His formulation is as ridiculous as it is misleading. The constitution of the former USSR did provide for secession and that was the reason it collapsed in 1990-1991, with some of the Muslim-majority provinces becoming independent and sovereign countries. It needs to be noted that the Indian Constitution, like the American Constitution, does not give any section of society the right to secede on any ground whatever. Veghese knows it full well but he wants New Delhi to go beyond the confines of the Indian Constitution so that the separatist urges of a section of Kashmiri population was met. He overlooks the fact that the Indians are one people, one nation and one state and that there is not a single state in the Indian Union that has been forcibly annexed. He terms his formulation as “innovative nation-building measure.” How ludicrous is his formulation! His formulation is nothing but a negation of the very idea of the State.
Verghese says that New Delhi has already tried these “innovative nation-building measures” in the Northeast to tackle certain problems there. He is right. But will he tell the nation that New Delhi has not tinkered with the basic structure of the Indian Constitution and that New Delhi has only allowed certain states in the Northeast to exercise certain social powers under Article 371? He, like Rajiv Dhawan (Supreme Court lawyer and votary of great autonomy), would not say that because he knows it full well that Article 371 doesn’t even give the right to have a separate constitution and a separate flag. On the contrary, he would shamelessly equate Article 370 with Article 371 with the premise that the Indians are just fools and that they do not know anything about these two Articles.
The fact of the matter is that Verghese and others of his ilk have always sought to misinterpret the institution of the State in order to make the authorities to pander to communalism and separatism. And, it is they and not the Kashmiri Muslims who pose a grave danger to the national unity, secularism and democracy. And, they do it deliberately overlooking the state’s demographic profile and the contradiction in the political perceptions of the people of the state.
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