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| Congress MP did what BJP failed to do | | Voice against Autonomy | | RUSTAM
JAMMU, May 4: Congress MP Lal Singh, who represents the Udhampur-Doda-Kathua Parliamentary constituency in the Lok Sabha, deserves kudos. He deserves appreciation because he did a great job in the Lok Sabha with the so-called ultra-nationalist BJP members coming forward to make common cause with the Congress MP. It was after a very long time that a Jammu MP talked sense, defended the national cause in the state and took on those working against national unity and putting forth communally-motivated,
ill-designed and divisive suggestions.
What exactly did the "emotionally charged" Lal Singh do in the Lok Sabha, the highest law-making body in the country? He attacked the votaries of autonomy and from right and left, denounced those seeking a dispensation under which the State Governor would be designated as Sadar-e-Riyasat and Chief Minister as Prime Minister and asked the Government of India to reject outrightly all demands which are aimed at driving the State away from the national mainstream and establishing republic of Jammu and Kashmir within the Indian Republic. He told the Lok Sabha that those who are demanding autonomy and are only seeking to divide the state that they needed to be reined in and shown their rightful place. Besides, he denounced the Omar Abdullah-led coalition Government for "not recruiting special police officers to deal with militancy".
The upshot of his whole inspiring and timely intervention was that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and that it has to be treated as such by repudiating the idea of the State getting autonomy. "How dare someone demand a separate Prime Minister? We are part and parcel of India and no one can change it. This is a conspiracy…They are trying to divide the state. Don't allow Jammu and Kashmir to be divided. Such alliance partners should be taken serious note of," he said.
All right-thinking people and friends and well-wishers of India would happily and cheerfully endorse whatever Lal Singh said in the Lok Sabha while countering NC MP Mehboob Beg who had a day before demanded autonomy and Sadar-e-Riyasat for the State. And, the most significant aspect of the whole situation in the Lok Sabha was that several BJP MPs were appreciating the Lal Singh's intervention during Zero Hour by thumping of desks. In fact, a number of BJP members, including Haren Pathak and Arjun Ram Meghwal associated themselves with him, thus creating a noble situation in the Lok Sabha. It was indeed wonderful to see Lal Singh singing the nationalist song and the BJP members appreciating him and his views on Jammu and Kashmir. Even far more significant perhaps was the fact that what Lal Singh said was not consistent with the party line. It is too well-known that the Congress-led UPA Government has been working overnight to weaken the Indian position in Jammu and Kashmir by pandering to Kashmiri communalists, separatists and autonomists.
It was not for the first time that Lal Singh spoke what he spoke yesterday. He had spoken the same language during the first round table conference in 2006, held at the Prime Minister's official residence, 7, Race Course Road, New Delhi. It was perhaps his plain-speaking that had made the PMO to delete his name from the list of delegates to the second and third round table conferences. Any way, it was clear from what he said yesterday that the stand of Lal Singh on Jammu and Kashmir, autonomy has not changed a bit and that he would play his role as and when required.
It is time for the Government of India to inform the nation that it shall never consider any proposal or demand that seeks to further widen the already rather wide gulf between the State and New Delhi and that it will go in for only such reforms as have the potential of bringing the State closer to New Delhi. It is also time for the so-called ultra nationalist BJP to learn from Lal Singh and discharge its obligations towards the nation by rejecting the idea of so-called peace process between India and Pakistan and creating an environment in the Parliament that forces the concerned authorities to integrate the State fully into India by repealing Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
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