Abrogation real tribute to Mookerjee
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Aug 6: Terming abrogation of Articles 370 and 35 real tribute to founder president of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), Dr Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Union Minister in PMO with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh said incorporation of these two Articles was greatest blunder of post independence period.
Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on abrogation of special status to J&K and spilt of State into two Union Territories, Dr Jitendra Singh said so far as Article 370 is concerned it is the miscarriage of history.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that contrary to misinformation spread by certain vested interests, the matter of fact is that Article 370 led to alienation and isolation of youth in J&K State particularly in Kashmir valley.
Holding former Prime Minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru responsible for incorporating the Article 370 in the Constitution, the Union Minister blamed the former PM and Congress leader for present situation in J&K.
“Not only in J&K but the history of Sub Continent would have been different today had Nehru given free hand to his Home Minister, Sardar Valabhhai Patel”, he said. While correcting Opposition Congress MP, the Union Minister said Sardar Patel who was Home Minister of India was not allowed to work and exercise his powers as Home Minister in J&K to settle the issue as he did in case of Junagarh and Hyderabad while merging them with Indian Union.
Dr Jitendra Singh said had Nehru not interfered at that time J&K would not have been an issue today and Government would have not to bring the bill for reorganization of the State into the Parliament nor there would have been problem of PoJK. He accused Nehru of announcing unilateral cease fire after Indian Army reached Mirpur while chasing Pak infiltrators in 1947. “He (Nehru) did not take the Cabinet into confidence at that time but straightway went to Mandi House to make announcement of ceasefire through All India Radio”, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh, while referring to 1846 history of J&K as mentioned by Congress MP said, he is fully aware of the history. He said when Instrument of Accession was signed by Maharaja in the same way as was done by other 550 States what need was for Nehru to take the issue to United Nations Organisation (UNO).
Lambasting Congress, Dr Jitendra Singh said “I am surprised why Congress is objecting to abrogation of Article 370 when we have fulfilled their half agenda,. It was Nehru who during the debate in Lok Sabha had said that the special status of State will get eroded by and by ( Gistay Gistay Gis jayayga)”, he added while quoting Nehru.
Later during the debate in Lok Sabha in 1964 when Lal Bahadur Shastri was Prime Minister and the issue was raised by MPs in Lok Sabha, the then Home Minister, Gulzari Lal Nanda had said that this Article has to go but he asked for some more time to be given to Government, the Minister added.
Maintaining that Kashmir is no issue as it is an integral part of India, Dr Jitendra Singh said if there is any issue with Pakistan that is PoJK and country is committed to the Joint Parliament resolution of 1994 which was adopted when Narsimha Rao of Congress was Prime Minister. “Our commitment is to retrieve back that part of India is the unfinished task of the country”, he added.
He, while referring to opposition members queries that why Kashmir Assembly was not taken into confidence for abrogation of Article 370, said State is under President’s rule at present.
Blaming Congress for blunders and murdering democracy, he said Sheikh was arrested in 1953 and sent to jail. Later again when in1983 Dr Farooq Abdullah became Chief Minister of the State and next year his Government was toppled by installing his brother in-law as CM. In 1987 again elections were rigged by the Congress-NC duo resulting in present crisis.
He said after Sheikh was sent to jail, he floated Plebiscite Front and later when he was installed as CM in 1975 after a gap of 22 years he disbanded the Front and constituted a Committee led by then Minister, D D Thakur to examine the Central laws implemented in the State over a period of years. The Committee reported that all Central laws implemented in the State were in the interest of the people. Later in emergency when Indira Gandhi raised the term of Lok Sabha and assemblies from five to six years Sheikh also increased the Assembly term by one year but after the fall of Indira Government his successor Morarji Desai reversed all the decisions of previous Congress Government and reverted term of Lok Sabha and Assemblies to five years. But Sheikh Abdullah taking advantage of Article 370 did not revert the term of Assembly to five years, he added.
He said State Government kept those laws which suited its leaders and abrogated those which were not in their interest. He accused Kashmiri leaders for misusing Article 370 for their advantage. Without naming NC, he said those who were talking of autonomy opposed autonomy to Panchayats by not implementing the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments to empower these basic institutions of democracy. They boycotted Panchayat elections on the issue of 35A which was in Court of law. However when it came to Lok Sabha elections although no decision had come on 35 A but they jumped the poll fray. This shows their double standards, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh, while referring to stake holders issue on Kashmir said 130 crore Indians are stakeholders of Kashmir. The Kashmiri Pandits who were thrown out from Valley over night and West Pak refugees who have been deprived of citizenship rights are stakeholders of Kashmir, he added.
Ridiculing the opposition charges that Government brought the bill in hurry, Dr Jitendra Singh said “we did not wake up the President during the night nor brought ordinance of emergency during night when Allahabad High Court gave verdict against India Gandhi in 1975. Taking on opposition for accusing Government that its act will give rise to alienation in the State, Dr Jitendra Singh said that being a ground worker from the State, he can say with confidence that Article 370 was the cause of alienation with the people of J&K. It deprived the youth of the State of all the opportunities. The people of the State are today rejoicing its abrogation, he added.
He said there are few leaders in the State who are separatists by connivance and not by conviction. Had not so, they would have not send their children for higher education abroad and instigated poor neighbours’ sons for stone pelting. He rejected the allegation that unemployment was cause of militancy and said the unemployment is in other parts of the country but the people did not turn to militancy there.
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