Raman Suri
Having left the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir to fend for itself for seventy long years and not abrogating Article 370 which hampered the percolation of democracy to grassroot levels by keeping at bay the73rd and 74th amendments of the Indian constitution, Congress on 7thSeptember 2022, led by its leader Rahul Gandhi started the so-called ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, which is now being joined by politicians who believe in divisive politics and had always been averse to abrogating special status of Jammu and Kashmir that disabled its progress at par with other developed parts of the country.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government, by abrogating the controversial Article 370, not only united Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India completely but also fulfilled a long-cherished dream of its founder Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee, who laid down his life only to see “One Nation, One Flag and One Constitution” in India. He wanted Indians to travel to Jammu and Kashmir without any permit and all central laws to be extended to the erstwhile state. Finally, the BJP government at the Centre fulfilled his dream and abolished Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
BJP did justice with every section of the society in J&K, not by undertaking any ‘Yatra’ but by a legal framework, which was challenged by the National Conference (NC) and its like-minded allies in the Supreme Court. Today, Rahul Gandhi wants to join hands and walk with those leaders who were always averse to the idea of”One Nation, One Flag and One Constitution” and were threatening people by saying that no one will ever unfurl the Tricolour in Jammu and Kashmir if the contentious law is repealed. Is this his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ or a Yatra aimed at uniting all the divisive forces in India?
After 5thAugust 2019, joined by several other persons, Members of Parliament Mohammad Akbar Lone and HasnainMasoodi of National Conference (NC) had filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Presidential Orders & the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019. Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) had also challenged the Presidential Orders in court, a case which is yet to be decided upon. Also, it was the former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who had threatened that no one in Jammu and Kashmir will ever unfurl the National Flag if Article 370 is abrogated.
If Rahul Gandhi has decided to rub his shoulders with these politicians who have no respect for the Indian Constitution or the Indian Flag, then Congress is definitely a party to such divisive politics. Otherwise also, from where did he get the nose to smell a ‘Divided India’ which he intends to ‘Unite’ by undertaking his so-called ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. As a gentleman and a true nationalist, he should never have incorporated this terminology of ‘Jodo’ in a country that’s not divided but is a Union of States known for its constitution and democratic nature. Why is he undermining India and its people who were never and will never be divided, is a question he must answer?
India, otherwise also, is globally known for its composite culture, unity in diversity, patriotism and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – a Sanskrit phrase which means “The World Is One Family”; another meaning interpreted is that all living beings on the earth are a family. In such a country which is progressing by leaps and bounds by not letting caste, creed, region or religion come in between infrastructural development, central government schemes reaching out to every section of the society or putting a brave front before enemy nations, such a phrase is absolutely anti-patriotic. We are not divided and hence there arises no question of uniting (Jodo) anything other than Congress.
If Rahul Gandhi intends to enter Jammu and Kashmir without any permit or hoist Tricolour at Lal Chowk with National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leaders like Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti standing by his side at the venue, the credit goes to Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee, who laid down his life in Kashmir for the cause of uniting it with the rest of India by all means. It is because of this great decision taken by BJP government in the Parliament that the Jammu and KashmirReorganisation Act, consisting of 103 clauses, extended 106 central laws to the UT, repealed 153 state laws and also abolished the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council.
After the abrogation of Article 370 on 5thAugust 2019, not only the central investigating agencies got free access to operate here but hundreds of central laws were also extended to the newly carved Union Territory. The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council was abolished, which was a burden on the state exchequer and had become a way to enter the upper house through backdoor or send sycophants to the Council. In fact, inequality amongst masses was ended to do equitable justice with every section of the society.
Earlier, during Congress’ and its allies’ rule in Jammu and Kashmir, the refugees of West Pakistan were not eligible to cast their votes in state elections. Similar was the condition of Valmiki Samaj who worked here but never got voting rights. The Forest Rights Act 2006, which was extended to J&K in 2019, not only safeguarded the age-old pastoral culture of Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddis and Sippis but also ended injustice with the tribes. This was the end result of abrogation of Article 370 that completely united Jammu and Kashmir with India and restored the rights of the masses.
For the information of Rahul Gandhi, this is how the “Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan” was started and executed by an Act of the constitution of India and through legal framework. The Jammu and KashmirReorganisation Act, 2019 reconstituted the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs) called Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. This was when the discrimination with Ladakh also ended. Having suffered for seventy years, this cold desert never had colleges, important institutions and other facilities but after doing away with the controversial law, people were given power to rule and decide their own fate.
Ever since the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill 2019 was passed by both the houses of the Parliament and became an Act after receiving President’s assent, the central agencies are actively flushing out militants from the UT, economic offences are being nailed, governance is being streamlined, laws that had become redundant are being done away with and most importantly, an order has been established in the region that was being run lawlessly resembling any ‘Jungle Raj’.
Rahul Gandhi might have taken an initiative to counter BJP’s popularity by dubbing its good governance as divisive politics but the fact remains that worried about his party’s internal politics and many stalwarts deserting the party in past few years or sensing a rebellion movement against himself from the likes of G23 group of leaders, Rahul Gandhi has embarked upon this Bharat Jodo Yatra, which primarily is Congress Jodo Yatra.
He, for himself will witness the Congress as a big divided house in J&K where his party stalwart Ghulam Nabi Azad had already left and his loyalists, whom he now calls sycophants, had left the Congress to join Azad’s political party and then deserted him to re-join Congress. Many such Congress leaders who were corrupt to the core, failed in delivering as ministers, were dubbed as incompetent and are turncoats or had denied the erstwhile state 73rd and 74th amendments or allowed local bodies to lapse without elections, will be receiving him at the entrance of the UT. If he intends to unite them or such forces, then his Yatra should rightly be rechristened as “Congress Jodo Yatra”.
At the end of the Yatra, he might or might not succeed in united Congress and all the divisive forces against BJP, but this is for sure that he will be witnessing the true colour of India, that is vibrant, unison, acknowledged world-over, is drenched in patriotism and doesn’t need anyone’s certificate to prove its credentials. He surely will meet people of different colours, castes, creeds, religions, regions, languages and wearing different attires, who will have their allegiance towards their nation no matter what political party they identify themselves with. By dubbing the ideological differences as divided India, he has not only insulted the nation but also demeaned his 3,570 kilometres Yatra.
(The writer is Bharatiya Janata Party J&K Executive Member)
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