Interlocutors’ report ambiguous
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 23: Terming the interlocutors’ report on Kashmir as ambiguous, former HRD Minister and senior BJP leader, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi sees in it an international conspiracy to make Kashmir a disputed issue.
Participating in one -day seminar on Interlocutors report organized by Jammu and Kashmir People’s Forum (JKPF), Dr Joshi alleged that the report has been prepared by ignorants who are not familiar with the issue fully.
Instead of raising fingers on India the interlocutors ought should have told the people in Kashmir that the politicians from Valley who ruled the State since 1947 were their enemies as they indulged in corrupt practices while the Indians are their well -wishers as they pumped huge funds for the development of the State over these years.
He said Kashmir is not a dispute but there can be tension on account of many problems and such a tension is prevalent in other parts of the country also. Instead of advocating for reconciliation with separatists, PoK and Pakistan, the interlocutors should have stressed on other sides of the problem like discrimination to which Jammu region has been subjected and where the reconciliation was most needed, he added.
Criticizing the report, he said that interlocutors have equated India, Pakistan and separatist Hurriyat and suggested negotiations on Kashmir. It is accepted that India has a boundry dispute with Pakistan and PoK is under forcible occupation of Pakistan but where from separatist Hurriyat came. The organization, which does not represent the majority of the people in the State can’t hoodwink the nationalists opinion, he added.
While outright rejecting the report he said interlocutors have defined PoK as Pak administered Kashmir (PAK) and this is a serious situation. The Article 370, which was a temporary provision of the State is suggested to be made permanent in the interlocutors recommendations. This way they are trying to destroy the multi colored culture of India, he added.
Instead of talking about the Pandits who were thrown out from Valley the interlocutors, showed more concern about Hurriyat. He wanted to know what about the refuges of 1947 as there is no mention about them in the report. This report shows more concern about separatists and not national elements in the State, he added.
He asked the intellectuals and opinion makers of Jammu to mobilize nation-wide public opinion against the report. He said if reconciliation is made with separatists in Kashmir why not naxalites in other parts of the country who too have taken to arms.
The State has already a special status and one can’t have common citizenship here as Dr Manmohan Singh or any other person from outside the State can’t contest elections here while the state subject of J&K can contest from any part of the country, he added.
He said the interlocutors under a set agenda wanted to make LoC irrelevant as per Dr Manmohan Singh’s plan. There is also a conspiracy to get the disturbed Area Act and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) removed which Hurriyat is advocating strongly, he added.
He said a confusion is being created that talk to Hurryat and dismantle LoC because a part of Kashmir is under the control of India and another part is being administered by Pakistan. This is a serious situation and it is a part of big conspiracy, he added.
He said J&K is gateway to Central Asia as per British and American terminology. They have not talked about the 1994 resolution of Parliament and were befooling people. He wanted to know who were the people who handed over Part of J&K to China.
Earlier Daya Sagar said that the interlocutors were guided from New Delhi that how they should make their recommendations and alleged that the report has created confusion among common masses. The areas under forcible occupation of Pakistan were termed as Pak administered Kashmir (PAK) and this is a great challenge to India, he added.
Dr Deepakankar Sen Gupt a well known scholar while criticizing the report said it should have at all not been discussed.
MLA Ashwani Sharma said that people were knowing beforehand the intensions of interlocutors as they were speaking the language of separatists. He said they (interlocutors) had come to solve the problem instead of creating problem.
JKPF president Ramesh Sabharwal made the introductory address while the vote of thanks was proposed by Col (retd) Raina. H L Bhat managed the stage.
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