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| Rattled separatists level false charges against CM, PDP | | Anti-India Transfer of Property Bill | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 5: The June 30 decision of the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government to refer the controversial Transfer of Property Bill (TPB) to the Select Committee instead of tabling it in the assembly for discussion and adoption has not gone down well with separatists and their supporters in Kashmir. In fact, the right decision of the government has rattled them and rattled them to the extent that they have trained their guns at CM Mehbooba Mufti.
One of them has said the "self-rule slogan of PDP is fast turning into accepting the diktat of BJP in fiddling with state subject laws" and that her decision would only help Delhi change the state's demography.
"In a shocking surrender for protecting their chairs, PDP ministers and legislators allowed the shelving of bill that would put a stop to transfer land and immovable property to non-state subjects by mere transfer of attorney, letter of undertaking or an affidavit. The normal procedure entails presenting the state subject certificate for transfer to be effective legally. Making a mockery of state subject laws compounds, as it dawns that bill was shelved after BJP ministers acquiesced in its presentation in a cabinet meet on June, the 23rd. On June, the 30th the bill was shelved in legislative assembly. The shelving of the bill makes it clear that PDP sanctions the demographic change that rightist forces seek to bring in the state. And, PDP's show of defiance in denying other elements of demographic change like Sanik colonies, and providing shelter for non-residents is mere theatrics, played for the gallery," he has, inter-alia, said.
The critics of the government decision to send the bill to the select committee have not only leveled absurd charges against the Chief Minister and the PDP, but also not spared separatist-turned-BJP supporter Sajad Lone, who had defended the official decision. "Sajad Lone's defence of the bill shelving makes a poor show. Lone's assertion that 'the democracy provides space for dissent' and 'you should not rejoice over dissent within the cabinet,' flies in the face of build-up to the presentation of the bill. There was no dissension, when the cabinet moved to introduce the bill, the shelving was an afterthought. No one was 'belittling the institution of democracy' as Sajad asserted save the ruling coalition, which had the cabinet approval for the presentation of the bill, in fact had fixed June, the 30th for its presentation, but after presentation sought to shelve it. In 'belittling the institution of democracy' the shoe in fact was on the other foot. Sajad's defence of his new-found patrons was another mock show on display on the ill-fated day, when one more step was taken towards changing the demographic profile of JK State," he has said.
The critics of the PDP-BJP Government have further said: "The shelving of the bill exhibited the divide between Kashmir and the Jammu province. The very divide PDP wants to bridge in word, however in deed, it is exactly the opposite of what the party asserts. The bill presented in the assembly in word sought to put an end to having one set of laws for Kashmir and another for Jammu. In deed however by joining the voice-vote, PDP effectively endorsed that that there is one set of laws for Kashmir and another for Jammu. While in Kashmir transfer of land or immovable property cannot be affected by mere transfer of attorney, in Jammu it is possible to do so. The proposition begs the question, whether PDP has acquiesced in ruling Kashmir, leaving Jammu to BJP, as is commonly believed? The ruling coalition seems to support the diarchy in the state. The state in fact might be heading to trifurcation with separate political dispensing for Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh, which has long been a pet project of rightist lobby".
Not just this, the critics want the state government to safeguard the state's demographic profile until the Kashmir dispute was finally resolved. "The political status of Jammu and Kashmir is disputed; the state thus needs to be preserved across Pir Panchal and Zojila as a single entity. Safeguarding its demographic profile has to remain the primary objective until the final resolution of the dispute. In recent past, more so with the commencement of second innings of BJP-PDP combine, there are a series of attempts on display to affect the demographic profile and rob the rights of majority. A multi-sided effort needs to be launched to check it; the civil society has to assert its role in the face of heavy odds…sooner the batter," they have said.
The charges of the critics of the government are ill-founded and ill-designed. The Government of Mufti took right stand when it decided to send the TPB to the select committee considering its implications as well as the possibility of protests in Jammu and elsewhere in the country, as the drafted Bill had sought to raise a very high wall between J&K and rest of the country. Had the bill in its original form been passed by the assembly, no non-state subject would have been able to invest money in the state and industry in Jammu region would have completely crippled. Besides, it would have not only adversely impacted the children of the daughters of the state married outside the state to non-state subjects but would have, among other things, also hampered security-related operations.
The Government of Mehbooba Mufti needs to be patted for the step she took. However, it would be better if the state government withdraws the bill taking into consideration its dangerous ramifications. |
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