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| An era of integration, hope and joy | | Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 11: Just 72 hours (August 5-7) and the political map of the 173-old political map of Jammu and Kashmir got changed. The Narendra Modi Government with the consent of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha bifurcated the state into two Union Territories - UT of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh. The State of Jammu and Kashmir was founded by Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu in March 1846. He had bought Kashmir from the British for Rs 75 lakh and integrated it into the Dogra Kingdom consisting of Jammu and Ladakh.
The Narendra Modi Government not just changed the political map of the state, but it also changed the 69-year-old political status of the state. It scrapped divisive and discriminatory Article 370 and Article 35A and brought both the Union Territories under the ambit of the Indian Constitution. To be more precise, it implemented the one nation, one law doctrine to the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State in its entirety. The founder of Bharatiya Jan Sangh, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, had laid down his life in Kashmir on June 23, 1953 to achieve his "one flag, one constitution and one Prime Minister" most cherished goal.
The Modi Government's nation-making resolution on Articles 370 and 35A and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill evoked response on expected lines. The nation, the abandoned people of Jammu and Ladakh, women-folk, internally-displaced Kashmiri Hindus, refugees from West Pakistan, Valmiki Samaj and Gorkhas all hailed the moves and thanked PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Why not? After all, they all had worked for more than 70 years for the state's full political, constitutional and financial integration into India and had suffered immense losses in the process.
Contrarily, all Kashmir-based politicians and their supporters in and outside the Valley opposed the moves and termed the creation of two Union Territories and scrapping of the state's separate status as acts of betrayal and murder of democracy. Their opposition to the otherwise historic moves didn't spring any surprise for reasons not really difficult to fathom. After all, the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, which had created a separate republic of Jammu and Kashmir within the Indian Republic, abruptly ended the Nehruvian era.
Both these Articles had led the followers of one particular religion in Kashmir to believe that they were a race apart and they deserved a separate and special status within the Union. The grave consequences were the subversion of democracy; rise of separatism; radicalization of society; forced migration of the miniscule minority of Kashmiri Hindus; bitter and rancorous inter-regional relations; widespread discontent, disappointment and disaffection in Jammu and Ladakh; utter neglect of non-Muslim minorities; and the concerted moves on the part of Pakistan at regular intervals calculated to creating an impression the world over that Jammu and Kashmir was a disputed territory and its political future was yet to be decided. They would never talk about Pakistan-occupied-Jammu and Kashmir. Such had been their approach.
Now that Jammu and Kashmir has been bifurcated, Article 35A and its mother, Article 370, removed from the Indian statute book and the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution of 1957 scrapped, it's time to reflect on the positive consequences which would follow on the application of the Indian Constitution to the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Clearly, an important chapter has been opened in the history of relations between Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi - a chapter which promises to bring both the Union Territories closer to New Delhi than ever. The application of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh means complete integration of the erstwhile state into India and a befitting answer to those who used to term it a disputed territory. It would also mean a God-sent opportunity for the promotion of politics based on economic and democratic issues. In addition, it would mean the rise of a responsible, transparent and accountable administration; end of archaic Ranbir Penal Code under which the Judges of the High Court took oath of office in the name of Jammu and Kashmir Constitution and introduction of justice system based on the Indian Civil and criminal laws; introduction of education system similar to the one prevalent in New Delhi and Union Territories; equal treatment to all the regions at all levels and in all spheres; and check on corrupt practices. But more than that, no one in the government would be able to subvert the polity from within as was the case before. On the contrary, the introduction of new politico-constitutional system will help the powers-that-be in New Delhi and at the Raj Bhawan check fissiparous activities effectively.
However, to say all this is not to suggest that all in Kashmir will swing solidly behind the Union Government. They will not. Vested interests in Kashmir would try their level best to derail things. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and others of their ilk are no problem. They can be tackled in no time. The real problems in Kashmir are Abdullahs, Muftis, Lones and the clergy and their supporters in the Congress, the ultra Left, the Left and the half-Left. They will leave no stone unturned to keep the Kashmir pot boiling. They will surely play a mischief to provoke the gullible Kashmiri Muslims. They have to be taken care of and the sooner it is done, the better.
In any case, one thing is absolutely clear: PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah mean business. They know what to do, when to do and how to do. The surgical strike across the LoC, the demonetization, the Balkot Air strike deep inside Pakistan and what they did in the Parliament on August 5 and 6 to undo the Nehru wrongs and integrate the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State fully into India only indicate that they are skilful and their modus operandi effective and result-oriented. |
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