Self-rule

Dec.7, 2005

       Centre's silence on 'self-rule' theory creates discontent 

                                                                         S.P. Sharma

                                                                   Tribune News Service 

 

Jammu, December 6

With the Centre and the Congress keeping mum on the sensitive issues of "self-rule" and joint control of India and Pakistan over Kashmir, a lot of confusion has been generated here by separatists, Mufti's PDP and the National Conference (NC) that are blowing their own trumpet on these proposals.

 

Neither the Centre nor the Congress has reacted to utterances of these parties that has once again created an atmosphere of uncertainty in this terrorism-hit state.

 

By raising such issues that smack of separatism, these parties may be trying to maintain their hold in the Kashmir valley, but anger against them has started brewing in Jammu and Ladakh regions where people are in no mood to reopen the issue of accession of the state.

 

The PDP and the NC in particular are trying to keep themselves a step ahead of each other on the issue.

 

While the PDP chief, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, recently advocated the "joint control" theory, the NC president, Mr Omar Abdullah, yesterday announced that he would go to Pakistan to present a copy of the autonomy report to president Pervez Musharraf and discuss the issue with him.

 

He said the "self-rule" proposal of the Pakistan President was no different from the autonomy roadmap of the NC.

 

The PDP has started splitting particularly in the Jammu region with a section of party activists annoyed at the statements of Ms Mufti on the issue.

 

The autonomy being sought by the NC aims at self-governance, except on the three matters of defence, communication and foreign affairs that would be taken care of by India and Pakistan.

 

On the other hand, the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has been demanding self-rule in both sides of Kashmir, without any interference of India and Pakistan in day-to-day functioning.

 

Dr Farooq Abdullah, patron of the NC, is annoyed that the Centre has not taken any steps to constitute a committee to study the implementation of the autonomy report in the state.

 

The Assembly had adopted a resolution seeking autonomy for the state a few years ago and forwarded it to the Centre.

 

General Musharraf had some time ago tossed up the proposal of creating seven separate entities out of Jammu and Kashmir. Now the US-based Kashmir Study Group (KSG) has jumped into the scene, suggesting reconstitution of J&K with five entities, three in the Indian side of Kashmir and two in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), that would be self-governing.

 

However, the BJP is opposed to the rhetoric of these parties whom it accuses of having made a common cause not only to outrage the sensitivities of the people of Jammu and Ladakh, but also to move the state away from the constitutional organisation of India.

 

Prof Hari Om, vice-president of the BJP, in a statement here today, said the statements of Dr Abdullah and his son, Mr Omar Abdullah, seeking restoration of pre-1953 status for Jammu and Kashmir indicated that they were against the Indian Constitution and they wanted a dispensation in the state which was "sectarian, unaccommodating and anti-minorities".

 

He described the suggestion of the Hurriyat leader, Mr Umar Farooq, in favour of the Pakistan proposed self-rule as a definite proof that the valley-based and valley-centric leadership was striving hard to ensure dilution of Indian sovereignty in J and K.

 

Prof Hari Om urged pro-India forces to join hands and form a nationalist front against all those putting forth such "anti-national and communal solutions" such as greater autonomy, self-rule and joint control of India and Pakistan over Kashmir.