Article 370: The King is Dead Long Live the Emperor: Lalit k kaul

Article 370: The King is Dead Long Live the Emperor                                                                                                   Lalit K Kaul

The Home Minister (HM) of India who is also chief election strategist of BJP (a clear case of conflict of interest) excelled in Nehru bashing in the Lok Sabha while taking credit for BJP claims of having abrogated Article 370 on Aug 5 2019. He held Nehruji responsible for all that had happened in the erstwhile J&K state until 2019. He quotes the statement of Nehruji in the Lok Sabha on how he thought that going to the UN was a wrong decision. This is called quoting out of context for, the HM didn't state what had happened in the UN that made Nehruji make such a statement. What goes to the credit of Nehruji is that he had the humility to accept his mistake in the Lok Sabha which the HM thoroughly lacks.

I am not qualified to praise or demean the roles played by our leaders like Nehruji, Gandhiji, Patel Sahab and other illustrious sons and daughters of Mother India, but I am qualified to show mirror to the HM on the “blunders” of BJP leaders in not-so-distant past. Here is a sample:

1.       The HM (Loh Purush Incarnate 2) failed to clear Shaheen Bagh. Thanks to “Allah sent Corona", else the drama (a gross anti-National act) and associated anti-India proclamations would have been going on even today.

2.       The siege of Delhi by so called farmers witnessed Khalistan Flag hoisted on the Red Fort, the HM was a helpless witness and his intelligence agencies failed him on what was going to come up! Did the HM brief the Parliament on such a grave matter of national concern?

3.       The new Agri Laws were withdrawn without summoning the Parliament and following a set procedure for withdrawal citing reasons for the same. The laws were withdrawn because Captain Amrinder Singh dangled a carrot in front of BJP leadership vis-à-vis then impending Punjab elections. Can BJP explain it? The laws were not such that their defiance would invoke action under the law; the farmers could have been given a choice in this regard- follow or not. Because the farmers from other states were not agitating against it. It was only Punjab and part of UP.

4.       Operation Prakaram. Remember the mobilization and movement of armed forces and associated infrastructure close to the international borders post the terrorist attack on the Parliament. Why and how did it fizzle out? Will BJP explain? Can it be said that Sri Vajpayee was a weak PM?

5.       Privy Purse: Who introduced this concept and why? Article 370 and 35 A is propagated as blunder by Nehruji, why not talk about Privy Purse which put a huge financial burden on Indian taxpayer at a time when our colonial masters had left us emaciated, naked and penniless. Why was it introduced? Who abrogated it?

6.       Release of terrorists by Sri L K Advani (Loh Purush Incarnate 1) the HM in Sri Vajpayee’s government. What a huge price we ended up paying for that act of the then HM. Did it show his incompetence in handling the situation in a way that wouldn’t have necessitated release of terrorists? Who is responsible for hundreds of lives which were lost due to terror acts masterminded by the released terrorists while residing in Pakistan? Will BJP own the responsibility for it?

7.       What was Sri Vajpayee trying to negotiate with Sri Nawaz Sharif and Sri Pervez Musharraf on Kashmir? Does it imply that the BJP had conceded that Kashmir was a disputed territory? Can it be called a mistake or blunder or an act against India’s geo-political interests?

8.       What about Modiji's dialogue with Nawaz Sharif and landing uninvited at his daughter's marriage? What did that noble gesture from Modiji lead to? Can it be construed as an act of appeasement by the PM Modiji to Pakistan PM?

9.       The PM Modiji tried very hard to cultivate healthy relationship with Sri Shi Xi Ping and what did it yield? Can it be said that Modiji blundered on China Policy? While BJP may keep abusing Nehruji on his China Policy.

The point being made is that none of us are qualified much less competent to judge the acts of our leaders who steered our Nation from 15^th August, 1947 till date because none of us are fully aware/ acquainted with the situations obtained at different points of time in the history of Bharat since 1947 that led our respective leaders to take certain decisions that were essentially political in nature and in the best interests of our people as they thought it to be. None of them had/have any personal axe to grind.

 Only exception I make without hesitation is the Italian Sonia Congress rule spanning 10 years (2004 to 2014) which ended up with a messed-up economy, surrender to China, support to terrorism, invention of Bhagva-Atank and designed negligence of India's defense requirements. But then all anti-national elements are roaming free, under the cover of freedom of speech and “Loktantr mein sab kuch jayaz hai"- a statement often made by BJP spokesperson.

Abrogation of Article 370:

The people of India are rejoicing at the judgement of the 5-judge bench of the SC on the abrogation of the Article 370. And, why not? The judgement couldn't have been otherwise. It's good that the drama has ended and is now for records in the pages of history. The King is Dead!

But the question is: when was Art 370 abrogated and who very quietly did it? It was not on Aug 5 2019. It was on 23^rd March, 1965 when Late Sri Lal Bahadur Sastry, the then PM, relegated Sri Gulam Mohd Sadiq from the chair of PM to that of CM. And it was accepted without any hue and cry. Since, Mr. Sadiq was no leader of Kashmiri Muslims therefore his acceptance of this demotion had no meaning in a political sense. So, to put a final stamp on its burial Shrimati Indira Gandhi signed an accord with Sri Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah in 1974 that enabled the latter to occupy the chair of CM of the erstwhile J&K state. Acceptance by Sheikh put the final stamp on its abrogation and he is on record having said that Art 370 is not such a sacred document that it cannot be changed; development is more important. Sri SAS Geelani always ridiculed Sri Farooq Abdullah whenever the latter talked about Art 370 by reminding him that his father had sacrificed the rights of Kashmiris by accepting to become the CM of the erstwhile state and that the Art 370 was non-existent.

 The erstwhile state of J&K had its own constitution and flag because it had a PM and not a CM. With due regards to legal interpretations and due contempt for politics of opportunism, I make it bold to say that a sovereign nation has its PM and a subject state of this sovereign nation has its CM. A CM can't have his own constitution and flag. Therefore, on 23^rd March, 1965 the erstwhile state of J & K ceased to be sovereign and became a subject state of India. So, the “special status" song sung by all political outfits including Sri Vajpayee (when forming NDA, he promised not to raise Art 370 and Ram Mandir; strange that BJP never criticized him for it, especially Ram Mandir) was a part of degenerate politics in which each one was assiduously grinding his political axe.  

What the governments that succeeded Shrimati Indira Gandhi's had to do was to systematically make the Indian Constitution fully applicable to the erstwhile state of J&K and thereby extend CAG jurisdiction to the region. But political opportunism came in the way of each and every political outfit.

Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Martyrdom:

In fact, late Sri Lal Bahadur Sastry fulfilled the long-voiced demand of late Dr. Mukherjee and how quietly! Both of them and in fact all such leaders who had led the freedom struggle from the front followed value-based politics because they had no personal axe to grind nor any lust for power. Had Dr. Mukherjee been alive on 23^rd March, 1965 what would have been his response to this very momentous political development? He would have taken it further by persuading/insisting with Sri Sastry to complete all the remaining procedural formalities that would ensure full integration of the erstwhile state of J&K with India. The quality of those leaders was that they didn't oppose for the sake of being in opposition because our country’s interests were supreme to them. But alas that was not to be!

Long Live the Emperor:

The HM and the PM and their advisers should know that theirs is not the only government to embark on the path of promoting development in Kashmir. Late Sri Bakshi Gulam Mohammad, the PM of the erstwhile state of J&K (1953 to 1964) is known for undertaking development works in the Valley; also, education was made free up to and including PG level. They may also be knowing the quantum of funds transferred from center to the erstwhile state in the name of development. They should also know that when it comes to measuring poverty levels, Kashmiris were never like the ones seen in Hindi heartland and elsewhere; no slums, no beggars on the streets, everyone enjoyed a good roof over the head, good tourism, horticulture, etc. All this is being mentioned on a comparative basis.

They should know the then JKLF Chief, Javed Mir, interview on why they want independence from India. He mocks at the reasons like unemployment, poverty, etc.

If history is the best teacher and leopard doesn't change its spots then the present HM and PM of India shouldn't plan on development to kill the Emperor.

Who is the emperor?

It's the political campaign quietly undertaken by the so called “mainstream" in conjunction with the other ideologically motivated organizations (having firm roots in rural Kashmir) that India has illegally occupied Kashmir and therefore is the aggressor. One may keep blaming Pakistan for every act of terrorism in South Kashmir, but the fact remains that the enemy is within Kashmir and is hugely supported by the enemies in other parts of India. All share the same political aim- disintegration of India; one based on religious grounds and the other, natural ally, based on atheism.

While the present dispensation at center is busy taking administrative steps to weed out elements inimical to the integrity of India from the administrative machinery, at political level nothing is being done to educate the ideologically driven youth (supported by the “mainstream”) that India didn't occupy Kashmir and is not the aggressor, but that the princely state of J&K legally and of its own free will acceded to India through Instrument of Accession.

The degree of indoctrination against India can be assessed from the following: In my chats on FB with KM youth I was told that UN Resolution is not acceptable because it's drafted by Kafirs!!

It's also historically true that the KM political and religious leadership has always outsmarted the Indian political leadership irrespective of their outfit. I have termed it as politics of blackmail. So, let the present dispensation at center and its political outfit not think that they are the smartest and all knowers.

The emperor will be killed not by lures of development, but by coming clean on the political initiatives in the Valley taken by the BJP government at the center. The vested interests of the forces inimical to Indian interests are so deep and well supported from outside that they will strive their level best to see that no permanent peace is obtained in the Valley. The only sword that can cut their feeders is the political initiative that attempts to bring the indoctrinated KM out of the ideology that inculcates hatred against all that India stands for.