Mehbooba to Join Jantar Mantar Rally if Statehood with “Special Status” is Asked For: Lalit K Kaul

 

Mehbooba to Join Jantar Mantar Rally if Statehood with “Special Status” is Asked For

Lalit K Kaul

It’s JKNC backed government in J&K UT and therefore Sheikh Abdullah's outfit will not ask for restoration of “Special Status” to J&K. In the bygone three decades whenever Farooq Abdullah was out of power he talked about restoring “pre-1953” situation in J&K insofar as it’s political relationship with the Indian Union was concerned. Now that JKPDP is out of power it has taken upon itself to champion the cause of “Special Status” for J&K. The undeclared/unsigned agreement between the two outfits is- when out of power raise “Special Status” bogey.

The political goal of both the “mainstream” political outfits is to keep the (communalistic and anti-India) passions alive in the Valley, while savouring fruits of political power. No different from this capped, bearded, but moustache less specie (Moulvis) preparing youths for “shahadat” with this assurance that Allah has promised such “Fedayeen” a place in Jannah in the company of Hoors, while himself enjoying all the pleasures in life with gay abandon and in total disregard to Allah’s commands.

Mehbooba is desperate to  widen PDP’s mass base as it got eroded after her father formed a coalition government with the BJP in the erstwhile J&K state and it became quite evident in the recently held Assembly elections as it miserably lost the elections. And for that the best agenda is to start a campaign for “Special Status” for J&K. And such a campaign doesn’t go against the political objectives of “mainstream” and hence shall not face any opposition within Kashmir. The BJP cadre in Kashmir may make some noise against it because it’s their professional (occupational) hazard.

While the intent of “mainstream” political outfits remains political destabilization in Kashmir and creating such political environment that “Hurriyat” and Jamait-e-Islami leaders can easily exploit to bring thousands onto the streets to set into motion an anti-India crusade, it may be worthwhile to dig into Indira-Sheikh (Parthasarathy-Beg) Accord of 1975 as also the letters which Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Abdullah exchanged before the latter agreed to take over Chief Ministership of the erstwhile J&K state.

Excerpts from Indira-Sheikh Correspondence: Nov 24 1974–February 12 1975:

In his letter to Indira Gandhi, dated Dec 29, 1974, Sheikh Abdullah wrote: “I made it clear to you and to the public at large that my differences with India were not over the issue of the accession of the State but on the quantum of accession. In my opinion accession and autonomy are inter dependent. I had agreed to throw in my lot with India on the basis of the Instrument of Accession signed by the Maharaja which guaranteed complete internal autonomy to the State. If this autonomy is taken away, then the very foundation of the relationship is destroyed. I, therefore, pleaded the view that in case you wished me to help in rebuilding the faith and confidence that the majority community in the State has lost in India, I can only start from the point where I left off in August, 1953”.

The above response was the outcome of the discussions that Parthasarathy and Beg had had over the possibility of redefining the political relationship between the erstwhile J&K state and the Indian Union in a way which would make it politically comfortable for Sheikh to rule the state.

And, there had been no agreement on any of the points that related to undoing such constitutional amendments  to the J&K Constitution which had been done post Sheikh’s arrest in 1953 and had nearly fully integrated the erstwhile J&K state with the Indian Union. It was to such points of disagreements that Sheikh referred to in his letter to Indira Gandhi as reproduced in the aforesaid lines. His disappointment was all the more due to the fact that in his earlier letter, dated Nov 24, 1974,  to Indira Gandhi he had requested for accommodating their points on the quantum of accession and which were out rightly denied, as is evident from the following exchange of letters between Sheikh Abdullah and Indira Gandhi:

In his letter dated Nov 24, 1974, Sheikh Abdullah wrote: “ Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg has written to me that he and Shri G Parthasarathy have reached the conclusions in regard to constitutional matters concerning the relationship between Jammu and Kashmir State and the Union of India. At our instance they had detailed discussions on these matters and I have received copies of documents from Mr Beg containing points on which agreement has been reached between them and those over which no agreement could be reached. I have several times explained to you my point of view in regard to matters on which the two emissaries have disagreed. I trust you will kindly accommodate our view point to enable me to achieve the main objective”.

To the above, Indira Gandhi responded by replying: “You have referred to matters on which our two representatives have disagreed. As you are aware, these are basic issues on which there have been thorough discussions between them in the course of which Beg Sahib presented your views fully. I doubt whether anything will be gained by our discussing these matters again”. Indira Gandhi's reply sealed the matter as is evident from Sheikh Abdullah’s letter dated Feb 11, 1975.

Wrote Sheikh Abdullah, “ I have seen the text of the conclusions reached between Shri G Parthasarathy and Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg on the various Constitutional issues concerning the Centre–State relationship between the State of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union of India. I have studied the document and have also had discussion with you. As you are aware, it is my view that constitutional relationship between the Centre and the State of Jammu and Kashmir should be what it was in 1953. Nevertheless, I am happy to say that the agreed conclusions provide a good basis for my co-operation at the political level and for Centre–State relationship. I appreciate that the main purpose of the dialogue was to remove misapprehensions on either side to ensure that the bond between the Union and the State is further strengthened and to afford to the people of the State full scope for undertaking social welfare and developmental measures”.

On Feb 12, 1975, Indira Gandhi wrote back, “ I am happy to receive your letter expressing your concurrence with the conclusions reached between Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg and Shri G Parthasarathy on certain constitutional aspects of the relationship of the Centre with the State of Jammu and Kashmir and offering your whole-hearted co-operation at the political and Governmental level to further promote the well-being of the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. I am aware of your views on the Centre–State relationship in respect of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. I have already explained to you that the clock cannot be put back and we have to take note of the realities of the situation. I am appreciative of the spirit in which you have expressed your agreement with the terms of the agreed conclusions”

Two facts emerge out without any ambiguity, 1) Indira Gandhi was in no mood to undo the amendments that had strengthened the integration of the erstwhile J&K state and the Indian Union and 2) Sheikh Abdullah having sensed that no further persuasion was going to help in changing her mind on those amendments chose to surrender for the sake of capturing political power in the erstwhile J&K state.

The strongest message was sent across through point no. 6 of Indira-Sheik Accord which put paid to the ambition of Sheikh Abdullah to be designated as the Prime Minister of J&K. The point no. 6 reads as “No agreement was possible on the question of nomenclature of the Governor and the Chief Minister and the matter is therefore remitted to the Principals”.

The Surrender for the Lure of Power:

Sheikh Abdullah was the tallest leader of Muslims in Kashmir; his followers expected him to stand by his political conviction. He didn’t whereas he could easily have and would have got immense Muslim support. His followers felt betrayed.

Farooq Abdullah should know how his father let down his followers. Which pre-1953 status he brags about? Which “Special Status” Mehbooba Mufti is screaming about? Sheikh was the Leader- “Jo Karega Bub Karega” used to be the refrain of all Muslims. Sheikh shut the doors on “Special Status”.

SAS Geelani’s Take on Article 370:

In his interview to Kashmir Life on April 28, 2014, conducted by Muhammad Raafi, he said:

“Terming the statement of National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah about the article 370 as ridicules and politics of deceit, chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani Monday said that the article 370 is recorded only in papers and the father of Farooq Abdullah has buried this article in 1975, when he accepted chief-ministership instead of Prime-ministership and surrendered the plebiscite movement which was nourished with the hot blood, merely for the chair.” Hurriyat chairman said that it is a meaningless and needless statement of Farooq Abdullah that the state of Jammu and Kashmir has its own constitution and flag.

Sheikh Abdullah on Art 370:

During a session in the Legislative Assembly on March 2, 1981, Sheikh Abdullah did state that Article 370 was “not a Quranic verse” that could never be amended. Was he not aware of “Special Status”? His statement in the Assembly confirmed his acceptance of all the amendments that had been introduced in the erstwhile J&K State’s Constitution before he took over as the Chief Minister of J&K.

Let the Power Brokers in Kashmir  not talk about restoration of “Special Status” to once again traumatize Kashmiri society (now near 100% Muslim) because their “Bub” had put his seal of approval on its state of meaninglessness And let those who couldn’t clear Shaheen Bagh claim “abrogation” of Art 370 only to give the handle to the secessionist political forces (mainstream and Hurriyat etcetera) to demand its restoration. For peace and political stability in J&K.