- Mehbooba still carries and holds that PDP SELF-RULE Framework 2008 is with constitution of India
- Home Minister must opine on her claim for undoing myth spread amongst innocent masses
- GOI must not delay drawing clear line between mainstream and separatist parties in J&K
Mehbooba Mufti as Chief Minister of J&K had said on the floor of the Legislative Assembly in February 2017 that J&K Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) “Self Rule” proposals are well within the Constitution of India and those in BJP who disapprove “Self Rule Proposals” should go through the document minutely. No response had then come from GoI as well as from BJP. But now India cannot afford letting the question unanswered any more when even the S.O.48 of 14 May 1954 – Constitution ( Application to Jammu and Kashmir ) Order of 1954 too has been superseded by the Presidential Notification issued under S.O 272 of 05-08-2019.
Sooner the home Minister of India pointedly goes through the PDP’s Self Rule Framework for Resolution document of 2008 sooner would be known what ‘Kashmir issue’ means to Mehbooba Mufti.
Talking to India TV’s Sr. Journalist Rajdeep on 25th June this year, after the 24rth June All Party meeting with PM Minister Narendra Modi, J&K PDP President when asked in what context she is asking government of India to have talks with Pakistan when the main issues on day for consideration were Delimitation of Legislative Assembly of UT of J&K and holding elections to Legislative Assembly thereafter . She could not make a clear reply and tried to rush through suggestions like opening of trade routes with POJK areas . But whatever she said in reply to questions asked in different ways could be taken for her still carrying the ideologies as contained in J&K PDP’s “Self Rule Framework For Resolution -2008” that was released by Late Sh. Mufti Mohd Sayeed. on 25/26th Oct 2008.
A common question being asked today is that why the main opposition regional party of J&K, the National Conference sometimes appears ( particularly after 2002) toeing the ‘separatist line. One may say that NC is doing so since J&K People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has nearly ended the monopoly of National Conference in Kashmir Valley, no doubt the answer does lie around such like explanation, but what has been the “magic mantra” that Mufti Mohd Sayeed’s PDP used from 1999 to 2002 to raise heavy challenge in just 3 yrs on a party like National Conference in Kashmir that even Congress had not been able to press in needs to be understood . NC had so far not questioned the trueness of accession 1947 though had reservations on sharing issues between Centre and State and PDP in a way did that through the party’s self rule proposals.
So, to be brief in the growing separatist infested environment in the valley since many myths/ questions as raised by some even like J&K having not become as good an India as had become Punjab or Hyderabad after 1947 accession ( in view of Government of India having being quite liberal as regards human rights) had been allowed to stay on PDP came up with an ideology where in accession 1947 could be indirectly questioned for its totalness. The PDP’s ‘mantra’ was of SELF RULE Framework that in simple terms professed of something like (i) joint control of India & Pakistan on some affairs concerning the State of Jammu & Kashmir (ii) a Council for Greater Jammu and Kashmir having 5 members each as nominated by India and Pakistan (iii) Validity of currencies of both India and Pakistan in two parts of J&K (iii) Greater Jammu & Kashmir to decide the import – export tariff between J&K and two main lands of India and Pakistan and (iv) Self Rule Clause- 59 says : *Autonomy (surely PDP addresses her *National Conference’s Autonomy demands) refers to empowerment of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir vis-a-vis the Government of India. As such it becomes a part of the center-state debate in the Indian federal set up. Self-rule on the other hand refers to the empowerment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, vis-a-vis the Nation of India…….). And this ‘mantra’ ( Self Rule ) surely aimed diluting the totalness of the 1947 accession of J&K with India thereby in the circumstances then (1998 ) prevailing finding better acceptability as compared to Greater Autonomy of National Conference that called for just autonomy for government of the state from the central government. Ofcourse the support base of NC and the support base of PDP are nearly same i.e Kashmir Valley and both the parties had lesser gravity of stakes in Jammu and Ladakh regions since it was only the Kashmir Valley that had been expressing resentments against non- fulfilment of “some commitments” made in 1947 by government of India and talking of J&K being a Muslim majority state.
It is not out of place to mention here that both Congress ( formed government along with PDP 2002-2008) and BJP have formed government with PDP in a way sending message that to them Self Rule concept was no way falling in separatist stream thereby the separatist culture in Kashmir valley could further inflict some blows on National Conference. The NC leadership of the day appears to be under the impression that NC’s Autonomy demands cannot provide an alternative to the PDP’s Self Rule doctrine worth politically competing with PDP in the electoral games for local governance keeping in view the level to what the ideological adversaries from Indian point of view have been made/ allowed to grow ( so particularly after 1996 ) and that could be taken as a pressing reason why the National Conference leadership appeared turning more and more radical with each passing day suggesting solution to J&K turmoil more resting in talks with Pakistan & also with the ‘separatists’/ Hurriyat Conference.
So, it is time now to do plain speaking. The NDA -III government cannot justify the continuation of the Kashmir turmoil just by pleading that it has no magic band to correct the damage done by the Congress governments over more than six decades. The issues have to be accepted and corrected.
And ofcourse it is time for Mehbooba Mufti also to spell out in plain and simple words whether she still carries with ‘conviction the spirit of Self Rule Doctrine. And if so the ideology surely falls in separatist clans and GOI has to do plain speaking.
(Daya Sagar is a Sr Journalist & a known analyst of J&K affairs dayasagr45@yahoo.com).