- ‘They’ in GOI should relook into PDP’s SR Doc 2008 to feel pulse of Mufti’s ‘Kashmir issue’
- 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
J&K Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba has said in the Parliament of India in 2016, on the floor of J&K Assembly in February 2017 and has again on August 8, 2021 ( while addressing the media in Srinagar) maintained her belief and conviction in holding to her understanding that there is a “Kashmir Issue” and that could be resolved only through the Mufti Mohd Sayeed’s vision as contained in ‘The Self Rule Framework for Resolution 2008″. To be brief it could be said that PDP Self Rule Document in a way advocates “shared sovereignty” of United Jammu & Kashmir (Greater Jammu and Kashmir) between India and Pakistan.
The verbatim exerts from Mehbooba Mufti’s press briefing after her meeting with party youth cadres on 08082021 in Srinagar are reproduced as <khasoosi kuch ladkon ko bulaeyatha– aur jo Jammu Kashmir ke jo is bakthalaathainke bare mein un kesaathbaathuyi — ki kistrah se jo Jammu Kashmir is museebatmeinfansahuya—- ki youth jo haive hi hamaramustakbilhai …..unhon ne hi aagechalke ye sab jo hai is ko face karnahai .. un kesaathbaathuyi,un kesaath discuss huya.. baathuyi ki jab tak’masla e Kashmir’halnahinhota… jab tak is ka koyihalnaneekalajaye tab takJammu Kashmir halaat… tarakkinahin ho sakti — sudharnahin ho saktahai.. aur is ke bare mein Mufti Sahib ne ek..apnaek vision deeyatha SELF RULE kehabale se .. yeh jo janghaiaapasmeinhamaremulk aur Pakistan ki, Jammu Kashmir ko le ke, yeh bund honichahiye …baatcheet ka Silsila honachahiye – Jammu Kashmir ekaman ka pulbannachaiyedononmulkonkedarmiyaan … Mufti sahib ka apnaeknajriyatha,ek vision tha,oos ko hamne explain kiyaaur mera yeh manannahai , mujhe yeh jakeenhai ki Jammu Kashmir kemaslekehabale se is se bada, practical, koyitarikanahinhai,jis se dononmulkon ki salmiyat ko khatranahinhai , Pakistan ki apnisalmiyatbarkararrehtihai.. Hindustan ki apnisalmiyatbarkararrehtihai … Borders ko tabdeelnahinkiyajatahai…balki borders ko khatam karkedonontarafke logon ko , Jammu Kashmir ke logon ko ikaththe grow hone ka mokadeeya ja saktahai”.
It was on 25thOctober 2008 ( year was of due elections to J&K Assembly ) Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti held a press conference at Srinagar and released Self Rule concept document of J&K Peoples Democratic Party that was made public in print media on the next day, the 26th October ( day of month was on which Maharaja Hari Singh of J&K had signed the Instrument of Accession with India in 1947) .
The Document very clearly but indirectly questioned the genuineness of Accession 1947 since the PDP’s SELF RULE document (i) called the Pakistan Occupied ‘Kashmir’ ( PoK) as Pakistan Administered Kashmir ( PaK ), (ii ) Self Rule Document suggested that J&K issue cannot be resolved on the basis of exclusively intra-state level initiatives but required a combination of intra-state measures with inter-state and supra-state measures (iii) solution required devising an improved constitutional, political and economic relationship between the two parts of the State and their respective “main-lands” ( India & Pakistan), (iv) making Greater Jammu and Kashmir a regional free trade area, with no tariffs or barriers between with GJAK, while maintaining their own external tariff on imports from the rest of the world, including India and Pakistan. GJAK to set a common external tariff on imports from India and Pakistan. (v) called for creating a new system of “Dual Currency” , where the Indian and Pakistani rupees both would be made legitimate legal tenders in the geographical areas of GJAK, (vi)GJAK as a regional Organisation to facilitate political cooperation as well as promote cooperation between India and Pakistan, and regainKashmir’s place at the heart of Central Asia., (vii) at para-54 it said in our opinion the most practicable and least complicate way out is that ” The elected representatives of each part ( J&K and ‘Pak’) of the State would then hold negotiations with their respective country for a resolution framework within the given parameters” (viii) at para 58 it said Self-rule refers to autonomy from the nation-state of India,whereas autonomy connotes relative autonomy from the Government of India., (ix) at para 59 it said Autonomy 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 centre-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. , (x) at para 77 it said that The Regional Council of Greater Jammu and Kashmir will have 50 members. The respective state assemblies of J&K and Pakistan ‘Administered’ Kashmir shall elect 40 members. The remaining 10 members will be nominated, five each, by the Governments of India and Pakistan.
So, the Mufti’s Self Rule treats POK as no part of India, wants Pakistan to control some issues regarding two parts of J&K along with India , distances Self Rule from NC Autonomy professing that Self-rule refers to autonomy from the Nation-state of India, whereas Autonomy connotes relative autonomy from the Government of India. Surely PDP Self Rule distances from trueness of 1947 Accession and does not accept ‘Kashmiries’ as of India nation.
The 10 reference points mentioned in the fore going paras surely could be implemented only after accepting that J&K acceding to India in 1947 was not final/ultimate /legitimate. And that is the Kashmir issue that Mehbooba mufti has been referring to all these years
Congress had shared power with PDP for 6 years, UPA-2 also treats PDP as main stream party. BJP too shared power with PDP from March 2015 to mid June2018.With such like handling of J&K affairs by the national level leaderships even after 2008 the people of J&K have all the reasons to also get mislead by the propaganda of the ‘separatists’.
There has been no change in the PDP’s Self Rule doctrine even after 2015 and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti still holds to that ideology / conviction which she has discussed in aprticular with the youth cadres of her party on 08th august 2021 ( just a week before India celebrates 75th independence day.
Is PDP still a main stream party, could be a big question. Is not PDP a separatists party like Geelanies / Omar Farooqs / Shabir Shah’s ?Should not government of India atleast in 2021 take a serious view in this regard for plugging all the channels that could carry opinions worth nursing any bit of doubts / myths about Indian “state’ of J&K being a total Bharat. Mehbooba Mufti can correct the understanding of writer as made herein above as regards the Mufti Mohd Sayeed’s Self Rule vision and her ‘Kashmir issue”.
(Daya Sagar Sr. Journalist: leading scribe on Kashmir affairs dayasagr45@yahoo.com).