In the common minimum program of the United Front government, constituents and their outside supporters, reference has been made to the need for according maximum autonomy to Kashmir, The Indian defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav went all the way to Srinagar to announce his government’s intention to consider a bill in the forthcoming session of Parliament to provide for the “maximum autonomy.” Yadav also stated that consultations would be held with local Kashmiri parties before finalizing the proposed bill. The defence minister declared that article 370 of the Constitution would be retained at all costs. This article grants certain special status to the Jammu and Kashmir state. Reports from Delhi suggest that the United Front government would hold an all party conference on Kashmir next month. “
It appears the United Front government itself is not clear what specifically does it wants to do about Kashmir. The people of Kashmir have been up in arms despite the article 370. While a sizeable section of Kashmir’s parties are in favor of total independence from India, the National Conference leader Faroog Abdullah has demanded the restoration of the situation as it prevailed prior to 1953, when the Kashmir Assembly had certain internal powers. After 1953, the Indian central government first headed by Jawaharlal Nehru and then his daughter Indira Gandhi eroded Kashmir’s powers and, over the decades, virtually annexed the territory as a colonial conquest to the great resentment of the people of Kashmir.
In so far as the process of erosion of Kashmir’s powers is concerned, there have been no significant differences in the policies of Congress and the Bhartiya Janata Party. The only difference is that while the BJP wants total annihilation of Kashmir’s identity in one go, the Congress is in favor of slowly moving towards that goal. Dr. Faroog Abdullah’s discussions with P.V. Narasimha Rao also revealed that the central Indian government headed by Rao was not willing to do much to undo the post1953 developments against the people of Kashmir. The BJP in its attitude towards Kashmir has the support of urban middle classes, traders, government servants and other upper caste segments of the population. Jagmohan, a BJP candidate, won from Delhi on the plank of forcibly suppressing the people of Kashmir as he did during his years as governor of Kashmir.
Thus, on the one hand the main supporter of the United Front government the Congress Party is unenthusiastic about giving any new powers to the Kashmir Assembly; on the other hand, the main opposition party the BJP ~ is dead set against retaining even the existing article 370 recognizing any special status to Kashmir. The main Organs and leaders of public opinion these in India are located mainly in big urban centers have much in common with what the BJP stands for rather than what the U.F. government thinks on the issue. Even within the U.F. Left combine, there may be different perceptions on the matter. The Pandora’s Box still remains to be opened. As such, the Deve Gowda government has an uphill task ahead.
Instead of talking of bringing forward a Kashmir bill in the forthcoming session of Parliament, the UF government would do well first to create a congenial atmosphere in Kashmir itself to end the alienation of its people. First and foremost, the central government should release all political prisoners and, pending the process, to transfer them from far off Indian jails to the jails within Kashmir. Secondly, India must put an end to the Jaw less ness by Indian armed forces in Kashmir. The army’s main job should be to protect India’s international borders and not fight the people of Kashmir under cover of internal security duties. Thirdly, India must allow independent nongovernment organizations like the Amnesty International a free access to Kashmir and itself hold enquiries to punish the armed forces for wrongdoing over the years. Elections in Kashmir should be held with international observers overseeing the fairness and impartiality of the system rather than being made, once again, a preprogramed affair.
These are some of the measures that will instill confidence among Kashmiris that they can do business with India.
‘The people of Kashmir should differentiate between the fascist BJP’s Kashmir policy and the UF government’s tolerant and sober attitude, The Kashmiris fought well over the years and suffered immensely at Indian hands, No freedom loving country came to the rescue of the people of Kashmir while a few Islamic countries lent only political rather than armed or financial support. In the light of the experience, the people of Kashmir should give due weight to a democratic struggle and their dialogue with the UF government would help the Kashmiris. The political parties of Kashmir would do well to adopt a positive approach and not dismiss the initiative as useless. In any case, the process will bring to the fore the importance of the Kashmir problem within India. This could lead to greater powers to other states as well, India is bound to either disintegrate in the next few years or it will have to settle for a confederation of the various states. In any case, the states, including Kashmir, are bound to become ‘politically independent but economically mutually dependent in the years to come. The people of Kashmir should involve themselves in the exciting Indian drama hand in hand with other forces to regroup and strengthen themselves as a political force. First.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 26, 1996
