KOCHI (PTI): General Secretary of India’s communist party (Marxist) Harkishen Singh Surjeet on Oct.20 stressed the need for granting ‘autonomy’ to Jammu and Kashmir with minimum central intervention as a first step towards initiating political process in the troubled border state in India’s north,

Addressing a Press conference here in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Surjeet said such a step might help in bringing the agitated section of the population to the national mainstream. Though he did not elaborate on the type of autonomy, he said it should be based on principles like financial independence to the state, he said.

The two-main factions agitating in Kashmir were the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front(JKLF), which was demanding an independent Kashmir, and the “Hisbul Mujahidi,” an outfit of the pro Pakistan “Jamaat-E-Islami,” he said adding it would not be difficult to win over the former by indicating steps towards autonomy.

Referring to Punjab, Surjeet said the situation there was now quite favorable, with the militants and the separatists losing hold over the people. He urged the government to exploit the present situation to restore democratic normalcy in the state, especially because the present favorable climate was not likely to last long.

On the Ramjanma bhoomi-Babri Mosque issue, he said it was unfortunate that a secular movement to counter the propaganda unleashed by parties like Bharatiya Janata Party on the issue was yet to emerge.

He said his party’s prime concern at present was to strengthen the country’s unity and integrity for which it was ready to cooperate with all like-minded parties and forces.

Asked if his party was anticipating a mid-term poll, he said “at present no. But we cannot say: anything. If the Center fails to tackle the pressing problems of the country anything can happen.”

On whether his party was contemplating infusing young blood into its leadership on the Chinese lines, he said half those in the CPIM politburo were young and so were the majority of active party leaders. “In the states also we are trying to infuse maximum young blood,” he said.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 30, 1992