The order extending Presidential rule to the State of Jammu and Kashmir completes the process that was initiated soon after late Sheikh Abdulla was dismissed as Prime Minister of the State and put behind the prison bars. The instrument of accession of the State to India had envisaged an autonomous character for J & K with India exercising limited suzerainty over it. To give permanence to the instrument the arrangement was formally incorporated in the constitution and a special status was bestowed upon Jammu and Kashmir through Article 370.
The Maharaja came to be known as Sadar e Rivast and the head of the State was called the Prime Minister. Late Sheikh Abdulla who became the first Prime Minister of the State was invariably received by the Indian Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Lal Nehru in accordance with the international norms of protocol whenever the former visited India
After the dismissal of Sheikh Abdulla which in itself was a violation of Article 370 his successor Bakshi Glulam Muhammad’s designation was changed from Prime Minister to Chief Minister. Through another cunning move the then Sadar e Rivast Maharaja Karan Singh was persuaded to join the Central cabinet and the vacancy of Sadar e Rivast was filled by substituting a Governor for the post of Sadar e Riyast. Simultaneously a sinister process was set in motion to slowly nibble at autonomous character of the State. This process was actually the extension of the stratagem that was put in operation to subvert the Federal character of the constitution.
Ever since independence Hindi belt has dominated the Indian political scene. Hindi speaking states have literally been exploiting the non-Hindi states for their economic benefits. The attempt to convert the federal structure to a unitary system motivated by their anxiety to perpetuate the dominance of the Hindi belt.
More powers to the States portend bleak prospects both for Hindi language and Hindi belts parasitic economy besides jeopardizing its current political preeminence.
Bhartiya Janata Party and other Hindu fundamentalist organizations have their strongholds only in the Hindi belt and it is these elements that have been goading the Central government to abrogate Article 370. It is these elements that are advocating unitary system of government in order to reduce non Hindi speaking States to dependent vassals.
These shortsighted politicians do not realize that their misplaced chauvinism is gradually pushing India to the brink of disintegration They do not realize that their policy of forcibly thrusting Hindi language down the throats of nonHindi States has already generated such a reaction that nonHindi States are not prepared to accept it even as a link language let alone accepting it as a national language.
Since the ruling Congress (I) also derives its strength primarily from the Hindi belt it is playing the dangerous game of the fundament lists in order to preserve its hold for short term political gains it is feeding destabilizing forces. India’s unity today is hanging (on a precarious precipice and a little bungling can fracture it into pieces Only sure way to preserve it is through giving autonomy to States and not by robbing their powers.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 12, 1986
