NEW DELHI: Most MPs on the Home Ministry’s consultative committee, including many Congress members, voiced their strong disapproving on the Government’s mentions to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir, in a meeting with Home Minister S.B.Chavan,
“The times not propitious Hold polls only after the political process has been initiated in the Valley. No point in holding elections in a vacuum,” was the comments made by attending members.
Apparently it all started when Chavan told the members that all possible steps were being taken to create an atmosphere conducive for holding elections in the State with active cooperation of all secular, democratic and nationalist forces.
The Home Minister said 280 important “political” leaders would be released by the Government soon as part of efforts to initiate the political process in the Valley. This would be in addition to the five already freed, and the 142 recently released on parole,
“Even the militant elements, which are ready to work within the framework of the Constitution and shun violence, are welcome to join the process,” the Home Minister said.
In support of the Government’s plans, Chavan announced that the security forces had been able to contain the situation and keep up the pressure on the militants, thus achieving notable gains through combing and search operations.
He backed up his statements with figures, Till mid-April, 1992 figures were over200 militants killed, over 650 arrested, and more than 1100 AK rifles, 50 machine-guns, 225 pistols, 750 hand grenades and 110 rockets/rocket launchers state to study the situation and make recommendations to the Home Ministry.
This, however, did not find favor with his colleague Syed Shahbuddin, who said that no one would talk to an official delegation.
“Instead the Government should encourage individual MPs to visit the Valley, talk to the people, and come back and give inputs to the Government,” he said.
The Government’s plans to set up autonomous district and councils in Leh and Kargil also led to quite a hue and cry among some members,
“Don’t do it,” said Syed Shahbuddin (Janata Dal), “You’ll create a communal divide,” he said referring to the fact that Leh had a Buddhist majority and Kargil a Muslim majority.
“Instead have a regional council for the entire Ladakh area,” the Janata Dal member suggested so that there would be a communal balance.
“Why not both?” responded Chavan, Shahbuddin said it would be ridiculous to have both, that it would become too much of a top-heavy semi-autonomous Structure for a population of only two lakh.
Chavan, fearful of further criticism, cut short the meeting but not before members commended the Government on the release of the five militant leaders at the end of March.
The members also thought that the stopping of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front from crossing the Line of Control by both India and Pakistan was a good step.
Shahabuddin pointed out that while the criminalization of militancy was putting a lot of people off atrocities by was committed to punish those found guilty of atrocities; it had yet to submit an inquiry report pam in April.
He chided the Government” not yet coming-up with a scheme for compensating the families of innocent victims.
The only BJP member to Bhakt criticised Article 370 of the constitution and referred to the mistakes made by the Government since 1947,
The meeting was attended by Minister of State M.M Jacob, Home Secretary Madhay Godbole, and 19 MPs.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 22, 1992
