Back door tactics and political maneuvering has given Delhi yet another year of control in J&K. Using article 370 which essentially suspends the constitution for a state and supplants it with rule from the Center, residents will be under the Congress(I) thumb till Sept.1994,
Home Minister S.B.Chavan dragged the bomb in the Lok Sabha in February but the aftershocks are just now reaching the people. J&K government (recently appointed Gen Rao, the center’s backing) gave his sanction, allowing ago ahead for the fourth year. This is contrary to art.356 under which, no proclamation can remain in force for more than three years. Given the political arithmetic in Parliament Congress (I) could have been in some trouble, if the nor mal and mechanism of a constitutional amendment had been used to extend central control but, one must note that the Constitution was amended three times in the Punjab in similar circumstances [Const.64, 67, 68 Amendment Acts and look at the situation in “The land of five rivers’ now to see if the policy is as any indication of successful governing.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 11, 1993
