Prakash Javadekar takes a swipe as AAP MP asks producers to upload The Kashmir Files on YouTube

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“We should understand why so many people have turned up to watch ‘Kashmir Files’. Sanjay Singh also said show it on Doordarshan, YouTube. Every citizen of the country should see it. If every citizen has to watch it then why are you not making it tax-free in Delhi,” Javadekar said.

Referring to Singh’s Aam Aadmi Party, he said it is a strange party, which has built a Ram temple in Delhi but opposes the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

During the discussion, Singh had attacked the BJP for being a silent spectator to the exodus of pandits from the valley.

“In 1989, when pandits were thrown out of the state, BJP was part of the government. When the pandits were being beaten up and forced to leave, you (BJP) were part of the government and you were silent. History cannot be forgotten, your party member Jagmohan was the Governor of J&K,” Singh charged.

Javadekar said that a narrative is being spread that there was the VP Singh government at that time and Jagmohan was the governor.

“Jagmohan was appointed governor by Indira (Gandhi) ji. Jagmohan came to the BJP afterwards,” Javadekar said.

He said that Jagmohan has written a book in which he elaborates how a vicious campaign was run against Pandits when Farooq Abdullah was chief minister with the Congress support and there was the Rajiv Gandhi government at the Centre.

“Yasin Malik who was a major part of this conspiracy and there is angst against him across the country, who honoured him? Who invited him in all the discussions. If Prime Minister Manmohan Singh entertains Yasin Malik then how will it work?” Javadekar said.

His speech was interrupted by Congress member Jairam Ramesh who said that the house has been extended for discussion on the resolution and not to discuss “nonsense”.

“Why won’t we set the record straight. There were slogans of ‘Azaadi Azaadi’, ‘Afzal tumhare kaatil jinda hai’, ‘Ek Afzal Maroge to har Ghar se Afzal niklega’. Who supported these slogans?” Javadekar said.

He said that the anger of people against the “tukde tukde” gang has come out in “The Kashmir Files”.

“Those who call themselves anarchist are preaching patriotism,” Javadekar said.

Talking about the resolution to form a civilised culture at the national and state levels and allocation of adequate financial assistance to the group associated with such tradition and micro-culture, Javadekar said Indian civilisation represents diversity and tolerance.

Participating in the discussion, Congress member Amee Yajnik said that it was Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision for the country which led to establishment of IITs, IIMs and AIIMS.

“Today we take too much pride when somebody comes from abroad, heads the biggest corporation in the world…of Indian origin having studied in IIT. We forget the fact that we should provide our students with the same kind of education where they can head corporations or companies abroad or in India,” she said.

Congress MP Kumar Ketkar said that Sinha in his resolution has mixed terms like culture, civilisation, tradition, religion, ethos and nation.

“All these terms are mixed for making political arguments which are actually covered by some kind of semi-philosophical statement,” Ketkar.

He said that in Indonesia majority of the Muslims have Hindu names.

“Tradition, culture, epics do not necessarily have national boundaries. We should not mix up national boundaries with national cultures and national civilisation,” Ketkar said.

Sujeet Kumar of the BJD said that among the large economies, India spends the lowest on its R&D.

“It is R&D on pharma, high-end tech, IT, and includes research on literature, art and culture…We spend only 0.7 per cent of GDP on R&D,” he said, underlining the need to boost R&D spends.

He also emphasised on the need to open more ICCR centres.

Despite its rich heritage, India has only 37 ICCR centres across the globe, Kumar said, adding that the number of ICCR centres need to be increased to 100 at a time when the country is focusing on reviving ancient knowledge systems, and showcasing its traditions and culture to the world.

Mahesh Poddar of the BJP said India represented a world in itself.

On the debate surrounding ‘The Kashmir Files’, Poddar said the events that unfolded in Kashmir were sad.

“Today there is a debate on whether we should remember these sad events, or not. It is regrettable that it is becoming a matter of debate…It should be a matter of concern…that even as such a big incident happened, the entire truth did not come out and there was no resolution,” Poddar said.

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