Tags:
Journalism of Courage
In your editorial 8216;Srinagar calling8217; IE, June 17, you have rightly opined that 8216;8216;the nation8217;s fight against terrorism will not succeed unless the fight for the Kashmiri mind complements it8217;8217;. You have suggested that New Delhi which 8216;8216;is now in the right frame of mind to contemplate a major political initiative8217;8217;, should grant to the Kashmiris 8216;8216;any kind of autonomy 8230; within the framework of the Indian Constitution8217;8217;.
Fair enough. Autonomy, after all, is a political concept that seeks to empower the people to manage their own affairs. This very noble idea inspired public-spirited Indians in the 19th century to launch an all-out struggle against the British and attain for the country the form of government that existed in colonies like Canada and Australia. Autonomy was the battle cry in our freedom struggle right up to 1929 when the Congress repudiated the idea and demanded Purna Swaraj.
I agree with you that the offer of a fair share to the Kashmiris as well as the people of Jammu and Ladakh in the government has become a dire necessity. However, the fundamental question is: Should we adopt and implement the April 1999 State Autonomy Committee Report SACR?
The answer cannot be yes. Any impartial investigator will vouch for the fact that the SACR has been designed to curtail the civil liberties and democratic rights of the people of the state, drive the state away from the country8217;s mainstream politics and facilitate the total domination of the ruling National Conference NC over the state8217;s political and economic institutions. If impelemented, the SARC would only invest the Valley8217;s ruling elite with absolute legislative, executive and judicial powers.
It is for this reason that the autonomy advocated by the NC does not enjoy universal backing in the state. This can be seen from the clamour in Jammu and Ladakh in favour of a political mechanism that integrates them fully with New Delhi and enables them to shape their political and economic future under the Indian Constitution. This is also evident from the poll conducted in J038;K by Britain8217;s largest independent market agency, MORI.
Another factor is the peculiar demographic landscape of J038;K. It consists of three distinct geographical, historical and cultural regions. It houses several religious and ethnic groups with conflicting political aspirations.
Any attempt to ignore these stark realities and impose on the unwilling people the type of autonomy the NC stands for would be to aggravate the vexed Kashmir problem. Our approach has to be holistic. The solution must fulfil the legitimate political aspirations of people in different regions of the state. The existing unitary structure must go and the state8217;s polity must be reorganised on a federal, not religious, basis. Federalisation of the state holds the key to peace, people8217;s empowerment and real autonomy.
The writer is professor of history, Jammu University and member, ICHR, New Delhi
