Government of India should give unequivocal assurance not to tamper with Article 370 Sachnews Jammu Kashmir New Dehli, June 11: The Member of Parliament, G.N. Ratanpuri has demanded that the Government of India should initiate a process to address the larger political issue of Kashmir & talk to all stake holders. Welcoming the commitment to return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homes he said that thousands of Muslim families who migrated to different parts of the country and many thousand who crossed over to the other side of LOC should be included in the rehabilitation package. Participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks to the Presidents Address in Rajya Sabha he said that the address reads like a wish-list, too good to be true. But, its most positive aspect is the absence of all those contentious issues which were raised by the ruling party during election campaign to garner the votes. He highlighted the fact that the ruling party has almost absolutely polarised the society to get this mandate. This is a very heavy price and to bring back the society on rails of mutual trust may take much longer time. Mr. Ratanpuri said that as a result of this polarisation the Muslims feel extremely insecure and to quote Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, they can not even muster the courage to express their fears. Terming the UP State governments decision of granting relief to Muzzaffar Nagar riot victims only in lieu of their right to return to their home and hearth, as shameful, he hoped that the Ratnakar in the ruling party has really had an encounter with Narad Muni and its change of heart is genuine. He expected that the government will really be inclusive in its approach and able to carry along all the communities. He demanded an unequivocal commitment from the government that no change will be sort unilaterally in Article 370. The MP informed the House that the MOS in PMO by his irresponsible statement on application of article 370 has generated a lot of mistrust. Perhaps, he was oblivious of its dangerous repercussions and the clarification thereafter should have been more assuring. He said that the Ministers statement generated interest in many quarters about the land prices around the lake. But, the non-state subjects keen to own a house near Dal Lake can own the House Boat only. House they can not own they will have to continue with hiring one. Terming the argument of Article 370 being any impediment in the development and progress of J&K as preposterous, he said that provision is for land grants for industry exist in the prevailing system. He said that while many of those on Treasury Benches today, have advocated the change in demographic character of J&K in the past, many today appear keen to gain the trust of Kashmiri people. He hoped that those who wanted to solve the Kashmir problem by driving out Muslims and bringing in non-muslims have genuinely understood that coercion will not work and peace will come only through re-conciliation. The Member argued that re-conciliation is not possible without justice and justice will be ensured only if we speak truth, we support truth, we appreciate truth and we follow truth. Addressing those who question the special status of J&K in the Indian union he said that J&K definitely is not like any other state. The state was overwhelmingly Muslim majority area and when the sub-continent was divided on the basis of two- nation theory, the Muslims of J&K decided to join India and not Pakistan. Castigating those who tried to give the credit of accession to Maharaja alone, he said if so was the case then Hyderabad and Junagarh would have been parts of Pakistan and not India. The accession of J&K to India could be realised only due to support of the National Conference under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. The MP reminded the House that in 1947 when the whole of sub-continent was burning in the fires of communal hatred, Muslims in J&K protected their Hindu brethren at the cost of their lives. The sad aspect of this story is that thousands of Muslims were slaughtered by mobs in Jammu at that time. He said that the Central government has, right from 1947, unilaterally tried to alter the relationship between state and centre on the strength of it being a powerful partner to agreement. It altered the terms of accession and eroded the autonomy of the state. Today, if the new government is keen to gain the trust of the people of J&K it can pick up the threads from where they were left by Vajpayee ji. He said a beginning should immediately be made by addressing the economic issues. The state should be compensated for the losses of Indus water Treaty, The NHPC Hydel Projects in J&K, where from profits many times more than investment have been earned, should be transferred to J&K government, action should be taken on the recommendations of working groups constituted by the former Prime Minister and a package for up-gradation and modernisation of road network in J&K should be announced immediately.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Jun 2014 16:47:48 +0000
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