People's Democracy

ORISSA SEMINARS ON KASHMIR PROBLEM

‘Dialogue, Autonomy, Development Are Essential’

KASHMIR is shedding tears and spills blood every now and then, and that is what underlines the necessity of solving the Kashmir problem expeditiously. This was the emotion-choked cry of Yousuf Tarigami, secretary of the Jammu & Kashmir state committee of the CPI(M), at a seminar he addressed Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, on “Kashmir Problem & National Integration” on December 27, 2010. He also expressed his confidence that the Kashmir problem, though very complicated, can be solved through dialogue, by restoration of autonomy and ensuring economic development.

Held at the IDCOL Auditorium in Bhubaneswar, the seminar was chaired by Sivaji Patnaik, former member of parliament. Others who addressed the seminar were All India Bar Council’s former chairman Jagannath Patnaik, CPI(M)’s Orissa state secretary Janardan Pati, and the party’s state  secretariat member Santosh Das. Tarigami, a member of the CPI(M) Central Committee, also addressed two more seminars at Berhampur and Rourkela on December 26 and 28, 2010 respectively. These seminars were organised by the CPI(M)’s Orissa state committee as part of the Kashmir solidarity campaign in response to the call of the Central Committee.

Recalling the history of Kashmir and India, Tarigami recalled how the people of Kashmir rejected the two-nation theory of Jinnah and decided to integrate themselves with the Indian Union. Jinnah was of the opinion that inclusion of Kashmir in Pakistan was the divine right of the latter since the former happened to be a Muslim dominated region. But the people of Kashmir rebuffed Jinnah that if they were Muslims, they were also human beings and they were Kashmiris as well. It was with this feeling that they fought the Pathan raiders in 1947. this was at a time when the ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, was reluctant to join the Indian Union and sign the instrument of accession with the latter, and was aiming to form a Hindu theocratic state (Hindu Rashtra) in Kashmir.

Referring to article 370 of the Indian constitution, Tarigami said that without this article India has no constitutional relationship with Kashmir. It is mentioned in the instrument of accession, signed between Maharaja Hari Singh and the Indian Union, that barring the external affairs, defence & communication all other powers would be enjoyed by the state of Jammu & Kashmir as part of its autonomy. The constituent assembly that incorporated article 370 in Indian constitution comprised representatives of the National Conference nominated by Maharaja Hari Singh. Kashmir, told Tarigami, happens to be the apple of discord between India and Pakistan and that has so far led to three wars (in 1947, 1965 and 1971) and to a limited war in Kargil, besides leading to the nuclearisation of South Asia. Both countries say they are facing a severe paucity of money to spend on poverty alleviation programmes, for creation of jobs for youth and to address the woe of the farmers, but yet they have enough money to strengthen their respective arsenals.

As it is today, the army has been torturing the people of Kashmir and even the CBI inquiries have confirmed this truth. During the last several months, 112 young men are killed by the army. The stone pelting youth are sought to be rebuffed with bullets. The Kashmir situation needs a political solution. Though the recent parliamentary delegation created some good impact, there was a sad stagnation as the follow-up. It would have been proper for the central government to constitute a committee comprising leaders of political parties. Along with organising a continuing dialogue with the people of Kashmir, the government of India should also hold composite talks with Pakistan to overcome the crisis, opined Tarigarmi. He expressed his gratitude to the people of Orissa and the enlightened audience that have showed interest in a solution of the Kashmir problem.

Jagannath Patnaik, a reputed lawyer, asserted that the failure to meet the aspiration of the people of Kashmir is the root cause of the problem. Interpreting article 370, he told that the essence of the article is that the conditionality of the instrument of accession could not be violated. Referring to the Supreme Court judgement, he recalled that when the indirect election to Lok Sabha from Jammu & Kashmir was challenged in 1961, the apex court had said in its judgement that it was not a violation of the constitution. Patnaik also said positive impact on Kashmir could be ensured by easing the Indo-Pak tensions.

Janardan Pati, in his address, told that it was not the strength of military but dialogue, brotherhood, secularism and restoration of autonomy to Jammu & Kashmir that would pave the way for a solution of the Kashmir problem. This also requires the grant of regional autonomy to Jammu, the Kashmir valley and Ladakh, and a normalisation of the Indo-Pak relations.