DAYA SAGAR
What Prime Minister MODI lead government has done during his 2nd term ( after 2014) as regards erstwhile Indian state of J&K could have been done by earlier governments too but was not done. NDA III government surely has come up with some difference in taking challenges. No doubt some may be holding different opinion advocating that they do not find much change as regards the common man issues and as of those who had been politically, administratively and opportunity wise ‘distantly’ placed . But it has to be take n note of that all these years the J&K state had been made to live in environments infested with uncontested & hence well cultivated myths that projected the State of J&K look like the only state of Indian Union posted with distancing signs w.r.t the Union.like the state having been linked with the Indian nation throug only a bridge like Art -370 where as it was a totally wrong presentation but had not been pointedly dismissed by those who mattered in times before 2015. Similar was the position with claims of having a separate flag, separate constitution and like that were posted in support of the theories that the State had special status as provided by constitution of India which too remained not dismissed all these years and such narrations were picked by even separatists as distancing symbols when even the human rights / fundamental rights of even woman indian citizens who were permanent residents of J&K were voilated and the permanent residents Schedule Trive of J&K were not provided reservation in the Legislative Assembly of J&K .
.Ofcourse it has been only on 11-03-2015 that the Government of India in a written reply to Rajaya Sabha Q- 138 in very plain terms informed the nation ( also the people outside ) that Art-370/ Constitution of India does not provide constitutionally special status to J&K The myth of special status had so much fascinated the innocent subjects of J&K that even some of those who had been denied due status in administration as well as as the legislature by earlier governments did get attracted by those who projected the Presidential Order issued under C.O 272 of 05-08-2019 and notification issued under C.O 273 of 06-08-2019 as actions of Union stripping the people of J&K of some ‘good’ they carried. So government of India / present leadership need be given some time for wiping off the impressions that the uncontested myths had created over nearly 7 decades and turbulances that could be there after 2019..
To quote one mainstream leader from Kashmiri valley in 2014-15 that no one can dare to take away Art-370 from Kashmiries , and in case one dares to take it off ‘said’ mainstream’ leader may pick up gun ; one very very senior main stream leader / non muslim ( even from outside Kashmir valley ) in 2016 said on the floor of Parliament that J&K had not merged with India where as other states merged ( where as there was no merger document to be signed by a Prince of a princely state with India Dominion after signing accession document) ; a J&K Chief Minister said in 2017 on the floor of JK Assembly that solution to Kashmir issue lies in PDP’s Self Rule Proposals ( where as Self Rule Proposals talked of joint control of India and Pakistan on some affairs of ‘Greater Jammu Kashmir’ and J&K to have right for deciding import / export tariff with main lands of India and Pakistan, and even Autonomy for J&K from India nation state ) ; but all statements & leaders went unchecked / uncorrected by even Government of India so has have been the misunderstanding they could cultivate/ nourish. Which is how some myths had become believable ‘truths’ for some ( mostly in Kashmir valley ) that some hard preventive steps had to be taken by Government after 4th August 2019. All need to work with patience on ground to carry the real truths and intentions of government of India to each and every corner of J&K so that the efforts of Government of India for establishing long lasting peace and stability in the J&K are further strengthened. Those still trumpeting that “Article 370 giving ‘special status’ to Jammu and Kashmir has been ‘abrogated’ & erstwhile State of J&K is after 2019 ‘fully integrated” with India must word their statements carefully since J&K has already been integral part of India. No doubt there has been the need for doing some administrative and political reforms as regards the wrongs done by earlier governments like the seats in Legislative Assembly and the locations of District Administrative units and much need be still done .Sure some of the reforms may need major surgeries and that may be the reason for such corrections still remaining pending. But the process for betterment has started after 2019 like ST reservation in Legislature of J&K UT already constitutionally created and some part corrections have also been there in terms of the Delimitation or J&K Legislative Assembly ( LA) order of 2022. Hope the process will be taken further by the LG Government as regards reorganization of district administrative units and as regards pending corrections through delimitation of seats in LA people will have to wait till Census data after 2031 census is known.
(Daya Sagar, is a senior journalist & analyst J&K Affairs , can be reached at dayasagr45@yahoo.com).