JSM: Memorandum Submitted to The All Parties Delegation on its Visit to Jammu by Prof. Virender Gupta, President, JSM

JSM: Memorandum Submitted to The All Parties Delegation on its Visit to Jammu by Prof. Virender Gupta, President, JSM
 

September 25, 2010 • 10:31 am

JSM: Memorandum Submitted to The All Parties Delegation on its Visit to Jammu on 21st September, 2010

Jammu State Morcha makes the following submission to the All Parties Delegation, led by the Union Home Minister for its consideration as a solution to Jammu & Kashmir problem:

The present situation in Kashmir Valley has arisen because of the policies pursued by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his predecessor Mufti Mohamed Sayed led PDP of hobnobbing with the secessionist elements, appeasing them, supporting their anti-India and separatist activities demands to buy temporary peace. Coupled to this is the present ‘GO SOFT’ policy of Omar Abdullah towards the stone throwers & other demonstrators along-with restraining the police & security forces from taking effective action against these demonstrators which has boosted & helped the Anti-India secessionist forces and the terrorists to consolidate their position and spread their Pan–Islamic message in the villages and work out a strategy to launch the present form of agitation of de-stabilising the present the system & Government and wage a systematic war against the country.


The other factor responsible for the present mess has been the Policy of the Government of India that has been pursued for the last 63 years, since the accession of Jammu and Kashmir State with India; of unduly pampering and appeasing the Kashmiri leadership & only one section of the population Kashmir Valley; at the cost of other Kashmir based communities, and the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions. The interests and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions were ignored, and even the national interests sacrificed to appease these sections. Unfortunately the Government of India is still following the same policy which will prove to be the ‘last straw on the camel’s back’ & lead to a total disintegration of the Union of India.


The Hurriyat Conference, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed; Dr. Farooq Abdullah or Omar Abdullah, represent only one section of Kashmir Valley i.e Sunni Muslims. They neither represent the Shia Muslims of the valley nor the Gujjars and Bakarwals, who incidentally are Sunni Muslims; nor the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions. They also definitely do not represent the people of the areas presently under the control of Pakistan. Any solution being proposed by this section of Kashmiri Leadership, can only be considered for the one section of Kashmiri Muslims, and it can in no way be forced upon the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions and other sections of Kashmiri society.


Central government as also most of the national political parties have always considered Kashmir division as the representative of the whole of J&K. As a result, interests of Jammu and Ladakh regions have always been sacrificed to the advantage of Kashmir region. Accords of 1947, 1952, 1975 and 1986 were made by the government of India with

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Kashmiri leadership and were imposed on the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions against their wishes. Even at present in all the negotiations, deliberations and conferences being conducting by the Govt. of India, Western countries or by Pakistan-sponsored agencies; the people of Jammu & Ladakh regions are not represented. Even during the recently held All Party Meeting held in New Delhi by PM Manmohan Singh; no representative of Jammu or Ladakh region was invited for participation.
J&K State is not just the Kashmir Valley alone & the Kashmir Valley is not the whole of Jammu and Kashmir State. It merely constitutes 15% of the area of Jammu and Kashmir State which is presently within the Indian Union. Furthermore the 78114 sq. km. area of Jammu and Kashmir State presently under forceful and illegal occupation of Pakistan & China does not contain even 1 sq. km. of Kashmiri speaking area. While finalizing any solution it must be realized that the three regions of the state, i.e. Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir have different and distinct Cultural, Geographical, Historical and Linguistic identities along-with the Social and political aspirations of these regions are also different and exclusive of each other.


The people of Jammu region, who have suffered worst kind of discrimination and exploitation at the hands of Kashmiri rulers in all the spheres of socio-political life, and faced indifferent attitude of Govt. of India and Central leadership of various political parties in the last 63 years, want to get rid of the Kashmiri domination. Jammuites are worried and apprehensive of the hidden designs of Kashmiri leadership to divide Jammu region on communal lines, and separate the Muslim majority areas of Doda, Poonch and Rajouri districts from Jammu region and make them a part of Greater Kashmir. The people of these districts have so far remained part and parcel of Jammu region in its struggle against discrimination. Jammu region Muslims have been worst sufferers of Kashmiri domination. There are attempts by Kashmiri leadership to distort the geographical, political and cultural identity of Jammu region & there are concerted efforts to change the demography of this region. As such the Jammu region does not want to remain part of J&K State as one unit and therefore, aspires for a separate Statehood within Indian Union.


Democracy and justice demand that any solution worked out for one section of the society should not be thrust upon others and it may be warned that any exercise to enforce upon the people of Jammu region any solution that is against their aspirations and wishes and appease a section of Kashmiri population shall be resisted and may compel the people of Jammu and Ladakh region in particular to go for a long drawn battle against Kashmiri leadership and the Government of India too. Giving extra importance to Kashmiri leaders and the separatists groups operating in the Valley and finding the solution that suits them would be a suicidal for the integrity of the country. Such a solution would be resisted by the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions and other nationalists in the state and in the rest of

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the country. The proposal of Self Rule of People Democratic Party which is the replica of Musharaf’s formula is deceptive and basically is in conformity with Abdul Shah Geelani demand of making whole of Jammu & Kashmir as part of Pakistan. By demanding the Greater Autonomy, National Conference wants the withdrawal of Indian Constitution to enable them to declare J&K as a theocratic Islamic State though agreeing to keep the State under the territorial jurisdiction of Secular India, for the time being

History stands witness to the fact that National Conference has always betrayed the faith reposed in it by the people of Jammu region with whose help they came to a majority in the State. They have immediately pushed the Autonomy & Resettlement Bills which are anti Jammu & for which they were never given any mandate by the people of Jammu region. Till date the Hindu Girls are still being issue only – VALID TILL MARRIAGE – Permanent Resident Certificates this is even after there is a ruling from the J&K High Court to discontinue such a practise.



Reorganization of the J&K State the Only Way Out

The people of Jammu region feel that anti-Jammu and separatist psyche of Kashmir coupled with the appeasement policy of the central Government towards Kashmiri leadership, will not permit a system in which Jammu can have its due share in the present political structure. People of Ladakh region also have similar feelings.

J&K needs a political solution under the frame work of Indian constitution. This solution should address the political aspiration of all the sections and all the regions of the state. The demand of the time is to reorganize Jammu and Kashmir State and divide it into four political units:
1. Constituting separate states of Jammu Province and Kashmir Valley,
2. Granting Ladakh a Union Territory status,
3. Centrally administered piece of land carved out within the Kashmir Valley for the settlement of Kashmiri Pandits and other minorities.



The advantages of this reorganization will be as under:


The reorganization of J&K State is in the national interest as well as in the interest of all the three regions of the state. It will end inter-regional tensions, allow sound polity to develop on purely economic and welfare issues. All the three regions would feel satisfied with their political aspirations fulfilled.



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It shall free Jammu and Ladakh from the Kashmiri domination and pressures & insulate these from the influence of militancy and that of the secessionist elements of the Valley. Jammu region will be saved from the communal divide.


The demand for re-organization of state is not communal. It is based purely on regional considerations. Jammu region has about 30% Muslim population where there is also a good population of Sikhs, Christians and Jains. All the three regions of the state are distinct geographical units, separated from each other by Peer Panjal and Zozila Pass.

In the end it may be concluded that Jammu region is a fit case for the consideration of the Indian nation as a viable separate state. This region cannot be allowed to remain hostage to the consistent discriminatory attitude of the Kashmiri leadership. Its interests and aspirations cannot be allowed to be sacrificed any further. The people of this region cannot be forced to suffer and face humiliation and crisis of their identity simply because they are patriotic, and have made consistent sacrifices in defending the national borders, and national interests in this part of the country.

Prof. Virender Gupta

President

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