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| Regional Council for Jammu,Old wine in new bottle | |
By Yash Bhasin
Analyzing that the Congress rout in the Lok Sabha elections is caused due to the party not vigorously pursuing for the fulfillment of the regional aspirations of Jammu and taking concrete steps for its political empowerment, the defeated Congress candidate from Jammu- Poonch Lok Sabha seat Madan Lal Sharma has made a strong pitch for granting regional autonomy to Jammu. The state unit Congress president Saif-u-din Soz has almost endorsed the suggestion made by former Congress MP Madan Lal Sharma, by stating that there is no harm in raising this issue. But how far Congress is serious and earnest in their demand in this regard is to be seen.
The suggestion for granting regional autonomy to Jammu by constituting autonomous regional council for it is old one dating as back as soon after the transfer of power from Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh to Sheikh Abdullah, after J&K accession with India. Prof. Balraj Madhok, a political ideologue of RSS, who conceived the idea of floating a regional political party, named Praja Parishad for Jammu, was the original author of regional autonomy for Jammu, for its political empowerment, as a means to the region not playing second fiddle to Kashmir.
The first agitation launched by Praja Parishad in 1949 against the authoritarian rule of Sheikh Abdullah and his government’s anti Jammu region policies and actions, had the two main slogans Regional Autonomy (Subahi Khud Mukhtiari, the term which was precisely used) and zonal plebiscite. Since the Prime Minister Nehru had made commitment in the United Nation for holding plebiscite in the state, to ascertain the wishes of the people of the state about their choice to be part of India or to join Pakistan. Since it was feared that in case of plebiscite held jointly for whole of the state, the majority may opt for Pakistan, Prof. Balraj Madhok advocated for zonal plebiscite meaning that the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir regions should be taken separately, believing that majority in Jammu region will opt for India and in this way at least Jammu region will be saved from going to Pakistan and continue remaining with India. But under UN resolution the holding of plebiscite was conditional for Pakistan to vacate aggression and withdraw its forces from the territory in J&K under its occupation. Since Pakistan never fulfilled this condition and later it joined NATO, The UN resolution for plebiscite became redundant and irrelevant and hence Indian government backed of the commitment. Under the circumstances the demand for zonal plebiscite also became irrelevant. However, Praja Parishad in due course of time, as the issue changed, forgot about regional autonomy for Jammu. Incidentally, I was the first to volunteer and court my arrest, by violating section 144 in this first agitation launch by Praja Parishad. I was then a student of first year for four years degree course in GGM Science College Jammu.
Balraj Puri, a prominent socialist leader and an admirer and supporter of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and his National Conference, picked up the thread of regional autonomy by forcefully advocating the same as means to resolve inter regional tensions and distrust. The Delhi agreement of 1952, entered into by Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and then J&K Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, in the wake of students agitation and 40 days long hunger strike launched by Students National Association, Jammu, an RSS floated students organization, had got provision for granting internal autonomy to Jammu region. But since Praja Parishad rejected the same, it was not pursued and ultimately dropped. The Praja Parishad then advocated complete integration of J&K with the rest of the country, launching a prolonged and powerful agitation on the slogan of “Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan and Ek Pradhan” meaning by undoing the separate status being granted to the J&K state, under which it would have its own constitution, its own state flag and its own constitutional head, which was later designated as Sadre Riyasat.
Sometime, in sixtees, when Bakshi Gulam Mohammad was the Prime Minister of J&K Jammu Autonomy Forum was formed, of which Balraj Puri was a leading figure. The other prominent leaders of the forum included another prominent socialist leader and journalist Om Saraf, Ved Bhasin, Presently editor Kashmir Times and Amrit Malhotra, Presently Chairman J&K Legislative Council. The forum had the patronage and support of Dr. Karan Singh. The forum advocated grant of regional autonomy to Jammu. But the Praja Parishad dubbed this forum and its leaders as agents of USA. Not getting any public support from any political and socio-cultural outfit, the forum in due course of time met its own death.
However, during the time negotiations were going on between the Prime minister Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who was earlier released from the jail, for handing over of power in the state again to Sheikh Abdullah, a four tier draft was chalked out in a conference held at Srinagar, for distribution of power at the grass root level. While the formula percolated the power to the districts, blocks and Panchayats, the regions were over passed. Obviously this was rejected by the political and social forces in Jammu.
After Sheikh Abdullah came back to power in 1974 as J&K Chief Minister, accepting the reality of eroded autonomy to the J&K state, this formula of distribution of power to the grass root level was also forgotten.
It may be mention here that under Article 371 of the Indian constitution there is provision for granting internal autonomy and political empowerment to a sub region within a state, which has remained backward and not politically empowered in the state as a whole. Darjeeling autonomous hill development councils and similar autonomous development councils for Leh and Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir are the cases in the matter.
The Jan Sang and BJP for a very long were opposed to any sort of regional autonomy and constitution of autonomous regional councils for Jammu and Kashmir. Their thrust was on full integration of J&K with the rest of the country, doing away with all the sign of special status and separatism. It however, at one stage advocated regional development councils, demanding earmarking of separate funds and separate plans for development of Jammu region and Kashmir valley. This demand was bereft of share in political power.
However later BJP came around demanding statuary regional council for Jammu. A detailed draft of the same was prepared by me, when I was one of the general secretaries of BJP in J&K. This blue print was drafted by me with the assistance of Late Prof Ishwar Sharma, who had then joined BJP. The blue print was presented by a deputation of J&K BJP to the then state governor, BK Nehru.
In the 1983 state assembly elections, I was put incharge of conducting tours of top national party leaders to various constituencies. Accordingly I also conducted the tour of then party’s National President Attal Bihari Vajpayee to Rajouri and Poonch Distts. On our return journey Attal Ji asked me about the demand for regional autonomy for Jammu, by constituting autonomous council for Jammu. I told him that party leaders at local level were allergic to the term of regional autonomy, as they associate this demand with Balraj Puri. Vajpayee Ji laughed at the cause of opposition by local BJP to the Jammu autonomy demand, only on account of the same having been forcefully advocated throughout by Balraj Puri, whose bona fide they suspected. On return to Jammu city, Attal Ji made a strong pitch for grant of regional autonomy to Jammu and constitution of autonomous regional council, at a public meeting he addressed at Gandhi Nagar Jammu. He drew the attention that such a remedy was provided under Article 371 in the Indian constitution for sub regions in a state, which otherwise are denied development and due share in political power in the state as a whole.
However, in this election BJP drew total blank as a result of Prime Minister Indra Gandhi, during her election campaign in Jammu played a strong Hindu card, which polarized the voters between the Congress and the NC. The demand for regional autonomy was again put in cold storage and almost forgotten. Thus this long pending demand has never been pursed seriously and earnestly by any political party or forum.
The experience of formation of regional councils for the sub regions in certain states has not proved effective, to political empower these neglected sub regions. This has given demand to separate states, the demand for which is also getting momentum in Jammu.
(The writer is senior journalist of J&K)
(Opinions expressed in write-ups/articles/Letters are the sole responsibility of the authors and they may not represent the scoopnews.in)
Editor, Scoop News
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