By Sudha Dixit
Atal Bihari Bajpaiyee wrote a poem where he says that our freedom is not yet complete. He was concerned about J & K situation. Also about reservation. Coming to J &K special status, Mr. Modi has done it. When the news about it was making rounds, Mehbooba Mufti was shouting hoarse that any such move would trigger bomb blasts like situation. Mr. Abdullah exclaimed that there would be massacre. All shouting whimpered down & landed them in jail. India erupted in jubilation. People with vested interests are expressing their misplaced moral preaching. Congress is most vocal of them. It wasn’t vocal when emergency was imposed. It did not express concern when Kashmiri pundits were butchered and terrorized to flee from Kashmir.
There are certain very valid & logical questions any sane person would ask. Why Kashmir was given a special status ? The answer some people give is that situation in 1947 demanded it, May be. We know that it was not to be. Sheikh Abdullah approached Pt. Nehru and (privately) and asked him to. use his influence for it. Nehru had a soft corner for Sheikh Abdulla ( Reason for that is in M. O. Mathai’s book). They asked Dr. Ambedkar to do that. Dr. Ambedkar refused. Finally this was done by Gopal Swamy Iyangar. Since there was dissent about it the word ‘interim’ was added. Now any rule any clause that is temporary makes the rule temporary only. Even otherwise I constitution can be amended why can’t the ‘temporary ‘ provisions ?
Another point is that special status is fine but why dual citizenship? Why no RTI,RTE or CAG? We do not ask whether UP or Kerala or any other state is part of India. Why Kashmir then ? A big chunk of money from us tax payers goes to ‘our bechara Kashmir’ but we- the same tax payers cannot buy land in the valley. Muslim girls cannot marry Indian boy. If she does, she loses Kashmiri citizenship. This is bad enough but height of discrimination is that a Kashmiri girl can marry a Pakistani. Wah, is this Kashmir in India or in Pakistan ? Now wait – a Kashmiri girl marries a Pakistani- lo behold ! That Paki gets Kashmiri citizenship. How ridiculous and idiotic. Can any Indian marry a girl from PoK and get Pakistani citizenship ? For seventy years Congress ruled India, didn’t it see the discrepancy ? Or it deliberately ignored it?
Prime minister Modi had guts and will to look into it take the corrective measure. He had always taken non- populist decisions. It is his risk taking capacity that makes him great. Other Indian political parties, sadly, lack this quality. Congress and some psudo- intellectuals are making noise about the arrest of Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. Don’t they know that it was necessary for the safety of common people who live there? These anti- humanity people call Afzal Guru a martyr and army man a gunda. We need not trust them. Abdullah said it was a black day for democracy. I would say that all along there were black days in the valley, now only , the sun has come out. I have been to Kashmir- the paradise. The poverty, lack of hygiene, no education, no jobs for the youth, etc reigns over there. There was no development – I noticed that. So what the corrupt politicians of the valley are harping about.
Congress talks about unilateral decision. Such a bold and important decision has to be taken unilaterally. They say that it’s a violation of constitution, a promise has been broken. Well, princes of India, too, were promised privy purse. Indira Gandhi abolished that didn’t she? It was done for equality and integrity in India. Same logic applies here. Our Bharat is one nation with single citizenship and single flag. I think Atal ji would be happy up there. In a single stroke Narendra Modi has broken the chain and freed India from clutches of seventy year old bondage.
About the Author: Sudha Dixit is a writer and poet. She currently lives in Bangalore and had a career in real estate spanning over 15 years. She is a graduate of Aligarh Muslim University, Luknow University and Banaras Hindu University. Her articles and poems frequently appears in various online journals and magazines.