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6 News the Newsbehind JULY 08, 2019is violative of the Constitution and a
threat to federalism. Under its scheme,
the Prime Minister can recommend
dissolution of the Lok Sabha to the
President and order fresh election.
Chief Ministers of all the States and
the Union Territories will have to fall
in line to maintain synchronisation of
election. It would also usurp powers of
the Governor......”
EXPERT ANALYSES
JAMMU AND KASHMIR:
DEBATE ON ALTERING THE
FUNDAMENTALS
Both houses of Parliament witnessed
a spirited debate on Jammu and
Kashmir. Th e context was the decision
to extend President’s Rule in the state
by six more months (which needed
legislative sanction) and the extension
of reservations to citizens living near
the international border in the state.
But this, writes the Hindustan Times,
“became an opportunity for a wider
debate on the particular situation in
Jammu and Kashmir — its history; its
relationship with the Indian Union;
violence and terrorism; the role of
Pakistan; New Delhi’s mistakes; the
alienation in the valley; the diversity
within the state; and democratic
practice in the state.”
Laying out the Centre’s thinking on
Jammu and Kashmir, Home minister
Amit Shah reiterated that the state was
an integral part of India. He articulated
a tough line on terror and said that the
Centre would not spare any element
which sought to engineer violence
Kashmir, including by going across the
border if necessary.
As expected, Union Home Minister
Amit Shah went hard on Kashmir.
Seeking extension of President’s rule in
the state, he told the Lok Sabha Friday
that Article 370 — which grants special
status to the state — is ‘temporary’.
Invoking Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s
“Jamhooriyat, Kashmiriyat, Insaniyat”
(humanity, peace, and keeping the sanc-
tity of the people of Kashmir) approach
for J&K, Shah Monday appealed to the
Valley youth “not be misled” by those
asking them to hurl stones. People of
Kashmir should “not be scared” nor in-
fl uenced by wrong propaganda. “Th ere
is no need for fear in anyone’s mind,”
Shah said in Rajya Sabha.
On Jamhooriyat (democracy) in
Kashmir, Shah said it should “not
be restricted to three families”. Th e
government, he said, had conducted
successful panchayat elections in the
state. On Kashmiriyat, he said they
hope to see the return of Kashmiri
Pandits and Sufi s to the Valley. And
on Insaniyat, he mentioned the social
welfare schemes that have benefi tted
people of the state along with other
parts of the country.
He said separatist leaders who call
for shutdown of schools in the Valley
have sent their own children abroad to
study. Th e government, he said, has a
list of such people.
Underlining the government’s “zero
tolerance” policy on terrorism, Shah
said central agencies like the NIA
have “choked the fl ow of funds” for
terrorists. While previous governments
too had tried to tackle terrorism, he said
it was Modi’s committed political will
which led to air strikes inside Pakistan.
He said the BJP government had struck
at the roots of terror “where it is born,
educated”.
Unlike the past, the country’s
foreign and defence policies, he said,
have been segregated keeping national
security at the core.
He said there was need for a fresh
perspective on the issue of Kashmir.
“We have continued with a single
approach towards the Kashmir issue
but if the problem persists even after 70years, it becomes imperative for us to
review and adopt a new approach.”
“We want development in the
Valley... but we will not tolerate any
separatist movement and terrorism.” He
said he is not a pessimist and assured
the House that “we will win the hearts
of Kashmiri people”.
ARTICLE 370: BJP’S
DIFFERENCE APPROACH
Th e entire Kashmir valley will be
frustrated with Shah calling Article
370 ‘temporary’. For many it is the
cornerstone of Jammu and Kashmir’s
relations with the Centre.
The Article has triggered several
controversies regarding its merit and
the circumstances under which it was
inserted into the Constitution. Th e Tri-
bune writes “Over the past few decades,
this Article, which entitles the state
to have its own constitution, fl ag and
legislature that can pass its own laws
-and the Central laws cannot apply to
J&K without its concurrence-is deemed
as permanent. Some rulings of the
Supreme Court have maintained this
position. Th e Kashmiri Muslim com-
munity regards the Article as an iconic
symbol of its distinct political identity
and a matter of collective dignity.”
Several Kashmiri leaders have voiced
serious concerns over the centre’s
attitude towards it. Former CM Omar
Abdullah, have said that “If Article 370
goes, the accession of the state into
India also collapses.”
Th e implication of Shah’s statement
is that Article 370 “would go sooner
or later.......His words were given a
supplementary explanation by BJP’s
national general secretary in charge
of J&K, Ram Madhav, who said on
Saturday that ‘Article 370 will have to
go lock, stock and barrel’ after fulfi lling
certain procedures. Th is has reignited a
debate on whether the Article should
stay or not, and will bring diverse
political outfi ts in Kashmir under one