‘Guv did not understand the law at time of illegal move; all need to stand together to defend constitution’: NC chief
Arteev Sharma
Jammu: Slamming the ruling BJP-led NDA government for “illegally” revoking J&K’s statehood, National Conference president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, in his inimitable manner, on Wednesday vehemently demanded restoration of statehood (to J&K), saying “it was their right and they would not beg before the people in power”.
“…the people in power want you to bow before them. We are not here to bow. We are not here to beg. It is our right as Indians, a right given by the Constitution of India. What you have done is illegal. Restore it. Restore our statehood. Who gave you the right? Did you ask us? Was the Assembly in session?” Farooq said in a passionate speech while addressing a public meeting titled ‘Statehood Now’, organised by the Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir at Constitution Club in New Delhi.
Apparently referring to the former Governor of J&K Satya Pal Malik, the NC patron claimed the governor did not understand the law at the time of the move, which he had admitted in an interview. “Himself, the Governor of the day, says that I did not know the law (under which statehood was revoked) when he was asked in an interview,” he said.
Farooq said the former Governor was not aware of the development. “He said, Sir , I did not know this. This was not told to me. And God knows what he’s going to further reveal when he gets better, because he has said before his death, he will reveal more things. I hope they allow him to live that day. We want our right. We are not the ones who raised weapons or threw stones like this”.
The octogenarian leader said that when the Centre abrogated Article 370, it justified the decision by claiming the erstwhile state was not progressing and there was terrorism because of these people.
“When they removed Article 370, what did they tell you? They said Kashmir was not progressing, that there was militancy. But who were the people who chose India over that side despite sharing a religious identity with them? We chose Gandhi’s India,” he said, adding “I wish the leaders of that time could rise from their graves and see what we’ve built, and where we are heading now. When will you speak up? When will you stand up for an India that belongs to everyone?”
He also asked all political parties to stand together to “defend the country and Constitution”. “Kashmir has been a testing ground. It may be the fate of many other states very soon. I hope it never comes. For that, we all have to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, and remember this is our land this is our country. And if you don’t defend our country and we don’t defend our constitution what are you leaving for your children. That’s why we are here—to wake the nation up,” he questioned.
The NC patron said the basic issue–whether it was Article 370 or statehood– lay in the divide between Delhi and Kashmir that had persisted since Independence.
“The real reason is that there is no trust in Muslims. I don’t know when that trust will come…this is the sad part. When will you consider us as humans, when will you treat us as Indians? I am a Muslim, I will live as a Muslim, I will die as a Muslim but I am an Indian Muslim not a Pakistani. The entire fight is on this,” he said, adding “This is not my India and I am not going to accept it as my India. I want India where we all exist as people and love each other irrespective of what you are, what religion you belong to, what language you speak, or what area you are from,” he said.
He also referred to the Emergency period under Indira Gandhi, drawing a parallel to the current situation: “They talk of Indira Gandhi’s Emergency—it lasted only 18 months. I just hope the message we are trying to send reaches Parliament, and that our elected leaders will fight for Indian democracy.”
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Surinder Choudhary while addressing the gathering said the erstwhile state was converted into a “municipality”.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir can’t understand under which law we were converted into a municipality,” he said, adding “The regional identity, the cultural identity is something that we celebrate”.
“In the context of Jammu and Kashmir, the regional identity is always number one, it is misunderstood with the religious identity,” he added.
“When a Marathi speaks in defense of his or her identity, that is the regional identity. When a Kashmiri speaks about the same identity and the same dignity, it’s anti-national,” he said.
Member of Parliament Manish Tewari said the Supreme Court judgment on the issue needs to be reviewed. “I think the grounds of review are embedded in the judgment itself. So therefore if the speculation is correct, that the statehood would be restored, that is one part of the problem but the pretentious precedent that this judgment sets is something which cannot be allowed to stand because it has implications far beyond Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
CPI(M) MLA MY Tarigami asked what crime the people of Jammu and Kashmir had committed that the statehood was taken away.
Tarigami said he did not agree with the Supreme Court verdict on abrogation of Article 370. “You made Kashmir a jail and took a decision for us. This is not what the constituent assembly imagined,” he said.
Politician and activist from Kargil, Sajjad Kargili, stressed that the Congress should not raise only the demand for the Sixth Schedule but also that for statehood for Ladakh, and said the National Conference should also raise the issue of rights of the people of Ladakh.
“On August 5, 2019, when Jammu and Kashmir was split forcefully, it was said the aspirations of the people of Ladakh had been considered. In the last six years, no aspirations of the people of Ladakh have been fulfilled,” he alleged.
The public meeting was also attended and addressed by NC Lok Sabha member Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, co-chair Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir Radha Kumar; Rajya Sabha members Naseer Husain, Manoj Jha, Tiruchi Shiva, and Lok Sabha member Iqra Choudhary.
