Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in an interview on Geo TV, a local television channel, that his country agrees with the stand of the National Conference and Congress on Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the reality is not like this. On one hand, the Congress party has maintained silence on this issue, while on the other hand, the National Conference has openly declared that if it comes to power, Article 370 will be reinstated in the valley.
Actually, this entire matter is completely an internal matter of India and if Pakistan says anything in this matter, it will mean that Pakistan is interfering here. Pakistan has nothing to do with this. Using Congress and National Conference by giving statements on behalf of Pakistan so that they can prove their claim right is not right at all.
If we talk about history, when Article 370 was implemented, for some time the people there felt that we are separate, there is a different law. But after India got its own constitution, there was no point in keeping Article 370. It gave a feeling of separatism.
Feeling of alienation from Article 370
Today when everyone in India has equal rights, equal opportunities, everyone has protection under constitutional rights, then Article 370 had no meaning for the country. When I myself became a part of the process of conducting the 1996 elections, I was on election duty, at that time we saw and felt that there should be a feeling of integration instead of a feeling of separation. 370 increases the feeling of separation because it was applicable only in Jammu and Kashmir. There was no benefit of this.
As far as the Congress’s official stand on Article 370 is concerned, they do not have such a stance. Whatever may be the stand of the National Conference Party of Jammu and Kashmir on this, but all that was done under pressure and was a temporary provision.
In such a situation, it is completely unreasonable for Pakistan to speak on this subject. Whether it is BJP or Congress or any other party, they can definitely discuss this in their domestic matter. But, when such a statement comes from the Defense Minister of a country, it will be considered that his intentions are not right.
Trying to incite fake sentiment
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s statement on Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir is an attempt to incite fake sentiments in the valley. But, it will have no effect. People are participating in the valley’s elections in large numbers. When we went to the elections in 1996, 35 to 36 percent people participated. Now it has increased to more than 58%. More than 55 percent voting means that it is equal to India’s national average voting.
People have a share in power and people know that there is no better constitution than India. There is benefit in going with India. Now this is no longer an issue. In such a situation, no one is going to get any benefit by making Article 370 an issue in the valley, except for inciting emotions.
Actually, Kashmir had its own assembly. There was a Maharaja in Kashmir and both Hindus and Muslims lived together there. Jawaharlal Nehru gave Article 370 to give the people of Kashmir a feel of freedom, so that they feel that Kashmir is like a country and there is minimal interference in its internal matters. But all this was a temporary provision.
the panicked rhetoric
Mehbooba Mufti had given a statement that after the removal of Article 370, there will be no one to hoist the tricolour, nothing like that is going to happen in the valley. The people of Kashmir are Indians. They are connected to India and they are hoisting the tricolour more than they were hoisting earlier. Today, the tricolour is being hoisted in every village of Kashmir. The equation of elections can change, so such statements are being given out of fear.
As far as the question of restoration of Article 370 is concerned, look, the British were there in 1947, but if someone says that foreign rule will never return, then it cannot happen. Once someone has TB disease and his immunity is weakened, there is a possibility that he may get this disease again.
This means that once the country becomes a slave, there is no guarantee that it will not be enslaved again. Similarly, Article 370 has been abolished, but no one can say that it cannot be implemented again. Therefore, the public has to be cautious.
(Note- The views expressed above are the personal views of the author. It is not necessary that ABP News Group agrees with it. The author alone is responsible for all claims or objections related to this article.)