Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan, Ek Nishan (One Constitution, One Head of State, One Flag)-Slogan of Praja Parishad of Jammu in 1951
The voting in the first phase of elections in J&K took place on September 18. After the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A in August 2019, these elections are going to be a game-changer for the people of J&K and for the idea of genuine integration of the state with the Union of India. The significance of these elections under the sanctity of Tricolour (One Flag) has many firsts. Right from the early 1990s, the state of J&K has been through a series of state sponsored terrorism with very little interludes of peace. The special status accorded to the state of J&K neither helped the people of J&K nor reigned in separatist elements in the state. The bold step of abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A is perhaps the answer for restoration of lasting peace in the state.
I have a special connect with J&K including the Ladakh region. I was commissioned into Indian Army’s Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry (JAK LI in short) Regiment in 1986. The Regiment was raised in 1948 with local volunteers to fight the Pak sponsored tribal invasion of 1948-49, which also had many Pakistan Army regulars fighting the war alongside. So, in a way it is the first home grown infantry regiment of Indian Army, raised post-independence. The unique feature of the Regiment is that all the soldiers have the domicile of J&K. At the Battalion level, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Buddhist troops serve together down to the lowest fighting level of a Section (comprising of 10 jawans). The troops have common place of worship under one roof called MMGG (Mandir, Masjid, Gurudwara, Gompa) where all troops pray together. The Regiment has won maximum gallantry awards post-independence including those for fighting the terrorism in their own home state. I was fortunate to be head of the Regiment (officially called Colonel of the Regiment) for more than five years from 2018 to 2023. The idea and functioning of my Regiment prove that all religions can coexist peacefully in the state of J&K.
It is important to recall how J&K received Special Status after Independence. The history of accession of Jammu & Kashmir into the Indian dominion is well known. More than 500 princely states had merged with India at the time of independence but Maharaja Hari Singh wanted independent nation status for his state of Jammu & Kashmir. Post independence on August 15 1947, the situation in Jammu & Kashmir deteriorated, leading to economic crisis and law & order problems. Pakistan could not accept the fact that a Muslim majority state had not ceded to them. There were intelligence inputs of Pakistan preparing to send infiltrators and their Army personnel in large numbers into Kashmir.
Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Indian Prime Minister, who himself was an ethnic Kashmiri wanted the accession of Kashmir to the Indian Union with the support of Sheikh Abdullah, the tallest leader in the state at that point of time. There was confusion in the environment and taking advantage of the uncertain situation in the state, tribals aided and abetted by Pakistani Army invaded the Kashmir from the north direction on 22 October 1947 and quickly moved southwards towards Srinagar, the capital city. The tribals, basically Pathans from the North West Frontier Provinces numbered anything between 10,000 to 13,000 men were armed with weapons and ammunition provided by Pakistan Army.
After carrying out loot, rape and plunder enroute, the tribals reached Baramulla which is just 60 kms from the state capital on October 24, 1947. They indulged in mass loot and rape of the locals at Baramulla and lost sight of reaching Srinagar at the earliest. Under this grave security situation, Maharaja Hari Singh sought military assistance from India on October 24, 1947 and finally signed the ‘Instrument of Accession’ on October 26, 1947. In the wee hours of October 27, 1947, Indian troops flew from Delhi and landed in Srinagar and quickly secured the city, particularly the airport. Indian troops fought some stellar battles with the Pakistani invaders and saved the city in nick of time.
After ensuring the security of Srinagar, the Indian troops began to clear other parts of valley captured by the tribals. By November 11, 1947, the towns of Baramulla and Uri were recaptured and liberated. The Indian troops had the advantage of momentum with them but with the onset of winters, the military operations were temporarily suspended. The military leadership was keen to continue to push ahead but the Prime Minister Nehru wanted to improve the internal affairs of Kashmir under the leadership of Sheikh Abdullah. No one paid much attention to the inaccessible portion of Kashmir, i.e. Gilgit and Baltistan. All these areas became part of the Pak Occupied Kashmir (POK).
With the signing of Instrument of Accession, the finality of merger of complete Jammu & Kashmir with the Indian Union was legally achieved, as was the case with other princely states. In the last week of November 1947, Prime Minister Nehru suggested a plebiscite under the UN aegis for the whole state to decide which dominion it would join or prefer to remain an independent state. This moral high ground was uncalled for in hindsight, as this issue continues to haunt India even today. Pakistan smartly took control of the Gilgit and Baltistan during this period of impasse. So, when India went to the United Nations in January 1948 to stake claim for the Pak occupied northern parts, it was too late. With the ceasefire after 1947-49 operations in January 1949, India lost considerable chunk of territory in the west as well. Pakistan prefers to call the entire POK under their administrative control as the Azad Kashmir.
In 1949, Sheikh Abdullah was appointed as the Prime Minister of J&K. He also became a part of the Constituent Assembly which was drafting the Indian Constitution. But by now the UN was pressurising both India and Pakistan to hold plebiscite to decide the status of J&K. There could be a number of reasons to placate the sentiments in the state and one of the ways was to provide special status and more autonomy. As a result, Indian Constitution which came into effect in January 1950 accorded Special Status to Jammu & Kashmir through Article 370. The special status to J&K accorded complete autonomy to the state except in the subjects of defence, foreign affairs and communications. The state had a separate flag too. It is not difficult to visualise that other princely states which had merged with India would have resented special status to J&K state. May be this was a price the nation had to pay for keeping J&K as integral part of Union of India. With the death of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in December 1950, there was no tall leader left who could have ensured genuine integration of J&K with the rest of India.
It is also important to know what the special status achieved for the people of J&K. The state had roughly 40 years of peace and normalcy available prior to onset of terrorism in 1990. These four decades should have been sufficient to develop the state and gradually dilute the special status. The state saw two wars in 1965 and 1971 during this period which should have prompted removing the special status for better integration of the state. At that point of time, India was a poor economy and yet the state received huge financial assistance disproportionate to its size and budget. Lakhs and crores were pumped into the state but not much development reached the grassroots. Even the rail connectivity terminated at Jammu. From the nineties, the state suffered from the scourge of terrorism and had limited development. In the last decade, major infrastructure projects including those necessary for the strategic connect have come up. The Panchayat elections in J&K have taken fruits of development to the village level. The state is now on the path of development trajectory.
From the feedback received, the common citizen is tired of the unrest and violence around them. A generation has suffered and the people of J&K resent the lost opportunity because they see other Indian states way ahead in the development matrix. The state is endowed with a rich variety of all the parameters necessary for growth and prosperity. Having been to the state multiple times, I am convinced that a common citizen of J&K is not interested in any special status. They just want peace and normalcy around them. They want good governance and not the corruption of earlier era. They seek justice and a sense of fair play. Even the people of Jammu region are not on the same page with the people of Kashmir valley as far as special status is concerned. In my opinion, any attempt to seek revival of Article 370 and Article 35A should be viewed as constitutional impropriety now and should be nipped in the bud in strongest terms.
A whole lot of Indians other than the people of J&K have contributed silently to bring up the infrastructure and communication network in the state. Thousands of security personnel from Army, Para military forces and police have sacrificed their lives in fighting terrorism in the state. Even innocent civilian lives have been lost as victims of terrorism. This election should be a tribute to the Fallen Heroes in the war against terrorism and those who lost their lives to keep the spirit of state alive. I also urge the Indians other than those from J&K to visit the state not merely as tourists but as stakeholders to explore new opportunities which brings employment, industry, enterprise, start ups and new forms of agriculture to the state. True integration would happen when the whole of India rises against terrorism and divisive forces. Indians have to be with the people of J&K as their brethren with genuine concern for their development, as it happens in any other state.
Time has come to reclaim and restore the Paradise on Earth that is Jammu & Kashmir. A state that has undergone turmoil and unrest for decades must be extra sensitive to the inimical forces that would like an unstable and a weak India. The people are eagerly looking forward to vote and decide their future. The idea of India as union of states is at stake in these elections. J&K needs a government that is aligned to the idea of new India which is aspiring to be Viksit Bharat @2047. The people of J&K have to be an integral part of this momentous journey. The successful conduct of the elections and a peaceful political process through a democratically elected popular government would also pave the way for restoring statehood to J&K. It would once again prove Bharat’s continued commitment to the spirit of Indian Constitution, genuine democracy and good governance to the whole world.
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