M A I N   N E W S

Farooq softens stand on autonomy

CHENNAI, July 21 (PTI) — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today softened his stand on the demand for restoration of pre-1953 status to his state, saying that it was not a “Lakshman rekha” and could be discussed.

Answering a question from mediapersons after he met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on whether he would stick to his guns on going back to the pre-1953 situation, Dr Abdullah said: “There is no such ‘Lakshman rekha’. All these things can be discussed in talks on the autonomy demand.”

Instead of summarily rejecting his State Assembly’s resolution, the Centre should have initiated a discussion, he said.

“They (the Centre) should have told us where we went wrong, instead of dismissing the resolution,” Dr Abdullah said.

Rejecting Union Home Minister L.K. Advani’s suggestion to forward a fresh set of proposals for discussion, he said it took three years to prepare the present set of proposals. “How long it will take to prepare another report.”

Dr Abdullah said he was not told about the demand for new proposals and had seen it only in the Press.

Asked whether the National Conference would snap its ties with the NDA because of the Centre’s rejection of the Assembly resolution, he said the NC’s working committee would decide on this issue.

On his talks with his Tamil Nadu counterpart, Dr Abdullah said he had briefed Mr Karunanidhi on the state assembly resolution and that the latter had suggested it could be discussed at a conference of Chief Ministers.

Dr Abdullah said Kashmir had not merged with India, but it was an ‘accession’ and had a “special dispensation”.

Asked when he intended to call a meeting of the leaders of political parties to discuss his proposals, he said he would go back to Srinagar and fix a date.

“Then I will formally write letters to all leaders inviting them for the conference”, Dr Abdullah said.

He said there was a lot of “misinformation, misreporting, rather disinformation” on the Assembly resolution. There were reports that the state wanted to have its own currency, Supreme Court and its own reserve bank, but none of these things was actually in the report, he said.

The report of the autonomy committee in his state had only conformed to a lot of things mentioned in the autonomy committee report of the Tamil Nadu Government, Dr Abdullah said, in an apparent reference to the P.V. Rajamannar Committee appointed by the DMK government in the early 1970’s.

No going back to pre-1953 status in J&K: CWC
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, July 21 — In a severe blow to the consensus effort of Farooq Abdullah Government on the autonomy issue, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) today ruled out going back to pre-1953 situation in Jammu and Kashmir and reiterated that only the 1975 Indira Gandhi-Sheikh Abdullah accord can form the basis for any talks on the resolution.

The CWC which met under the leadership of party President Sonia Gandhi also deplored the “inept and clumsy” handling of the whole issue by the Vajpayee government.

Briefing reporters on the specially convened meeting, senior Congress leader and in charge of party’s Kashmir cell, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, said the CWC was of the view that the discussion on autonomy issue could take place within the Constitution and within the framework of 1975 accord.

The CWC members felt that it was possible for the Centre to hold discussions and consultations with the state government and all political parties and together work to bring about a positive and satisfactory conclusion.

“The question of going back to the situation prevailing in 1952-53 is totally unacceptable, as has been articulated by Mrs Sonia Gandhi on July 13 at the meeting of the PCC Presidents and CLP leaders,” Mr Mukherjee said.

Reiterating the Congress’ stand that Jammu and Kashmir has an integral part of India and the accession of the State to Indian Union was final and irrevocable, Mr Mukherjee said the CWC members felt that the restart of the whole debate on the autonomy issue exposed the “immaturity, indecisiveness and confused approach” of the Vajpayee government to a highly sensitive matter.

The report was received by the Centre in April 1999 but no action was taken on it, he said.

All members but for Mr Ahmad Patel, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mr A K Antony were not present. Among the special invitees Mr S C Jamir and P M Sayeed were absent.

During the over two-hour long meeting, the CWC was first informed about the discussion the Kashmir cell members held with three of the five-member Group of Ministers constituted by the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah.

The CWC also strongly criticised the Centre for rejecting the demand of Maharashtra Government for 27 companies of central paramilitary forces to deal with the law and order situation in the state in the event of the prosecution of Shiv Sena Chief Mr Bal Thackeray.

The Union Government, instead of fulfilling its constitutional responsibility to help a state government in need chose to help its “political ally” even taking the risk of deteriorating law and order situation in Maharashtra, he said adding “such an attitude deserves nothing but condemnation”.

Stating that the CWC firmly stands by the decision taken by the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr V Deshmukh to enforce the rule of law in the event of the prosecution of Mr Thackeray, he appealed to the Union Government to send the required central paramilitary forces without any further delay.

The two Ministers of State for Home of Maharashtra, Mr Kurpa Shankar Singh and Manik Rao Thakre, had specially flown in Delhi and had met Union Home Minister Mr L K Advani to impress upon the need for 27 companies of central forces.

However, minutes after their meeting the Home Ministry had rejected their request.