Don’t link Article 370 with Autonomy: Chaman

Shadow Correspondent
JAMMU, JULY 06:
The former union Minister and a crusader against symbols of separatism, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta has ridiculed those who are trying to link the ‘temporary Article-370’ of the Indian Constitution with the Autonomy of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, pleading to reverse the clock back to the position of pre-1953. He said that insertion of Article-370 in the Constitution on the very face of it is a Temporary Provision and the then Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru had assured the agitated nationalists including Maulana Hasrat Mohani and others that this temporary provision would whither away with the passage of time; “ Ghiste Ghiste Ghis Jayegi”.

Prof. Gupta who himself is author of a book titled “Article-370, A thorn”, has said that it was unfortunate that certain vested interests are still misrepresenting the facts with obvious designs.

Commenting upon the new book by a known supporter of the sessionists and semi-sessionists, A.G Noorani, Prof. Gupta said that it is a travesty of facts that to say Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukerjee or even Sardar Patel was in favour of any permanent concession to Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah or anybody else on permanent basis. The history is witness to the fact that Dr. Shayama Prasad Mukerjee had laid down his life when he on May 12, 1953 had entered this State in support of the then Praja Parishad agitation to put his State at par with other parts of the Country.

He said Article-370 was a temporary concession to communal thinking of the Sheikh and his colleagues . It is a sad commentary of facts that this temporary provision still existed in the statue book even after expiry of over 60 years. Moreso, when this obnoxious provision has caused more harm than any good to the national interests and led to unbridled powers to the ruling leaders to make a mockery of the democratic rights of the people of this unfortunate part of the Country so much so that even the elections to the basic democracies including the Panchayats and Local Bodies were never held in time and were empowered by extending 73rd and 74th Amendment of the Indian Constitution.

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