This refers to the ‘debatable’ Kashmir Plan of RSS ideologue Shri Vaidya (GK October 4, 2010). Shri Vaidya lays down a new solution for the Kashmir problem in general and for the present unrest in particular. He recommends that Kashmir be detached from Ladakh and Jammu and granted pre 1953 level autonomy with power on all subjects other than defence, foreign affairs and communications. As for Jammu  he suggests  Statehood  and for Ladakh, a Union territory  status  so as to satisfy   the aspirations of the people living in these regions. He also suggests that the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution be strengthened so the  proposed  Kashmir State could have its own KAS officers instead of the IAS officers and the  new State could have its own laws instead of the laws  enforced upon it by the Indian Parliament. Disagreeing with the post of the Sadre-i-Riyasat , he suggests that that  the State should have its own Wazir-i-Azam.
There are many issues which Shri Vaidya has not discussed in his Kashmir Plan. He has nothing  to say about the people of Gilgit and Baltistan who are groaning under  direct Pak  domination. Similarly, he has made no mention of  areas of the State ( Aksaichin and others) which are under  occupation of  China. However, the ideas put forth by the learned ideologue  are  worth consideration and  fair debate. It is not a solid argument to say that we will not hear anything from  a person  of  RSS which is a recognized   political party   in India  and among whose members we have our Kashmiri Pandits. Shri  Vaidya’s  Kashmir  Plan has, so far, evoked  a very strong  reaction from    some   pro-India   as well as anti-India politicians. Most of them dislike disintegration of the  State  despite the fact that it  stands already  disintegrated  into 4 parts - Azad  Kashmir,  Frontier illaqas of Gilgit and Baltistan under Pak control,  Chinese occupied Kashmir, and India held Kashmir, the present day,  Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir. It must be recognized that no boundary is  sacrosanct   and as such subject to change.  Once upon a time there was one country known as Hindoostan, which was bifurcated into three countries by the British. More recently, we had truncated Indian Punjab, out of which they cleaved out the States of Himachal and Haryana.   As such, all members of our society must express their views on the above mentioned Kashmir Plan. For how long we have to remain tagged with the dreams of our politicians?

Fida Hassnain
Historian
fidahassnain@myasa.net

Lastupdate on : Tue, 5 Oct 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 5 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 6 Oct 2010 00:00:00 IST