Jammu, March 5: Supporting his arguments with historical and legal perspective, former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Muzzafar Hussain Baig  on Saturday virtually tore apart the anti-Muslim and anti-Article 370 bogey of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and other right wing parties.
 Baig, who was participating in the discussion over the Governor’s address in the state Legislative Assembly, said that the Kashmir Muslims –often being targeted for one reason or the other – are thankful to the Kashmiri Pandits and Dogras as it was they who pressed the then ruler Maharaja Hari Singh to secure special status for the state before signing the  instrument of accession with the Government of India.
 He said that the Maharaja issued a notification in1931 (restriction on any non-state subject to own property in the state) after popular agitation in Kashmir and Jammu. “The Maharaja realized that the Kashmiri people were under fear after remaining under oppression and suppression by the foreign rulers and he decided to safeguard their rights and restore their confidence”.
 Instrument of accession was basis of special status for the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the powers were vested upon the president to decide as if the special provision (notification issued by the ruler) would remain applicable to the state. “However, this power was subject to the recommendation of the constituent assembly, which decided in its favour and held that the state will also have its own constitution”.
 “When the constituent assembly decided the matter finally, under what circumstances this provision can now be scrapped?” he questioned.Referring to the importance of the provision, Baig said that it is the Article 370 Clause (C) of the constitution of India which provides that Article 1 of Indian Constitution will be applicable to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. “And it is Article 370 which says that the Jammu and Kashmir will be the part of India and once you remove the article 370, the state of J&K will no longer remain part of India”, he argued.
 Asserting that there was not even a remotest possibility of scrapping of the special provision contained in the constitution of India, Baig said that the Article 370 was a bridge between the state and Government of India and not a wall as being projected by some political parties. Explaining the context of the Article 370 and the special position granted to the state, Baig said it was no concession to Jammu and Kashmir but recognition of the distinct historical, cultural and ethnic status of the erstwhile princely state, which had decided to throw its lot with a democratic India at the time of Independence.
 He referred various rulers who invaded Kashmir and not only diluted the social fabrics of the society but even resorted to torture and suppression. Kashmir had been at the receiving end of unfair, discriminatory and at times inhuman conduct of the powers that held it through force ever since the Mughals occupied it.
 “Be it the Mughals, Afghans, Sikhs or Dogras, Kashmiri Muslims were treated no better than serfs and slaves, the policy of apartheid practiced in some other parts of the world looked more humane than the treatment meted out to the Muslims of Kashmir who incidentally were themselves part of a glorious  and outstanding 5000 year old civilization.

MUSLIMS ARE NOT BRITISH
 Launching a direct attack on BJP and other right wing parties  for repeatedly connecting Muslims and Islam with terrorism, Baig said, “We are as much the stake holders of India as followers of any other faith are”.
 “It is easy to call a person dog and shoot him”, he said adding, “You people have not speared even Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah and Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, who have given their life to the national cause”, he said adding, “Even the Chief Minister was accused of fanning the fundamentalism when he said that the Jammu and Kashmir has acceded and not merged with India”.
 India, he said, is as much of Nizam-ud-Din Aulia (RA) as much as of Lord Krishna. “India belongs to Modi as much as it belongs to Baig”, he added.
 He said those who make remarks about Babar being the ancestor of Indian Muslims, he wondered how the nearly sixty crore Muslims living in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh could be the progeny of one person.
 The fact, he said was that Muslims are equal stakeholders in India and adoption of Muslim faith does not disqualify them in any way from that rightful claim. “Muslims are not Britishers”, he said adding, “It was around 7 crore Muslim who stayed back in India rejecting partition of the country on religious lines”.
 “You like Aalama Iqbal (RA) when he said that Sare Jahan Say Aacha Hindustan Hamara”, he said adding, “You also liked Moulana Abdul Kalam Azad when he rejected two nation theory but now go and see the fate of the place where Kalam is buried- when   there are statues of other leaders erected  every where.

WE ARE NOT BEGGARS
 Baig said that it was unfortunate that some people projected that Jammu and Kashmir people were cowards and beggars as such they stayed back with India when the country was partitioned. It is also being said that state is being given central assistance more than it deserves.
 “We are not cowards, we are not beggars but when we have taken the oath of constitution it is our own free will”, he said adding, “We do not need any assistance as you have snatched more than what you are giving to us”. “Omar Abdullah does not need any charity and Mufti Muhammad Sayeed never demanded it”.
 “Instead of helping the state in harnessing its water resources, unfortunately a Sahukari system was adopted through which the state was denied access to and utilization of its river waters which resulted in our economic dependence and serious energy crisis” he maintained.
 “Give us our waters and power back and no Chief Minister will have to go to Delhi with a begging bowl” Baig asserted. He said the state could earn thousands of crores annually if only it was assisted in exploiting its water resources and the state would need no help from the centre, he said.
 “It is our water which you (GOI) have trended with Pakistan for the water which you (GOI) was using for irrigation purpose in rest of the country”.
 He said that the mistakes were committed at both state and central level but now it was time to consider the roadmaps which were being drawn up by the political parties in the state.

OMAR PRAISES BAIG
 Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Saturday praised Baig for his speech, whose allegation against him in July 2009 linking him to an infamous sex scandal led him to quit his post.
 "God knows, I have differences with Muzaffar Baig but he made an excellent, almost statesman like, intervention in the Assembly today," Omar tweeted about the speech of the PDP leader in the Legislative Assembly.

* Kashmiri Pandits, Dogras pressed the then ruler Maharaja Hari Singh to secure special status for the state

* Maharaja decided to safeguard the rights of Kashmiris and restore their confidence

* If you remove the article 370, the state of JK will no longer remain part of India

* Muslims are as much the stake holders of India as followers of any other faith are

* Give us our waters, power back no Chief Minister will have to go to Delhi with a begging bowl

Lastupdate on : Sat, 5 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 5 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 6 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST