Calling the issue of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir “the biggest challenge before India”, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Monday said it cannot be solved until the “failed obsolete thought” of Article 370 as a “loose constitutional connect between the state and the rest of the country is rejected”.
He said the challenge needs a fresh approach and only astrong government and a leader with clarity alone was capable of resolving theKashmir issue.
Referring to the past Congress governments, he said thechallenge cannot be resolved by those who created the problem and who believethat a “loose constitutional connect will lead to integration”.
He added that it could only be done through a fresh approach”which is uncompromising on terror” and “committed to total integration” and through”reversal of the historical blunders”.
Targeting the Congress, Jaitley said it was identified withthe creation of the problem itself by “wishing the issue away” when Pakistandid not reconcile to Kashmir being a part of India.
“Instead of working for total integration, the party wanteda loose and liberal constitutional connect between rest of the nation and thestate under an erroneous impression that such an arrangement would further thecause of integration,” he said in a Facebook post.
“Article 370 was disastrously thought out as aconstitutional connect between rest of the country and the state. Article 35Awas surreptitiously introduced in 1954. It catered to a separatist psyche andlegitimised discrimination,” he added. Jaitley said militancy “supported fromacross the border can’t be fought either with velvet gloves or a policy ofappeasement”.
“This challenge can obviously be resolved with a fresh approach which is uncompromising on terror, uncompromising in its determination to enforce the rule of law and committed to total integration.
A strong government and a leader with clarity alone are capable of resolving the Kashmir issue,” he said.Targeting National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party, he said the two regional parties were, of late, more strident in advocating secession of the state if firm measures are taken.
Development in the state has suffered due to militancy andboth democracy and secularism had been a casualty in the valley, he added.
The BJP leader said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have tobe at the centre-point in India’s strategy and they should get opportunities,peace and security of life, and freedom from militancy. “A state free from terror itself will implymuch lesser security presence,” he said.
Jaitley also attacked the opposition on the issue of Pulwamasuicide attack and Balakot strike, saying whenever the two issues were raised,the opposition parties were on the back-foot and questioned why nationalsecurity and militancy were being made into subject matters of electoraldebates.
“India’s opposition argues that elections have to be foughton the ‘real issues’ and not on the issues of national security. It is myendeavour to argue that national security and terrorism are the most importantissues which concern India in the long run. All other challenges are capable ofearly resolution,” he said.
Jaitley said that poverty was declining at a fast pace, urbanisation was increasing, the size of middle class was growing and the economy was expanding, which would result in creation of jobs.
“These are all challenges that India is capable of capturing and resolving over the next decade or two,” he said asking the question on where India stood on the issue of national security and militancy. He said peace was established in Punjab, Northeast and in the South, and that “the operation of Maoist terror was restricted and narrow”.
“As the economic profile of India move upwards, it will become extremely difficult for the Maoists to sustain their violent movement to overthrow democracy. The security ‘might’ of the State is far superior to handle this movement. The same, however, can’t be said of what is happening in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and militancy emanating from region,” he added.