Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja on Sunday said that the Abrogation of Article 370, which provides special status to Jammu and Kashmir, by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘undemocratic’ and that was the reason the party was opposing it inside and outside the Parliament.
Speaking at a seminar on “Abrogation of Article 370 and Kashmir Situation”, organized by the CPI Telangana unit here as part of Comrade Indrajit Gupta’s Centenary celebrations , Raja said the BJP and RSS were making a propaganda that the Kashmir was just integrated into India, which was a lie and added that Article 370 was part of Constitution but they (BJP) were giving a different interpretation.
Referring to the historic back ground of Jammu and Kashmir, Raja said we got independence on August 15, 1947. At that time , the country had 500 princely states (Kingdoms) . The British government gave three options to the small kingdoms either to join in Indian dominion or Pakistan dominion or they can remain Independent.
Only two kingdoms—Hyderabad (Nizam) and Hari Singh( Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir) had decided to continue as independent kingdoms. At that time there as a huge struggle that they should part of India. CPI fought against Nizam and later merged with India by the then Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
In case of Kashmir, Mr Raja said Maharaja Hari Singh wanted it as Independent region. At that time some tribal rebels invaded Kashmir with support of Pakistan rulers. He fled to Jammu and agreed that the Kashmir will join in India.
Later, Maharaja Hari Singh signed an agreement with India, the CPI General Secretary said, as per the agreement, Maharaj Hari Singh appointed Mohammed Abdullah Sheikh as Second Prime Minister of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir after its accession to India in 1947.
In such a historic situation, Father of Indian Constitution Dr B R Ambedkar, Gopala Swamy Iyengar (Minister in Nehru Government) and Shyam Prasad Mukherjee who was a member of Legislative Assembly discussed and accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir by creating Article 306A.
That Article became Article 370 later. Now the BJP says Dr Ambedkar was not in favour for Article 370.
He said Gopala Swamy proposed Article 370 by giving some commitments to the people of Kashmir to maintain their independent culture and identity.
Under Article 370, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Telecommunications remained under Union Government control. J & K have its own Constituency Assembly and it enacts laws based on their requirements, Raja said. (UNI)
