Jagmohan Sharma
A on date Article 370 & 35A of the Indian Constitution are politically “dusted and done with” though legal challenges remain as there are several cases with regard to the decision of the Central Government pending in the Supreme Court of India.
Dr. Karan Singh's speaking on Maharaja Gulab Singh's 227th birth anniversary:
While speaking on the 227th birth anniversary of Maharaja Gulab Singh on 21st October 2019, Dr. Karan Singh spoke at length about the present political situation of J&K. He said that while there is a need to open a dialogue with the representatives of recognized political parties & civil society in Kashmir it is important to ensure a fair distribution of economic, administrative & political powers between the two regions (Jammu & Kashmir).
He also mentioned that he will not be able to speak on the legal matters as they are pending in the Supreme Court but since a political decision has been taken as such one should approach it with a positive mindset & move ahead.
J&K's integration with India & regional autonomy for the provinces:
Dr. Karan Singh has the distinction of having joined the political milieu of J&K as the Regent after Maharaja Hari Singh & Maharani were exiled from J&K through the mechanizations of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah & full support of Jawaharlal Nehru. He has been a witness to the tumults period of partition of the country & attack by the Pakistan forces under the guise of tribal invasion & the situation that unfolded subsequently. He had to deal with the colossuses like Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. Sheikh Abdullah, representing Kashmir, had a blatant anti-Dogra political ideology. That Dr. Karan Singh was able to withstand those times & the pressures therein & still stay unblemished is a tribute to his acumen, astute foresight & understanding of the unfolding events.
In-spite of the ever-changing political situation in the country Dr. Karan Singh has always stood for greater integration of J&K with the mainland India. Coupled to this he has been a votary of Regional Autonomy for the three regions of the state viz Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh.
In fact, Dr. Karan Singh was reiterating the same position at the function at Jammu on 21.10.2019 that he had been bringing up with Jawaharlal Nehru & Indira Gandhi regarding regional autonomy to the provinces of Jammu & Kashmir.
As early as 24.09.1952, after a trip to Ladakh, Dr. Karan Singh wrote to Jawaharlal Nehru that the people of Ladakh led by Kushak Bakula “were genuinely & fervently desirous of having the closest possible union with India. As a matter of fact they were pressing that India should directly take over the administration of Ladakh”. Though Dr. Karan Singh told them that it was not possible at that particular moment in time because of the prevailing national & international situation but he did write about the desire of the people of Ladakh to Nehru.
Finally, the desire of Kushak Bakula & the people of Ladakh has been fulfilled on 05.08.2019, after a gap of 67 years.
Dr. Karan Singh was fully aware that while Jammuites & Ladakhis desired complete integration of the State with the Union of India, the Kashmiri political leadership (as distinct from the common Kashmiris – who represent Kashmiriyat) wanted a “limited nature of accession & not complete integration”. Meanwhile, Praja Parishad, a political entity of Jammu, was spearheading an agitation against conditional integration of J&K to India which found a lot of traction with the people of Jammu. Their demands ranged from flying the National Flag of India on the official buildings in J&K (which was regularly turned down by the Sheikh Government) to extending the constitution of India to the state. They also questioned the treatment meted out to Maharaja Hari Singh, a nationalist, as compared to the position accorded to the Nizam of Hyderabad in-spite of the fact that his Razakars had fought a war against Indian army.
Their slogan “Ek Nishan; Ek vidhan & Ek Pradhan (one flag; one constitution & one President) became their war cry. The agitation worried Dr. Karan Singh. He wanted the Sheikh & the Central Government to meet the representatives of the agitating leaders, but Sheikh Abdullah was adamant that he would not like to meet the reactionary & communal people. Jawaharlal did meet Pt. Prem Nath Dogra (the leader of Praja Parishad) once but the meeting probably did not go very well & after that Nehru was not inclined to meet the leaders of Praja Parishad. Matters got complicated further as Praja Parisahd, finding no takers of their point of view either in J&K or the Central Government turned to Jan Sangh for support.
In a letter addressed to Jawaharlal Nehru on 22.12.1952 Dr. Karan Singh writes:
“With particular reference to Jammu problem (Praja Parishad agitation), very close attention must be paid to framing this Constitution (J&K Constitution) in a manner in which all sections of the State feel secure that their culture, rights, & interests are fully safeguarded, & that there is absolutely no chance for the exploitation of one area of people by another. This is the clearly expressed & oft-repeated intention of Sheikh Sahib & must be practically put into effect by working out a satisfactory system of provincial autonomy”.
An agreement had been reached between the Sheikh & the Govt of India on 24.07.1952 in which broader understanding was reached about the special relationship of the J&K State with that of Indian Union. This agreement was supposed to get reflected in a separate constitution of the J&K State. The Sheikh got proposals like abolition of hereditary rulership, land reforms & a new flag for the state approved from the State Constituent Assembly first & started dragging feet on the others. The intentions of the Sheikh came under doubt especially after he met members of US administration & started speaking in public & private about the option of independence for the State.
Consequently, Sheikh Abdullah was dismissed from the Prime Minister-ship of J&K & arrested on 08.08.1953.
In another letter dated 04.01.1953 to Nehru, Dr. Karan Singh again stresses the need for provincial autonomy to ameliorate the strain between the provinces. He mentions that though the agitation in Jammu has been going on for more than one & a half months, but the State Govt. has not taken any “positive or concrete” steps to generate confidence in the people. He further mentions that the first step should be to implement “the remaining provisions of the Indo-Kashmir Agreement & reducing them as soon as possible to constitutional form, & secondly, the granting & working out of a system of provincial autonomy”. Dr. Karan Singh also suggests that Nehru should use his influence with the Sheikh when he meets him in Hyderabad during 58th session of Indian National Congress (the Sheikh was invited to this meet) & persuade him to “implement the Delhi agreement fully” & also make him “agree in principle to provincial autonomy for Jammu province”.
In another letter dated 23.02.1953 Dr. Karan Singh again reiterates to Nehru that “a committee consisting mostly of people from Jammu, should be set up to study & work out a system of provincial autonomy for Jammu”. He says that the committee could submit their report within two months & this report should be “put before the Assembly & should become the basis of clauses regarding provincial autonomy in the Constitution”.
Time & again Dr. Karan Singh took up this matter with Nehru, but nothing really came out of it. It is possible that Nehru was never able to broach the matter with the Sheikh in right earnest as he was afraid of annoying him. Dr. Karan Singh, in a record of talks with Jawaharlal Nehru dated 21.04.1953 writes that “regarding the political deadlock, it does not seem that he will do anything at all about bringing about a settlement. He stressed that the whole international case rested upon Sheikh Abdullah”. Dr. Karan Singh further confesses in the same note that “I failed to find any considerable keenness or sense of urgency (in Nehru) in bringing this to a close. He seemed to be leaving all to Sheikh Abdullah”.
In a fast-changing political scenario the constitution of J&K was adopted by the constituent assembly on 17.11.1956 & it came into force on 26.01.1957. The idea of provincial autonomy, for which Dr. Karan Singh was regularly pursuing with Nehru in particular & Union Government in general was completely eclipsed. It is worth noting that the proclamation for Constituent Assembly was signed by Dr. Singh on 21.04.1951 but because of the intransient attitude of the Sheikh it took so many years to pass though the broader guidelines were frozen in the Delhi declaration of 24.07.1952. (contd)
The author can be contacted at (jagmohansharma1602@gmail.com)
