Need to take up human rights violations in PoK, says Ketkar

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 18 

The Indian Parliament has not removed Section 370, but amended it as it was a hindrance to the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India and the development of its people.  Prafulla Ketkar, founder member of Jammu Kashmir Study Center, stated this during a seminar organised by Panchanad Research Institute in which eminent intellectuals from Chandigarh, Pinjore and Panchkula participated. He said removing Section 35A from this amendment will prove to be a historic step in the development of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. 

Prafulla Ketkar said the 106th amendment or order would have to be issued for full implementation of the Constitution of India and added that this work would be completed by October 31. He said currently, the judges who take charge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court after the transfer have to take the oath of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. There are many such provisions which separate this state from India, he added.

Ketkar said the problem that the country faced in Jammu and Kashmir for the past seven decades was the arrogance of Jawaharlal Nehru. He said it was due to this arrogance that at the time of the merger of this state with India, he encouraged Sheikh Abdullah by sidelining Maharaja Hari Singh. Nehru even made a blunder by sending Sheikh Abdulla as the representative of Kashmir to the United Nations. He said at the UN, he came in contact with representatives of Arab and other Muslim countries, after which the idea of an independent country of Kashmir was conceived by Abdullah. Later, despite the disagreements with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, Nehru added special provisions regarding Jammu and Kashmir to the Constitution.

He said India should raise the issue of human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir before the world. 

BJP leader hails move

Nearly one crore people joined the membership of the BJP in one day following the abrogation of Section 370 in Kashmir, stated party national vice president Prabhat Jha, who was in the city on Sunday. “It was a record breaking day for the BJP membership campaign. This clearly indicates that people of the country have welcomed the decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah,” said Jha, who is also in charge of BJP, Chandigarh. He was speaking at one of the several events organised by the city party unit under their membership campaign.  Addressing people on the occasion, Jha added, "BJP membership has reached a total of 12 crore. People are coming forward and becoming member of the party themselves.