Author:
Publication: Organiser
Date: July 14, 2002
At the Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari
Mandal meeting held recently, RSS passed a resolution supporting the demand
of Jammu and Kashmir National Front for separate statehood for Jammu and
Union Territory status for Ladakh. Organiser representative Deepak Kumar
Rath spoke to Shri MG. Vaidya, spokesman of the RSS in Delhi. He elaborated
on the reasons for the Sangh's support to the movement for separate statehood
for Jammu. Excerpts:
Q. What is the urgency for passing
this resolution?
A. It is not a sudden decision.
We have been discussing the issue for the last one and a half years. In
our March 2001 meeting this issue had cropped up, where at a discussion
on it at the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, a demand was made by some
delegates about trifurcation especially about special statehood for the
Jammu and Kashmir region. But we did not come to any conclusion at the
Pratinidhi Sabha. So a Committee was appointed by the General Secretary
of the RSS under the Chairmanship of our Kshetra Sanghchalak, the retired
Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana Jitendra Veer Gupta to study the situation
by personally going over to Jammu and Kashmir Valley and to submit a report.
This decision was taken on the basis of that report.
Besides, there was a forum advocating
separate statehood for Jammu, known as the Jammu-Kashmir National front.
It had been agitating for the cause and often organised various programmes
like seminars, etc. We-observed that it was not only the Hindus but also
the Muslims from Poonchh, Rajouri and Doda who participated in the agitation
for the demand. Their demand also was under our consideration. When we
studied the report prepared by our special committee, we were convinced
that there is need for special statehood to the Jammu region.
The reasons are two-fold. One, discrimination
at the administrative level in the development programmes and the other
is the obvious conspiracy to change the demographic complexion of Jammu.
The conspiracy was evident when the Supreme Court refused to give any opinion
on the Resettlement Act-passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly which
had a majority of the National Conference in 1982-providing for the resettlement
of those persons who had migrated -to Pakistan and accepted Pakistani citizenship.
Some of them might have. also fought on behalf of Pakistan against India.
Those who are to be resettled in the Jammu region would bring about a qualitative
change in the demographic complexion of the area. So discrimination against
Jammu was the point and the other was conspiracy to change the demographic
complexion. The attitude of the State Government is that two lakh voters
are denied their right to vote in the Assembly elections although they
enjoy the right to vote for the Lok Sabha elections. It means that they
are citizens of India but at the same time they are not citizens of Jammu
and Kashmir. They were denied their right because all of them happen to
be Hindus. The blatantly anti-Hindu government in Srinagar had created,
acute disaffection, dissatisfaction among the people of Jammu because of
which they are demanding separate statehood for Jammu. RSS endorsed their
demand and decided to support them.
Q. You said it is an anti-Hindu
government in Srinagar. Will you please explain?
A. It is anti-Hindu and now anti-Bharat
also. Because the NDA government under Vajpayee has come to power at the
Centre, there is a slight change in the attitude of the, National Conference
government in Srinagar. But its intentions are obvious from the affidavit
they submitted to the Supreme Court with regard, to the Resettlement Act.
The Government of India had filed an affidavit in the Court saying that
the right to grant citizenship rests with the Central Government and not
with a State Government. But the J&K State Government has challenged
this.
Q. RSS is a cultural organisation.
Why this political resolution?
A. Our concept of culture has a
very wide range. We think that culture is the basis on which a nation stands
and subsists. Therefore we are for cultural nationalism. So all those aspects
of our social life that fall within the domain of politics, but at the
same time affect national life, we do make our position clear on that.
Therefore we passed this resolution. These are not merely electoral issues,
they strike at the very root of the nation.
Q. The Deputy Prime Minister has
rejected the RSS demand. Will there be a confrontation?
A. The Deputy Prime Minister has
given expression of the position of the government. RSS has expressed its
own position about it. The two obviously don't agree. That is the position.
We have a different perception on so many issues which is not shared by
the government. The government has also its own perception of some issues
which we do not share. For example swadeshi.
Q. What if the demand is rejected?
Will the RSS start an agitation?
A. I said that we have made clear
our position. Whatever agitation has to be started will be done by the
people of Jammu. We only say that we would support the agitation,. We will
not initiate one.
Q. Don't you think the division
is communal?
A. No. How can it be communal?
The division is purely for administrative purposes. There already are three
Divisions in J&K State-Ladakh, Kashmir Valley and Jammu. The very name
Jammu and Kashmir State denotes that these three are two main regions of
the State. When three Muslim-majority districts are included in Jammu where
is the question of branding it a communal demand? Just because Jammu is
going to be a Hindu majority state, if people say that this division is
communal then the whole of Bharat is communal.
The division of a state is done
on administrative basis taking into consideration the sentiments and desire
of the people. Why was Haryana separated from Punjab? Because the people
of Punjab wanted a separate State for them. Why was Uttar Pradesh divided
to form Uttaranchal? Because the people of Uttaranchal wanted a separate
State. They (Uttaranchal, Jharkhand, etc.) felt that the development of
their region was not properly taken care of while they remained as part
of the parent state. Nobody called it communal divide. The new states are
formed for administrative convenience.
Q. What is the ratio of Hindu-Muslim
population in Jammu and Kashmir State?
A. In Jammu region there are 65
per cent Hindus and 35 per cent Muslims. And the Muslims will continue
to be part of the proposed State. The question should be asked of the National
Conference government why the five per cent Hindu population could not
live with dignity and security in the Valley which has 95 per cent Muslims.
Hindus from that part of J&K are refugees for the last more than a
decade. Such a situation is not going to develop in Jammu.
Q. There are other kinds of discrimination
in other States too. Will the RSS raise these issues?
A. No, not necessarily. We have
raised this issue in view of the demand of the people and also because
of the deliberate attempts to change the demographic complexion of the
area to reduce the Hindus to a minority. That is why we support this move.
We were not against the formation of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal.
Q. The media has- widely commented
on RSS' move f or trifurcation of J&K. How do you react to it?
A. People are free to comment,
although some of the comments are absolutely immature and irresponsible.
They are ignorant of ground realities. I visited the State from June 19
to June 24. I talked - to a number of people including many Muslims. They
all supported the demand for separate statehood.
Q. Do you think the movement for
separate - statehood would gain mass support?
A. Why not? The people of Jammu
are confident of winning' mass support.
Q. What if the government does not
support it?
A. Government stands changed, Mulayam
Singh was against Uttaranchal and later he conceded it. Laloo was against
Jharkhand, he also fell in line. For Union Territory Status for Ladakh,
at one time both BJP and Congress supported the view although it was never
implemented.
