‘I was in the room when my father signed the document’
Senior Congress leader and the last Sadr-e-Riyasat of J&K, Dr Karan Singh said that the state of Jammu and Kashmir has acceded to India and not merged like other princely states.
He said J&K has acceded to India on three subjects only which are – Defense, Communications and Foreign affairs. I was very much in the room when my father signed the instrument of accession on October 27, 1947,” he said in his speech in Rajya Sabha.
Sigh also said that J&K isn’t an internal matter of India which cutting above party lines, all the political leaders in India should realise.
“This is not an internal matter. We must realise it. We say J&K is an integral part of India. Yes, the day my father signed an instrument of accession it became an integral part of India…there is no doubt about that. However, please remember something more. But please remember something more, my father acceded for three subjects only-Defence, Communications and Foreign affairs,” said Singh, who was also the first governor of J&K.
Singh went on saying his father (Hari Singh) signed the same accession when all other princely states signed, but all other states subsequently merged, J&K didn’t merge.
“J&K’s relation with India is guided by Article 370 and the state constitution that I signed into law. Yes It is an integral part of India, but right from the beginning J&K has been given a special position. There were other political agreement like the 1975 accord between Sheikh Abdullah and Indira Gandhi,” he said.
Karan Singh said that there is still uncertainty in the air about the factual position of Kashmir. “This is an unresolved matter and more we delay it more problems we are creating.
“J&K is a single state, but we can’t brush aside other regions Ladakh and Jammu. It is not only Kashmiriyat let us add it Ladakhiyat and Jammuiat,” he said.
He said right from the beginning so many commissions were set up, but why the matter is still on, what happened to the interlocutors report and other commissions. “It is not only an economic problem, there are several dimensions. It is a complex political problem and today we are seeing the situation. Young people even intellectuals feel alienated,” Singh said.
He asked the Narendra Modi led government that time has come to do some concrete steps to resolve the problem. “Do some ground work before sending a parliamentary delegation to J&K. Don’t go and meet Mehbooba Ji and her Mantris. “Kashmir can burst anytime again. There will be no point then,” he concluded.
