Ahead of a Kashmir initiative being planned by the government, top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convey to him that separatists must be told in no uncertain terms that “azadi” cannot even be a distant dream and India's sovereignty and the Centre's writ over Jammu and Kashmir must be strengthened.
Party leaders L.K. Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and S.S. Ahluwalia discussed the Kashmir situation with the Prime Minister. They expressed the fear that it was “slipping out of control.” They submitted to him a four-page memorandum making it clear that the BJP was against reducing Army presence in the Kashmir and “diluting” its powers by withdrawing the special powers it enjoyed by virtue of several districts being declared “disturbed.”
In fact, the BJP argued in favour of strengthening security measures, as that alone would allow effective economic development of the State.
Another point it highlighted was the “discrimination” against the Leh and Jammu regions within the State.
Blaming the “historical mistakes” of the past 63 years committed by the Indian state for the present situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP said special or “separate” status for the State had bred a psyche of separatism. This must be reversed by sending a clear message that the State cannot be given any more autonomy than it already enjoyed and that those who dreamt of `azadi' (freedom or independence) must know that “this cannot even be a distant dream.” It was an “impossibility which can never be realised.”
The four BJP leaders also mentioned the recent controversy over the enemy property amendment Bill and reminded the Prime Minister that the ordinance on the subject would lapse in a few days in the absence of legislation to replace it. The party urged him to “re-promulgate the ordinance” in the same form, containing the same provisions, as was done earlier, so that property worth hundreds of crores now with the government as the custodian did not go back into the hands of the very persons from whom the government wanted to save it through the ordinance. The BJP did not think it would be improper for the government to snatch through an ordinance what the Supreme Court had given through due legal process. The party was of the view that the apex court had erred in allowing the divestment of property in government hands for over 40 years.
