WASHINGTON, Oct 5 (APP): The concept of giving the disputed Kashmir region autonomy is an absolute fallacy as it relies on a provision of the Indian constitution, which itself is subject to amendments, argued a leading scholar on Kashmir. “All world constitutions are subject to amendments and Indian constitution is no exception,” Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, head of Washigton-based Kashmiri-American Council said.He explained his point by saying given that New Delhi is offering to Kashmir, if not today, at a later stage, the Parliament is going to delete the relevant provision even before hearing any debate.
“Secondly, the Kashmiris have had the experience of autonomy which was given under prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Sheikh Abdullah in 1953 — that option was first diluted and then forgotten with the passage of time.”As far as the Line of Control is concerned, offering the LoC as an international border is a non-solution to begin with because for Kashmiris this remains a line of conflict,which was supposed to be erased under the UN resolutions, Fai stated.“The people of Kashmir have revolted against the status quo. How can status quo be a solution?” he questioned.
Fai also referred to a latest survey by Chatham House, England, cited by the British Broadcasting Corporation, which said on May 27 that as much as 90 per cent of the people in Kashmir valley want freedom, which means rejection of the LoC as an international border and rejection of autonomy as an option.The presence of a million peacefully protesting people on the streets of Kashmir gives a loud and clear message to the world powers including the United States that they will not accept anything short of self-determination.
The scholar pointed out that the Indian External Affairs Minister’s claim that the election in the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir are a referendum, clearly flout the UN resolution 91 of 1951 and resolution 122 of 1957 which clearly say that any action taken by the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be a substitute for plebiscite – App
“The only election acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir is one which will be conducted and supervised by an impartial agency like the United Nations and which will take place in an atmosphere free of coercion and intimidation – App
