Mangalore, Oct 31: The state of Jammu and Kashmir is not a separatist state. Although a voice of separatism exists, it is not the voice of the majority, said Director of Jammu Kashmir Study Centre, New Delhi Arun Kumar.
Delivering a talk on'Jammu - Kashmir – Challenges and solutions' at a programme organised by Manthana and Citizen's Council, Mangalore, he said that there were misconceptions of separatism, dispute and autonomy associated with Jammu-Kashmir by the rest of the people in the country. However, out of the 17 districts that form Jammu-Kashmir, there are strong voices of separatism only from five districts and one community of people who are the Kashmiri-speaking Sunni Muslims. The rest of the districts situated in Jammu and Ladakh regions do not echo the same voices, he said, adding that the problem in Jammu-Kashmir was the one created and nurtured by the people at the Centre.
Speaking on the conflict between separatists and nationalists in J&K, he said that the issue in Jammu-Kashmir had been misquoted, misinterpreted and mishandled. Once the princely state ceded to India in October 1947, the national boundary lines were marked and no issue remained thereafter. Even Article 370 of the Indian Constitution is a procedural mechanism and a temporary provision, which does not grant special status to Jammu-Kashmir. The problem of J&K is not a dispute, but is being made into one between Indian and Pakistan, which is why we have to change the discourse of J&K and shift the agenda to Pak-Occupied Jammu-Kashmir and China-Occupied Jammu-Kashmir,” he said.
Briefing on the Pak-Occupied Jammu-Kashmir (POJK) in the present scenario, he said that the Gilgit and Baltistan regions that was currently in POJK were strategic to the security of the country due to their location.
“If we want to make our borders secure, we have to secure the region of Gilgit and bring awareness among the masses in this regard. We need an awareness, consensus and will among the people in the country to recapture the regions, along with strengthening the nationalists in the state,” he said and opined that although nationalist forces had fought against rebellion and terrorist forces in the state, they still lived in J&K without any policies made for them.
The discourse should be shifted to who are the real victims in Jammu-Kashmir, he said.
Capt Ganesh Karnik was present on the occasion.
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