TWO MISSED OPPORTUNITIES, SIX DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES
A martyr is one who sacrifices his or her life on the battlefield fighting against an enemy nation. But Dr. Mookerjee became a martyr while fighting a government in our own country. His fight was for the full integration of Jammu & Kashmir with the Indian Union. He was a visionary who had foreseen the consequences of placing Jammu & Kashmir, a strategically located state, in a separate and tenuous Constitutional relationship with the rest of India.
Sadly, neither the government of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in New Delhi nor the government of Shaikh Abdullah in Srinagar believed that Jammu & Kashmir needed to be fully integrated into the Indian Union.
In the case of Shaikh Abdullah, the problem was his ambition to become the unquestioned leader of a virtually independent Kashmir. In the case of Nehruji, it was a matter of lack of courage, firmness and foresight.
Article 370 in the Indian Constitution, which Pandit Nehru himself had declared to be a “temporary provision”, has still not been abrogated. As a result, secessionist forces in Kashmir, aided and instigated by the anti-India establishment in Pakistan, continue to feel emboldened to carry out their poisonous propaganda that J&K’s accession to India is not final and that Kashmir, in particular, is not a part of India.
Our country has paid an incalculable price for Nehruji’s failure to settle the Kashmir issue once and for all in India’s favour at the time of Partition. Nehruji’s blunder was totally avoidable. After all, Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was successful in securing the integration of all the other princely states — 561 of them — into the Indian Union. When a few of them dithered, or dared to express their intention to join Pakistan, Patel used the might of the newly independent Indian State to show them their place. For example, the armed resistance of the Nizam of Hyderabad was crushed with a heavy hand. The ruler of Junagadh fled away to Pakistan .
Jammu & Kashmir was the only princely state whose accession was being handled directly by Prime Minister Nehru. In fact, Pakistan’s first war against India in 1947 to capture Kashmir through force and subterfuge had given Nehruji’s government an excellent opportunity not only to fully beat back the invaders but also to resolve the Kashmir issue with Pakistan once and for all.
India frittered away a second big opportunity to settle the Kashmir issue once and for all in the 1971 India-Pak war, in which Pakistan was not only roundly defeated but India had as many as 90,000 Pakistani PoWs.
Hence, our countrymen should know that the Kashmir problem is Nehru family’s special ‘gift’ to the nation.
The consequences of this ‘gift’ are:
Pakistan’s export of cross-border terrorism first into Kashmir, and later into other parts of India.
Pakistan’s export of religious extremism into Kashmir, which has subsequently spread to other parts of India.
Thousands of lives of our security personnel and civilians.
Tens of thousands of crores of rupees spent on military and paramilitary defense.
An opportunity for external powers to fish in the troubled waters of India-Pakistan relations.
Almost the entire population of Kashmiri Pandits having been driven out of their own homeland and become refugees or “internally displaced” people in their own motherland.
Dr. Mookerjee had foreseen that placing Jammu & Kashmir on a separate and unsound Constitutional footing would have disastrous consequences. But he not only envisioned J&K’s full integration with India, but, as a brave and lion-hearted patriot, he transformed his vision into his personal mission.
He set out to implement his mission on three terrains – political, parliamentary and on-the-ground in Kashmir.
Firstly, in October 1951, he founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, as a truly nationalist alternative to the Congress. Apart from struggling for Kashmir’s full integration with India, the agenda of the Jana Sangh extended to rebuilding the newly independent India in a manner that ensured prosperity, justice, security and welfare for all its citizens without any kind of discrimination on grounds of religion, caste, language, etc.
Secondly, after the Jana Sangh made a debut in the first general elections in 1952, Dr. Mookerjee emerged as the de-facto Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Here he stoutly opposed the Congress government’s policy towards J&K, which, among other things, meant that no one, including the President and the Prime Minister of India could enter into Kashmir without the permission of Kashmir’s “Prime Minister”. Kashmir would have its own Constitution, its own President (Sadar–e-Riyasat) and Prime Minister and its own Flag! In protest, Dr. Mookerjee thundered: “Ek desh mein do Vidhan, do Pradhan and Do Nishan nahin challenge”.
Thirdly, Dr. Mookerjee announced in 1953 that he would visit Kashmir without seeking a permit. On May 11, while crossing the border into Kashmir, he was arrested and held as a detenu in Srinagar. He was not provided proper medical assistance when his health deteriorated and, on June 23, he died under mysterious circumstances.
Dr. Mookerjee’s sacrifice had immediate consequences.
The permit system was scrapped, and the National Tricolour started flying in the State.
In course of time, the authority of the Rashtrapati, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission and the C.A.G. was extended to J& K. State.
When in the name of giving autonomy to J&K state, some people talk of restoring the pre-1953 position, the implications must be understood. The people of India are not going to allow the gains to the nation secured by Dr. Syama Prasad’s martyrdom to be undone under any circumstances
It is a shame that the history of Dr. Mookerjee’s martyrdom for the cause of India’s unity and integrity is not taught to our students in schools and colleges.
Our education system and the government-controlled mass media glorifies the contribution of the Nehru family, but deliberately underplays or blacks out the struggles and sacrifices of other patriots, such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Patel, Gopinath Bordoloi, Rammanohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Hiren Mukherjee, A.K. Gopalan and, of course, Dr. Mookerjee.
***
TAILPIECE
There was a time when the Congress was a broad platform that accommodated patriots of all hues. Indeed, it was at the behest of Mahatma Gandhi, that Dr. Mookerjee, who then belonged to the Hindu Maha Sabha, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar who had been a bitter critic of the Congress Party were included in Pandit Nehru’s first Cabinet after Independence.
Sadly, the Congress today has become the fiefdom of a single family. The office of Prime Minister is reserved either for the nominee or a member of the Nehru family. India is paying a heavy price because of a Prime Minister nominated by the Congress president.
And now the demand has arisen from within the Congress Party that a scion of the Nehru family should take over the Prime Ministership.
Our country cannot afford continuation of the misrule that UPA represents. Prime Ministership of a great democracy like India should not be allowed to become the jagirdari of a family.
L.K. Advani
New Delhi
26 June, 2011
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June 26th, 2011 at 9:08 am
Sri Advaniji,
Is Uniform Civil Code not the answer to our problems? And why has this issue taken a backseat for all major political stakeholders?
With all sociological problems, we have always desisted from the tough solution because of lack of political strength and leadership, always taking baby steps to solve deeper routed problems - the resultant is power centers that thrive on the problem, exacerbating it.
Is our polity doomed for lack of political leadership and the “reversion” syndrome? And is media the only force today to faintly remind us that problems across our motherland are convergent and a different head of the same monster?
June 26th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
I dont know why we keep bring kashmir into limlight we should be bringing Baluchistan issue to UN limelight
Baluchistan is next bangladesh..all the baluch people are tortured harrassed and raped by punjabi pakistan
We should supporting the independence of baluchistan.
June 26th, 2011 at 10:39 pm
Dear Sir,
Please go thru the 2 posts on Dr.Manmohansinghji
http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5234686
and
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/manmohan-sing-youve-nothing-to-hide-then-why-hide-31416.html
regards
PUNEETH KUMAR
BENGALURU
09901555330
June 26th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Respected Advaniji,
The YUVA morcha is headed by Himachal CMs son,the general secretary is Poonam Mahajan,CM yeduriappa’s son is MP of shimoga in KARNATAKA,2 reddy brothers and their family frend are ministers are in KARNATAKA cabinet,Minister Sri ramulu’s sister is MP of Bellary,his nepew is MP of Raichur,the youngest of the REDDY brothers is MLA of bellary,Minister UDASI’s son is the MP of haveri!!!!!!!
What is your stand on this FAMILY AFFAIRS in karnataka?
regards
PUNEETH KUMAR
09901555330
BENGALURU
June 26th, 2011 at 11:23 pm
Nice Article.very much true.the education revolution that happened in the last two decades should have happened right after independence…Nehru ji dint do that nor did the following congress PM’s.Strong laws for anti terrorism should have been there from ages, when for the very first time a foreign national was kidnapped in Kashmir. But they neglected it. There should have been good rules to make the government employees work properly with dedication.they gave permanent job, you cant remove anyone even if he does something wrong,he will get his salary and even if you take any action the labour unions will be with him and you cant do anything.this whole process is flawed. And nobody is taking any action on this. Why would you work if you have so many benefits even if you don’t work.Corruption…The laws we are trying to bring now should have been in our constitution right from day 1.Nehruji should have foreseen.very very sad that we had such a weak PM’s at a very crucial period.
June 27th, 2011 at 3:34 am
With due respect, please may I request that you read Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire by Alex Von Tunzelmann, where he writes what Nehru was doing during the riots in Lahore Post Partition and what he was doing Pre Partition in Simla, Not only did we lose the opportunity but India was forever cruelly dissected and devoid of its citizenry Pre Partition & Post Partition. Both my grandparents lost everything, though no lives in the families were lost. Indeed they could have borrowed words from Louis XV “…. apres mois, le deluge.” Let the natives sort out their mess. The feud between Patel & Nehru, the insecurity of Jinnah, for the Muslim League, in Congress are all factors that triggered Partition. All told and said, Kashmir was more important to Nehru than Sind & Punjab. Very very sad!
June 27th, 2011 at 6:49 am
Excellent post with some hard-hitting and bitter truths. Pandit Nehru’s foreign policy blunders for which India is paying the price to this date! As Mr Advani said we indeed lost 2 wonderful opportunities to rightfully integrate Kashmir into India during the wars of 1947 and 1971 after all other means had failed. Also its a shame on all the subsequent governments and the people of India who failed to repatriate 300000 Kashmiri Pandits to their homeland who were persecuted and displaced just because they were ‘Hindus’. This dynasty politics of incompetent, selfish and un-patriotic family must end before they do more harm.
June 27th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
HI advani ji,
I am agree with all the findings and the views you expressed, Also in my understanding China problem was also a great gift of MR. nehru only. But still I am not getting any clue or answer why in kandhar our minister went to handover the terrorists and why India missed the opportunity to solve kashmir problem and given safe passage to terrorists and pak army in Kargil war. Also dont find any steps taken by NDA government in regards to Mr. mukharji’s view for kashmir. What government did for article 370 and common civil act.
However I am a great supporter of RSS/ Mr. Mukharji/Netaji’s view also i prefer BJP over Congress if they can stick to the principle values of their own philosophy.
With regards
Gaurav Misra
8447149128
June 27th, 2011 at 10:20 pm
I am going to share this blog with as many people as possible
June 27th, 2011 at 11:40 pm
Dear Advaniji,
I have always been an ardent fan of you. I would like to thank you for this wonderful article. I had heard about the several mistakes that Pandit Nehru made for India and we Indians, but since these things are no where written so was never able to justify those views. But after reading your article I am convinced that indeed we have already paid so much to have Pandit Nehru as our first PM.
History has always been written by the winners and for the winners and that’s why, much of our great patriotic leaders like Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayn, Ram Manohar Lohia, Vinoba Bhawe, Subhash Chandra Bose and many more dont find any place in our history books. Why our history books is full of description of stories of muslim invadors and not about the great leaders and kings. India has always been a country of prophets and great peoples.
June 28th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Shri Advaniji,
You got to take address raised by Mr. Punit Kumar from Bangalore.
AND, Mr. Yeddy is not doing the minimum expected. I came all the way flying from Gulf to vote for his team and to teach a lesson to the modern DRUTHARASHTRA called HD Devvegouda, but now now BJP rule is indifferent. I would say it the worst of its kind.
Today it is the most corrupt state in our country. We did not vote for such a governance. Most of the MLAs from BJP are involved in it. AND everything is stolen under the nose of all these people.
You being modern Sardar Vallabhbai Patel, cannot keep silent. As you are answerable to the entire nation. If it is continuing like this, time is not far to get washed out from the state. So please do the needful.
June 28th, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Respected Advaniji
I am very happy that you have once again reminded our countrymen about sacrifice of Dr. Mookerjee. But I feel very sad that during the tenure of NDA Government nothing substantial was done to integrate Kashmir with rest of India.
June 28th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Sir really a good one…why is not such an important topic like kashmir included in our history books.where they afraid of their own faults.As to karnataka issue we cannot have a CM like Modi in all states.Also Karnataka is supposed to the first southern state where BJP has made an appearance.Now national parties have certain compulsions to get along with regional parties but that doesn’t make a good argument for seeing some +ve changes.Sir come clean in Karnataka it is important for our national politics.
June 29th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Respected Advaniji,
An excellent article on the mismanagement of the J&K issue by the Congress. Any problem that this country faces today will have its origins in the Congress Party.
S.Subramaniam
Bengaluru