Giving J&K autonomy will be a disaster: Former governor

Giving Kashmir autonomy will sever its political links with the rest of the country and encourage the north-eastern states to make similar demands, former J&K governor, lieutenant general (rtd) SK Sinha, has said.

According to Sinha, it has become fashionable to talk about autonomy for J&K. “These statements are not made without some encouragement from Delhi. But Kashmir already has a political and economic autonomy not enjoyed by any other Indian state, Pakistani province or a region in a western country,” he said.

Sinha, who led the Indian army against tribal raiders from Pakistan in 1947-48, was speaking at a function organised by the Forum for Integrated National Security, a group that discusses internal security. He spoke on ‘Azaadi, Autonomy To Kashmir — Threat to National Integration’ at Tuesday’s event in Mumbai.

According to him, azaadi means total independence but the Indian Independence Act passed by the British parliament only talks about partition of British India into India and Pakistan and accession of the princely states to India or Pakistan. The promised plebiscite was meant to decide whether the state should go to India or Pakistan. “Where does azaadi come into it?

Kashmiri Muslims form just 45% of the state’s population. Another 20% are Gujjar and Bakarwal Muslims and Shia Muslims of Kargil. There is no talk about the Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. What is this azaadi?” he asked.

After the ceasefire line was drawn, Pakistani troops were supposed to leave the state. Since they did not go back from the occupied areas of the state, the plebiscite could not take place, he said.

Talking of Kashmir’s economic freedoms, Sinha said that the state received highest per capita aid from the Centre. While a resident of Bihar or Orissa gets between Rs800 and Rs900 annually, a Kashmiri gets Rs11,000 as aid. “By saying that they do not want the comptroller and auditor general and the election commission to operate in the state, they want to say that they should not be held accountable for the money sent to them,” Sinha said.