Indian Govt’s major snub to Pak, China
* 1947 position of J&K State taken to draw maps of 2 UTs
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 2: Taking Pakistan and China head-on, the Government of India today declared Muzaffarabad, Punch and Mirpur, which are under Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), as part of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit, Gligit Wazarat, Chilhas and Tribal Territory of 1947, a part of which had been leased out by Pakistan to China, as part of Union Territory of Ladakh.
The move was aimed at sending clear signals to Pakistan and China, the two neighbours who had openly been objecting to the Indian Government’s decision to scrap Constitutional provisions of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Significantly, the Government of India has taken 1947 position as the State of Jammu and Kashmir existed then to draw the maps of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
An official statement released by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs said in 1947, the former State of Jammu and Kashmir had 14 districts including Kathua, Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi, Anantnag, Baramulla, Poonch, Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Leh and Ladakh, Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilhas and Tribal Territory.
The maps prepared by the Survey General of India depicted Muzaffarabad, Punch and Mirpur, all three districts which are part of PoK, in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilhas and Tribal Territory, which were part of Pakistan and some areas of which have been given by Pakistan on lease to China, as the part of Union Territory of Ladakh.
“By 2019, 14 more districts have been added to Jammu and Kashmir including Kupwara, Bandipur, Ganderbal, Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Rajouri, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Samba and Kargil taking total number of districts to 28,’’ the statement said.
Jammu and Kashmir has 22 districts including 10 each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions of the Union Territory of J&K while the Union Territory of Ladakh has two districts of Leh and Kargil. Rest six districts were illegally with PoK and administered area, which were part of J&K and Frontier area in 1947.
With the move (inclusion of PoK districts and Administered areas like Gilgit Baltistan), sources said, the Government of India has given clear message not only to Pakistan but China also that entire State of Jammu and Kashmir which existed in 1947 as well as Frontier area, as the Gilgit Baltistan was called then, were part of J&K and India.
Pakistan has been repeatedly objecting to the Central Government decision on scrapping of Constitutional provisions of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the State into two Union Territories while China had objected to making of Ladakh as the Union Territory.
According to sources, the Indian Government has effectively and strongly overruled all objections and held firm stand that entire State of Jammu and Kashmir as existed in 1947 and Frontier areas were part of J&K and India.
A Government order issued by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind has included the areas of the districts of Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilhas and Tribal Territory of 1947, in addition to the remaining areas of Leh and Ladakh districts of 1947, after carving out the Kargil district, into the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Inclusion of PoK districts in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement made in Rajouri on the occasion of Diwali festival that Pakistan has been holding PoK illegally and Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat’s stand that PoK is not being run by the Pakistan establishment but the terrorists.
It may be mentioned here that Pakistan has leased out some parts of Gilgit Baltistan to China for mining purposes as the latter was engaged in construction of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) there.
Local people of Gilgit Baltistan had organized massive protests on September 22, 2019 against Pakistan Government’s decision to lease land of their territory to China saying this will compromise their economic interests.
Member of Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly Mirza Hussain had gone on record saying that 300 mining leases were awarded to China without his knowledge. People had protested against leasing of their pasture to outsiders. Even Gilgit Baltistan Minister for Minerals had charged Pakistan with leasing out the mines to China without his knowledge.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and supervision of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir has been reorganized as the new Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh on October 31 after the President of India, on recommendations of the Parliament, effectively dismantled Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and gave assent to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019,’’ the MHA statement said.
India now has 28 States and nine Union Territories.
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