Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Nov 27: Strongly criticizing the president of National Conference (NC) and former Chief Minister of the State Dr Farooq Abdullah on his recent statement on PoJK, Union Minister of State in PMO with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that this was the example of opportunistic politics.
Talking to reporters here today at the sidelines of a interactive programme on role of youth and present socio-political scenario organized by ABVP and Youth of Panun Kashmir , Dr Singh said when Abdullahs’ are in power they describe Kashmir as “Atoot Ang of India (integral part) and when they are out of power overnight they start questioning its status”.
“Give power to Dr Abdullah tomorrow I am sure, he will start swearing that Kashmir is an integral part of India”, Dr Singh added.
He said there is nothing new about Dr Abdullah’s statement as it has been his old habit.
When asked is he (Dr Farooq) trying to play political galleries, the Union Minister said “it is also a matter of impropriety for somebody who is so highly placed in political spectrum. Earlier he has gone to extent of advocating attack on Pak terror when in power and when out of it, he challenged the accession, Dr Singh added.
In response to another question that Dr Farooq was drawing parallel between Parliament resolution on PoK and UN resolution of plebiscite in Kashmir, he said these are two aspects.
“I think it is naive to draw parallel between the two. It is because one of there UN resolution stands invalid, as there was one pre condition that Pakistan has first withdraw from part of Kashmir it has occupied before going for plebiscite, which they didn’t. While the Parliament resolution states that PoK is integral part of India which is under forcible occupation of Pakistan and India is committed to get it back. So any parallel between two is naïve”, the Union Minster added.
“The Parliament resolution was passed 22 years back and if Farooq had any doubt why he did not speak earlier. This is opportunistic politics of highest order and people in country and Kashmir can see through this bluff, Dr Singh said.
Later addressing the programme, Dr Singh regretted that self attestation of certificates which was started by Narendra Modi Government soon after it took over in 2014 was implemented after two years in J&K.
While strongly advocating for implementation of 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments in J&K, he said that BJP had made it a main issue when in opposition but now the coalition Government has kept this issue conveniently pending. He also strongly supported the demand of Dogra certificates for Jammu youth.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, “for generations together, the thinkers and political pundits took the conventional line to state that tomorrow belongs to youth, but herein today, we are faced with a scenario where not tomorrow, but today itself has been taken over by youth. To substantiate his point, he said, whereas at the time of independence in 1947, the population of India was around 44 crore, in India of 2016, the population below the age of 35-40 years is almost double to the extent of over 80 crore and every third person walking in the streets of India is a youngster.”
While India is the world’s biggest resource pool of youth force, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the challenge now is, how best to channelize it for the benefit of India without letting it go waste or under-utilized.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, during the last two years of the Modi Government, a number of youth-centric revolutionary decisions have been taken which no Government in the past 70 years dared to do. Citing example, he said, within few months of taking over, the age-old practice of getting certificates attested by the gazetted officers was abolished which had been a legacy of the British colonial rule. Beginning from 1st January this year, the Central government abolished interviews for appointments to junior posts, he said. The recent decision to change the legal tender of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes is also motivated by a long term plan to make the youth of India an intrinsic part of the global economic management system, while at the same time, seeking to utilize the hoarded black money for benefit of enormous youth welfare schemes announced by the Modi Government, he added.
As for Jammu & Kashmir, Dr Singh said, for the youth living in all the three regions of the State, there are certain issues which are of common concern. Citing a number of examples, he said, for instance, GST should be introduced into the State without any further delay and this would benefit the youth not only from Jammu region, but also from Kashmir and Ladakh. At the same time, while the Central Government is generous in granting two AIIMS, IIT and IIM for J&K, he suggested, provisions have to be worked out to provide incentives to eminent faculty from other parts of the country in order to make these institutions viable and at the same time, capable of living up to the requirement of “job placement”. The emphasis has to be not on providing employment per se, but to generate employability for youth, he added.
Dr Singh said, there is a huge youth energy waiting to be explored across the country, including in Jammu & Kashmir, and it is a challenge for all of us, more so for the elders, to ensure that this youth power is appropriately streamlined to achieve the objective of making India a “world power”.
MLA Rajesh Gupta, in his address, suggested that State Government should include chapters on Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Pt Prem Nath Dogra and Maharaja Hari Singh in school text – books and suggested that the history of State be rewritten so that the younger generations knows the truth.
He said the fate of J&K will not be decided by Dr Farooq but by Prime Minister of India or by the people of India on the basis of 1994 resolution of Indian Parliament.
Dr Virendra Koundal, National Executive Member of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) gave a detailed background of the role of youth in changing times in the history of India. Criticizing the NC leaders, he said Dr Abdullah and his son are challenging Indian Constitution through their statements.
Ashwani Charungoo, President Panun Kashmir, congratulated the ABVP and the youth of the State for their commendable role in recent times. He recalled the role of ABVP and said it is serious towards the welfare of youth. He made a dig at those leaders from the State who have said that there was no merger of J&K with India. Taking a dig at former Chief Minister Dr Abdullah’s remarks on PoJK, he said “yes Kashmir belonged to my father and ancestors”.
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