Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 9: The former Union Minister, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta has sought the issuance of a white paper depicting the wrongs committed in Jammu and Kashmir over the decades but for Article 370 and to what extent the interests of the people were jeopardized including the massacres and killings of thousands of innocent persons by the ultras and forced migration of lakhs of the nationalists to become refugees within their own country.
In a statement Prof. Gupta said that the need for such a detailed document seems to be all the more essential but for the protagonists of this obnoxious provision still continue to harping for its retention even after the expiry of 70 years although it was temporary provision on the very face of Article 370. And more so its abusers are still claiming that they are not “criminals.”
He said that there was plethora of the excesses committed by the protagonists of this semi-secessionism and all the democratic norms were made a mockery. Visionary Pandit Prem Nath Dogra who opposed to any kind of secessionism or discriminatory status on basis of religion including Article 370 was arrested and detained at Srinagar jail to face vagaries of severe Winter for months together although he was nearly 70 at that time.
As many as 16 youths were shot dead at various places just for hoisting the Indian Tricolor on this soil, he recalled and also pointed that towering opposition leader of the country, Dr. Shayama Prasad Mookerji was arrested and lodged in the hut of gardeners of the Nishat Garden at Srinagar without any trial and his death in detention in circumstances shrouded in mystery but no enquiry was held despite wails of his aged mother.
Prof. Gupta also recalled that taking advantage of the Article 370, the entire electoral process was made a mockery and there was galore of unopposed “victories” and various sections of the people were denied their rights under communal and regional considerations.
There was no jurisdiction of the Election Commission of India till 1968 and it was in 1972 that many people got the opportunity to see the ballot paper and cast their votes, he added and pointed out that the timely elections were never held even to the basic democracies.
Prof. Gupta also alleged that the seeds of radicalism in Kashmir were sown by the protagonists of Autonomy and that of Article 370. Not only people of the State, but also the entire country were facing the problems of radicalism.
He said all these wrongs and criminal like acts needed to be brought in the public domain to know the facts.
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