The Tenth Union Territory of Gilgit Baltistan Still To Be Created
After scrapping of Article 370, the government’s next agenda should be to get back the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK),said Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy.
Indeed the tenth Union Territory will be Gilgit Balistan. Liberating these areas from the clutches of Pakistan is a pending resolution of the Indian Parliament, yet to be implemented.
“Return of the territory in the possession of Pakistan is the next agenda item for us. I hope the decisiveness with which Prime Minister and Home Minister have taken this step, will take the next step also when we are ready to recover the land as per the resolution of this Parliament,” said Subramanian Swamy. During the time of Narasimha Rao government, Parliament had unanimously passed a resolution to take back the PoK.
A more difficult question will be, where and how to adjust the 12 seats allotted for Gilgit Baltistan in the Assembly of J&K. Going a step ahead we need to allott one seat the 546 th in the Lok sabha to the UT of Gilgit Baltistan.
Supporting the resolution on removal of Article 370 — that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir — moved in the Upper House, Swamy also said that now there is nothing to mediate in the Kashmir issue for the US President Donald Trump except for him to tell Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to return the land taken illegally from India. Even the Chinese President must give similar advice to Imran Khan.
Attacking the Congress party for being “ignorant” of the law, Swamy said A370 can be removed with President’s order and does not require any amendment to the Constitution of India. “The Constituent assembly concluded proceedings in 1956 and recommended the preamble of J&K constitution which says will be inalienable part of India. J&K is integral part of India.
“It is there is in the J&K constitution. There is no mention of Article 370 in the constitution. Therefore what appears to me is that the Congress party leaders are totally ignorant of the law. They are unaware what law says,” he said.
Stating that the Modi government is proceeding on the basis of law, Swamy said, “Bringing a resolution was additional recognition that this should be informed to Parliament. Hence on this basis, I say removal of Article 370 was overdue, and Article 370 headline is a temporary provision.”
He further said that Article 370 was “one-sided” and it died the day when 5,00,000 Kashmiri pandits and Sikhs were driven out. “Not one word was said in their favour nor an attempt been made for their return. How can you have Article 370 in one way direction. It cannot be. Therefore, Article 370 have been violated multiple times by parties which were ruling the state before President’s rule,” he added.
For the last 70 years vested interest of a few individuals, a few families and a few political parties was holding the people of not only Jammu, Kashmir, Gilgit – Baltistan and Ladhak to ransom but entire India.
With one stroke, the culprits have been exposed and immobilized at the same time. In next few months terrorism needs to be completely eradicated from the land so that people can move forward on the path if progress.
