The Indian Republic / The Big Picture / Article 370 is Very Misconceived: Interview with

Jagmohan, Former overnor o! J"#

Tweet 8
Claude Arpis interview with Jagmohan,
Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and
Union Minister.
$la%de: Sir, there are rumors that India and
Pakistan will soon have a deal on Kashmir. As
someone who has been twice governor, in 19! and in
199 and this in the most di""icult conditions, could
#ou tell us how do #ou see the situation toda#$ Is there
an# chance o" a breakthrough in the %eace %rocess$
Jagmohan: The basic point is: whatever arrangements will be made, these arrangements will not work if
the fundamentalist forces remain in power and if they dictate the law by the virtue of the gun Take for
e!ample the suggestion "from President #usharraf$ that they should be a %oint&rule, %oint management "of
parts of the ' ( ) *tate$ +ll this sounds very big, but it does not mean anything If you and I are
controlling the same place and if we differ, who is going to decide, who will have the final word, -ven
elementary things like that are not clear in #usharraf.s proposal
+nd what does it means /self&rule. If it means a /democratic rule., it is already e!isting in our part of
)ashmir0 elections are regularly held and elected leaders form the government 1hat other /self&rule. do
you want, /*elf&rule. does not mean that )ashmir can become independent
+nd if )ashmir becomes independent, who is going to provide the money which is needed to run the
government Take the e!ample of the Plan -!penditure "money allocated for development in the 2ive&
3ear Plan$, today it is 4556 financed by the 7entral 8overnment
1ednesday, 9: #ay 954; 4<:4= 7laude +rpi 5 7omments
/+rticle >?5 is @ery #isconceived.:
Interview with 'agmohan, 2ormer
8overnor of '()
141 Like Like
449 1 Google +
'Article 370 is Very Misconceived': Interview with Jagmohan, Former ... http://www.theindianrepublic.com/tbp/article-370-misconceived-inter...
1 of 8 5/28/2014 10:09 PM
Between ;5 to ;A6 of the Bon Plan -!penditure "allocations outside the Plan to run the day to day
e!penses$ are met by the 7entral 8overnment In case of /self&rule., nobody has made clear who will pay
the bill
$la%de: Kashmir is toda# the most subsidi&ed State in India'
Jagmohan: The poorest tate in !ndia is "ihar, #ut toda$ Kashmir gets %% times more
Central assistan&e than "ihar. If /self&rule. means self&sufficiency, all this support from the 7entral
government will stop But the problem is that nobody, none of the )ashmiris leaders will tell you this If
you ask them, they will say, Cthe finances will comeD, but they will remain vague That is for development
Then Bon Plan -!penditure, the day to day e!penses like the salaries "of the government employees$ If
tomorrow )ashmir is /de&linked. from India e!cept for -!ternal +ffairs, 7ommunications and Eefence,
the finances will not be provided anymore
The ne!t Fuestion is Cwho will pay,D
1ill the +mericans do it, Bobody is able to answer these Fuestions *ome say, India should continue to
finance /self&ruled. )ashmir, but if tomorrow the /self&ruled. government declare themselves independent
or an Islamic *tate, will India, a secular *tate continue to finance a theocratic *tate,
There are so many contradictions in these proposals0 it is what people do not understand There are so
many loopholes
*o far is Pakistan concerned, it is not even a democracy "and they are speaking of /self&rule.$
$la%de: (oes sel")rule a%%lies also to *altistan, +ilgit and other %arts o" Kashmir occu%ied b#
Pakistan$
Jagmohan: "#usharraf$ has not clarified this Today, "these areas$ are virtually a colony of Pakistan In
PG), the President of Pakistan is the 7hairman of the *ecurity 7ouncil, of the Eevelopment 7ouncil and of
the )ashmir 7ouncil The #inister for )ashmir +ffairs in Islamabad is the @ice&7hairman of these
7ouncils It means that all decisions are taken by Islamabad It is not like here in India where the elected
7hief #inister can take its own decision, there is not such thing in Po) "The problem is that$ nobody has
gone into the nitty&gritty of these proposals
$la%de: ,ould this means sel")rule "or -adakh and .ammu
Jagmohan: Gn the Indian side, we have given an autonomous 7ouncil to Hadakh because of his special
character It means that for certain sub%ects, whatever Hadakh decides, it is final 3ou can not
"constitutionally$ go beyond this, but because of these arrangements, Hadakh is prosperous
Their only grievance is that they want to get rid of the )ashmir *tate They want the status of Inion
Territory whereby they will directly be linked with the 7entral 8overnment It is also a problem, because
Hadakh has two districts, Heh which is Buddhist dominated and )argil which is *hia dominated
Submit Not Now
We welcome any feedback, questions
or comments
'Article 370 is Very Misconceived': Interview with Jagmohan, Former ... http://www.theindianrepublic.com/tbp/article-370-misconceived-inter...
2 of 8 5/28/2014 10:09 PM
The onl$ solution for all these areas of the 'alle$, Jammu, (ada)h is that we have to learn
to live together and to learn to wor) for the so&ial and e&onomi& development of the
tate. 1e should not waste our energies in ethnic issues If you look at ethnicity in the 'ammu ( )ashmir
*tate, you will find so many ethnic groups 2or e!ample the shepherds in hilly areas can ask for a separate
*tate, the people living in the mountains close to Jimachal Pradesh speak Pahari, a different language and
they are racially different, they can ask for a separate *tate, same thing with the 'ammu people, or Pooch
or Ra%auri area -ven on the Pakistan side, you have the #irpuri or people from 8igilt It is %ust like
3ugoslavia, the separation has only created havoc and bloodshed
"In 'ammu ( )ashmir$, many small dictators will claim to the leadership of their own area and the
economical development will suffer, the *tate will suffer, everybody will suffer I am against this0 people
should learn to live together with their own differences *o far the *tate is concern, one should provide
good governance, give %ustice to people, offer economic development
1hen I was in )ashmir the first time, I did a lot of developmental work and people forgot about article
>?5 and other "political$ issues There was %ustice, the roads were built, everything was done and people
were happy0 their attention was diverted from the narrow issues
$la%de: I noticed recentl# in .ammu that Indian "irms can not invest in .ammu / Kashmir because o"
the Article 012. 3ow to develo% in these conditions$
Jagmohan: +rticle >?5 is a very misconceived +rticle
2irst, it generates the feeling among )ashmiris that they are different "from the rest of India$ They
believed: C1e are differentD This has created a separate psyche in )ashmir
Then it benefits people who want the power like the +bdullah family0 they have e!ploited this +rticle, not
allowing outside people to come to the *tate They have thus created their own sheikhdom
I will tell you a story 1hen I was for the first time 8overnor in )ashmir, one day a fire erupted in an area
of *rinagar I went to inspect the place, it was stinking, there was no sewage at all +fter some time, I sold
in the same area a plot for a cinema which brought <5 millions rupees to the *tate I had opened the
tender to outside parties from Eelhi and #umbai Bormally under +rticle >?5, it should have been
restricted to local people, but we would have not got more than ; millions + friend of a politician would
have bought it and eventually this /friend. would have entered into a lease agreement with the #umbai
businessman and will have pocketed the difference The middle man would have got the benefit, not the
*tate
The local leaders started an agitation against me, because I was not respecting +rticle >?5 They came in a
delegation, it included the people from the area were the fire had erupted Kand where there was no
sewageL They told me that it is an infringement of +rticle >?5 I told them: CEo you understand what it
means for you +rticle >?5,D They spoke of their self&identity I told them: CI went to your colony and it was
stinking, yourself told me that you were living in hell, now with this <5 millions I will provide you with
proper sanitation Eo you want sanitation or +rticle >?5,D They immediately understood
Submit Not Now
We welcome any feedback, questions
or comments
'Article 370 is Very Misconceived': Interview with Jagmohan, Former ... http://www.theindianrepublic.com/tbp/article-370-misconceived-inter...
3 of 8 5/28/2014 10:09 PM
Tweet 8
!t is vested interest who )eeps this arti&le *+, and do not allow outside investment to
&ome. This article does not help anyone, it hampers economic development It only helps politicians and
narrow&minded people who work only for their selfish interest
&his article has 'een so%rced !rom the (e)%'lic *ews +artner: Indian ,e!ence (eview
$la%de Ar)i
7laude +rpi writes regularly on Tibet, 7hina, India and Indo&2rench relations Je is
the author of 4=<9 and the #c#ahon Hine *aga, Tibet: The Host 2rontier and
Eharamshala and Bei%ing: the negotiations that never were
A'o%t -atest +osts
Godrej Prakriti, Kolkata
godrejprakriti-kolkata.in/Flats
Buy 2/3 BHK Flats @ Sodepur Kolkata
Pre!iu! "!enities 2# $a% &n'ards
"(( (e!ent
a%%)elp.in
*rusted +uality o,er -. /ears "(( (e!ent.
*oll Free0123333333121
141 Like Like
.o% May -i/e by Taboola
0hat 0as &hat A'o%t lass 1o%ses And 2tones3
0oman ang4ra)ed For 0or/ing 0ith 5J+
6)en -etter to Arvind #e7riwal
0hy I, a $ongress s%))orter in 8009, s%))ort Modi !or +M in 80:;
0oman gang4ra)ed, )%shed !rom 8nd !loor in 5angalore
From &he 0e' by Taboola Sponsored Content
0hy Ins%rance For .o%r -arge Investment Is A M%st
<=aminer>com
449 1 Google + Submit Not Now
We welcome any feedback, questions
or comments
'Article 370 is Very Misconceived': Interview with Jagmohan, Former ... http://www.theindianrepublic.com/tbp/article-370-misconceived-inter...
4 of 8 5/28/2014 10:09 PM
0arren 5%!!ett Indicator 2ignals $olla)se in 2toc/ Mar/et
*ewsma=
&o) ? ,rin/s &hat 1el) .o% -ose 0eight
-i!es)an>com
$o%ntries that e=cel at )ro'lem4solving enco%rage critical thin/ing
Financial &imes
:0 @ne=)ected $ele'rities 0ith a olden 1eart
Submit Not Now
We welcome any feedback, questions
or comments
'Article 370 is Very Misconceived': Interview with Jagmohan, Former ... http://www.theindianrepublic.com/tbp/article-370-misconceived-inter...
5 of 8 5/28/2014 10:09 PM
Narendra Modi Meets Nawaz Sharif; Discusses
Terror Issues
When Will You Learn Mr Kejriwal
Martyred Jawans Widow to go on Fast Against
Modis Invite to Sharif
Andhra Girl Youngest to Climb Mount Everest,
Lauded by Narendra
0 Comments
52 Ways To Love
Your Home: One
Room, One Change
Porch.com
The Secret Way to
Save Hundreds of
Dollars on 5-star
hotels
TravelPony
10 Obvious Signs a
Guy Is Flirting with
You
Womanitely
VIDEO: Michael
Jordan's Rare
Workout Footage
Stack
Submit Not Now
We welcome any feedback, questions
or comments
'Article 370 is Very Misconceived': Interview with Jagmohan, Former ... http://www.theindianrepublic.com/tbp/article-370-misconceived-inter...
6 of 8 5/28/2014 10:09 PM
5 7omments
This Or That
Tweet 0
More News
Gmar +bdullah says talks of repealing +rticle >?5
/irresponsible.
2or '() to prosper, article >?5 must go: Bitin
8adkari
R** calls for debate on +rticle >?5
-ven if #odi becomes P# for 45 terms, he won.t
be able to remove +rticle >?5, says +bdullah
1here will #odi and *harif.s #eeting take
Indo&Pak Ties,
Most (ead
Most
$ommented Most 2hared
The 8raceless Behru&8andhis:
Eevoid of Eemocratic -tiFuette,
Bharatiyata
#odi *hould Relook Panchsheel
Pilot Eies +s #i8&94 2ighter
+ircraft 7rashes In 'ammu and
)ashmir
M+rticle >?5 is @ery
#isconceivedM: Interview with
'agmohan, 2ormer 8overnor of
'()
7ongress *lams #odiMs 7abinet
Gver BalyanMs Inclusion
11
Submit Not Now
We welcome any feedback, questions
or comments
'Article 370 is Very Misconceived': Interview with Jagmohan, Former ... http://www.theindianrepublic.com/tbp/article-370-misconceived-inter...
7 of 8 5/28/2014 10:09 PM
NewsLetter
Foolish Wisdom
#odi&*harif meeting: + new turning point of
reviving Indo&Pak relations,
Jome Privacy 8uidelines Partners *ite #ap R** N The Indian Republic +ll rights reserved
Submit
<4Mail:
Submit Not Now
We welcome any feedback, questions
or comments
'Article 370 is Very Misconceived': Interview with Jagmohan, Former ... http://www.theindianrepublic.com/tbp/article-370-misconceived-inter...
8 of 8 5/28/2014 10:09 PM