AgenciesCongress veteran Karan Singh, former Sadar-i-Riyasat of J&K, has welcomed the Centre's move to send multi-party delegations on a global outreach against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and said the then prime minister Indira Gandhi too had initiated a similar exercise ahead of the 1971 war by sending her ministers, including him, to various countries. Talking to ET, Singh said the situation after the recent Indo-Pak conflict warrants the Centre to quickly restore statehood to the Union Territory of J&K.
Singh said, "It (outreach) is a very good idea. Before the (1971) Bangladesh war, Mrs Gandhi too had sent her ministers around the world for this very purpose. I was then sent to four countries, the GDR, Romania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. If individual ministers were sent then, now MPs are being sent for the same purpose. It is a good step. Firstly, it projects a unified image. It helps us educate other countries about how Pakistan is so deeply involved in terrorist activities. It also helps us, hopefully, build a global opinion because during the war surprisingly no country came out in support of us."
On the Centre and armed forces' response to Pahalgam killings, he said: "I am glad the PM gave a free hand to the forces. They performed very well by first hitting nine terrorist camps, and as Pakistan responded, our forces gave a good reply. I am relieved the war stopped, because it was on an escalatory ladder. The government's response was robust and it struck a delicate balance between responding effectively and yet not escalating too much."
Singh said, "It is a very appropriate time now to grant statehood to J&K. First, the government has promised the Supreme Court and Parliament that statehood will be granted at the appropriate time. I feel this is the appropriate time. Second, the present situation, with power divided between the governor and the chief minister, is very awkward. For example, the CM is not involved in security matters. At all those meetings that happened prior to Pahalgam, CM Omar Abdullah was not involved. If the elected CM is not involved in security, how do you expect the security to be properly organised! Thirdly, J&K was a very important state. It was also the biggest state in British India. From being the crown of India, J&K has been demoted to being a Union Territory, even below Himachal Pradesh. Psychologically, J&K people want the statehood back. They deserve it because the people of Kashmir have come out strongly against Pakistan... Special care should be taken to address the regional imbalance and sense of neglect of Jammu, which was the hardest hit during the war."
Singh said, "It (outreach) is a very good idea. Before the (1971) Bangladesh war, Mrs Gandhi too had sent her ministers around the world for this very purpose. I was then sent to four countries, the GDR, Romania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. If individual ministers were sent then, now MPs are being sent for the same purpose. It is a good step. Firstly, it projects a unified image. It helps us educate other countries about how Pakistan is so deeply involved in terrorist activities. It also helps us, hopefully, build a global opinion because during the war surprisingly no country came out in support of us."
On the Centre and armed forces' response to Pahalgam killings, he said: "I am glad the PM gave a free hand to the forces. They performed very well by first hitting nine terrorist camps, and as Pakistan responded, our forces gave a good reply. I am relieved the war stopped, because it was on an escalatory ladder. The government's response was robust and it struck a delicate balance between responding effectively and yet not escalating too much."
Singh said, "It is a very appropriate time now to grant statehood to J&K. First, the government has promised the Supreme Court and Parliament that statehood will be granted at the appropriate time. I feel this is the appropriate time. Second, the present situation, with power divided between the governor and the chief minister, is very awkward. For example, the CM is not involved in security matters. At all those meetings that happened prior to Pahalgam, CM Omar Abdullah was not involved. If the elected CM is not involved in security, how do you expect the security to be properly organised! Thirdly, J&K was a very important state. It was also the biggest state in British India. From being the crown of India, J&K has been demoted to being a Union Territory, even below Himachal Pradesh. Psychologically, J&K people want the statehood back. They deserve it because the people of Kashmir have come out strongly against Pakistan... Special care should be taken to address the regional imbalance and sense of neglect of Jammu, which was the hardest hit during the war."
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