Srinagar, Aug 7: Former Jammu and Kashmir interlocutor and Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir co-chair Radha Kumar on Friday said the abrogation of Article 370 continues to remain “a very, very sore point” in the Union Territory, describing the 2019 decision as “clearly unconstitutional” while calling for a renewed assertion of federal principles under the Constitution.
Kumar made the remarks after meeting National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and party legislators to submit the Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir’s latest human rights report. She said the delegation also met CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami and discussed the findings of the report.
“We wanted to present our human rights report to Dr. Abdullah and MLAs of the National Conference. We are hoping that some action can be taken at whatever level possible on the violations of human rights that are prevalent and ongoing,” Kumar told reporters.
Describing the interaction as productive, she said the discussions extended beyond human rights to the constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir and the broader issue of federalism.
“Yes, I would say it was very fruitful. We discussed the issue of federalism in our country and how the statute for Jammu and Kashmir was perhaps the first big blow against the federal compact and the right of states and the need now for all parties to come together and assert that the Constitution of India has to protect the rights of states,” she said.
Kumar said the Forum had also met CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami.
“Yes, yes. And with the CPM with Mr. Tarigami. In all of those cases we presented our human rights report to them and discussed the findings,” she said.
Asked about the public response to the August 5, 2019 abrogation of Article 370, Kumar said the issue continues to evoke strong sentiment in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Over here in Jammu and Kashmir, it’s clear that it remains a very, very sore point, a very sore point indeed because it was done in a very… in a clearly unconstitutional way,” she said.
Recalling the events surrounding the constitutional changes, Kumar said, “We do not forget that more than 5,000 political leaders and cadre, all from the mainstream by the way, were taken into detention and thousands of troops were flown in.”
“It was clear that the Union administration was aware that this was a very unpopular thing to do and they did it nevertheless against the will of the people. It is a violation both of Article 1 and 3 and the rights of states in the Constitution of India and a violation of the very first line of the Constitution, ‘We the People’,” she added.
Responding to a question on India-Pakistan dialogue, Kumar said a lasting peace process required engagement on multiple fronts.
“You know the peace process that started in the Vajpayee administration and was continued by the Manmohan administration rested on the understanding that you needed several different tracks of peace,” she said.
“You needed a track of peace between the people, the elected representatives and the Government of India. You needed a track between the governments of India and Pakistan and you needed a track with the dissidents who are often called separatists,” Kumar added.
