Justice Saghir submitted report rejected by Panthers Party, VHP, J&K Gujars
Jammu, December 24 (Vijay Kumar) – Criticizing the report of Working Group on "Centre-State relation" headed by Justice Retd. Sagir Ahmed , the pradesh BJP today said that it has ignored the sentiments of the people of Jammu and Ladakh. The report submitted by the Secretary of the Commission to the CM Omar Abdullah yesterday, has totally ignored the demand of Jammu based MLAs seeking increase in number of assembly seats. Setting up of delimitation commission and reduction term of legislative assembly to 5 years to bring it at par with other assemblies of the country, BJP State President Ashok Khajuria said.
Instead the report says that the constitution provision did not allow any change a number of assembly seats up to 2026. He said recommendation directly effect the imbalance between Kashmir and Jammu regions in terms of presentation in the state legislative assembly. Khajuria said that despite Kashmir valley having less population and area, it has 46 assembly seats, while Jammu having more population and more area has only 37 assembly seats.
The reports has also ignored the demands of people of Ladakh for Union Territory status on the ground that unity and integrity of the state cannot be compromised .
The BJP chief said that the significant recommendation of the report was restoration of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir to extent possible with special reference to Kashmir accord and doing away with the constitutional provision of appointment of Governor by the Centre and invoking article 356 by the Centre government to dismiss government in the state.
BJP has a firm stand that accession of J&K to Indian is final and there was no question of any autonomy or self -rule he said.
"Justice Sagir" seems to have acted more under the influence of UPA and national conference led coalition government in the state in preparing the report" Khajuria said and added otherwise this working group did not meet for more than 2 years to finalize the report. The report has also been submitted without taking members into confidence, Khajuria regretted. This report is only view point of present Chief Minister who has got it precured because the delay by the commission was nothing but to accomodate government and its views and make it public at their demand hence this report should be rejected in toto.
Panthers Party rejects Justice Sageer Ahmed Report as rubbished NC manifesto:-In an emergency meeting the Secretariat of JKNPP rejected the so-called recommendations on ‘Centre-State Relations’ by Vth Working Group Justice Sageer Ahmed calling it as a rubbished, outdated, stinking, anti-people report managed at the behest of National Conference to justify its election manifesto.
The Panthers Party’s core group headed by its Chairman, Prof. Bhim Singh has exposed this bluff called, Working Group Report on the ground that;
1. That the report in the first instance should have been presented to the PMO, as this group was appointed by the Prime Minister with clear terms and conditions that it shall prepare a report on the Centre-State Relations after having a detailed and in-depth discussion with the representatives of different political parties. The group constituted in 2005 didn’t meet since September 2007 in spite of the repeated requests by the members.
2. The group ignored the representation of JKNPP for reorganization of the state through amendment of Article 370. The Justice Sageer Group didn’t care to respond to this most important issue naturally to please ruling National Conference.
3. The group had no jurisdiction to talk about Delimitation by holding the view-point of the National Conference and the Congress on the number of Assembly Members. The matter is subjudice as it is under the consideration of the Supreme Court of India in a petition filed by the Panthers Party. Justice Sageer has committed the contempt of the Supreme Court by pre-judging the matter to please National Conference.
4. That the Sheikh-Indira Accord had brought the autonomy issue to an end. Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah gladly accepted the job of Chief Ministership. The issue of Governorship, Chief Ministership and relevant provisions of the Constitution of India was closed by Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah himself. Justice Sageer group has gone beyond the scope of terms and conditions by invoking the extra constitutional issues to please National Conference.
5. Justice Sageer has advocated for the so-called Greater Autonomy least realizing that J&K has its own constitution, flag, criminal and civil laws as were introduced by the Dogra rulers.
6. Justice Sageer group has also failed to read the provisions of Article 370 of Indian Constitution which can only be amended by the Parliament of India and not why the J&K legislature as suggested by Justice Sageer. This is a tragedy that Justice Sageer could not read the provisions of Article 370 which were enacted in 1950 when Maharaja was the ruler of J&K that the President of India may issue Presidential Order in Concurrence with the Council of Ministers appointed by the Maharaja. There is no Maharaja today according to J&K Constitution. This is a shame that Justice Sageer group has utterly failed rather absolutely worked as rubber stamp of National Conference.
7. The Panthers Party rejects in totality the so-called report of Justice Sageer group as a fraud on the people of the state in general and that of the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions in particular.
8. Justice Sageer group has tried to hush up or dilute the serious observations made by Chief Justice Gajendragadkar Commission asking for removal of regional discrimination. Giving a green chit to National Conference and Congress governments on the matter of regional discrimination is a great bluff against the people of J&K particularly the unemployed youth.
9. The Panthers Party demanded Prime Minister should dismiss the report as unwanted and undesirable beyond its scope of terms and conditions and urged the PM to call a meeting of the Members of the Working Group to hear their views.
The Panthers Party workers burnt this so-called Justice Sageer Report as a trash which deserved to be reduced to ashes appealing all the political parties, intellectuals, students and youth of different sections and thought to express their protest against such a farce document which amounts to an insult to the Dogras and Ladakhis in particular.
VHP rejected Sageer Ahmed Report:-Talking to reporters, State Vishav Hindu Parishad Dr. Rama Kant Dubey has reacted sharply and condemned totally the working group report of Justice Saghir Ahmed, meant for determining the relations between State and Centre. The submission of this report quite belatedly is certainly and indicator of Centre appeasement towards the minorities, which is a way has so far weakened the integrity and stability of the country. One should constrain from this report that ‘Quiet Diplomacy and talks of the Centre was an offshoot of this report. Otherwise that is the merit of submission of this report after a delay of two year. When all other working groups submitted their reports in time why justice Saghir Ahmed was waiting till now. Analyses the recommendations made the report one certainly infers that it is a dictation of Jammu and Kashmir government instead of independent submission.
Jammu region, especially dominate by Hindu has been given as step-motherly treatment. The grudge of Jammu people regarding discriminatory political representation, has totally been ignored. Similar in the case in the service matter. A justice of national repute, if give such recommendation, against a region or community, cannot be justified. All the recommendations like remove of Article-356 and keeping Article 370 as it is will certainly drifts the state from the centre. The above two said Articles when fully acceptable then entire country what is the hurdle of J&K to accept it.
Dr. Dubey in the end warned the Central government not to go for acceptance of their recommendations otherwise the situation in the state will further deteriorate and God know what will be the ultimate result- certainly the worst the country will have to face.
J&K Gujjars rejects Working Groups recommendations:- Rejecting the recommendations made in the report of Working Group (WG) on ‘Centre-State relations’ headed by Justice (Retd) Sageer Ahmed presented here to Chief Minister yesterday the Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir today termed it as un realistic, prejudiced ,biased and anti tribals.
In a press statement Haji Shamsher Ali Boken the State president of frontal tribal organisation “J&K Gujjar Bakerwal Joint Forum” said we reject this report as this is illogical , politically motivated and was meant to accommodate a particular sect of the society. The recommendations made in the report , he said , are manipulated and are purely against the wishes of tribals of J&K who constitute more than 25% population of state.
He further told we are strongly opposing the “Autonomy Report” prepared by National Conference. We have urged the centre Government a number of times to throw this report in dustbin as it is against the Right of Gujjars who are Scheduled Tribe since 1991 adding that in the report of State Autonomy Committee recommendation have been made against the Scheduled Tribes of the State which has caused great resentment among the Scheduled Tribe people of the State .
Objecting over the recommendation of working group for baring the constitution of Delimitation Commission , Boken demanded political reservation for the Gujjars in the State, Mr Boken said that "It was obligatory on part of the State Government to provide political reservation to the Scheduled Tribe communities but even after the lapse of nineteen years, this obligation has not been discharged as the state is delaying the constitution of Delimitations commission.
We the Gujjars are facing a number of hardships but the report is silent about their issues of Rehabilitation of nomads, grant of political reservation to ST communities, implementation of Forest Act etc.
Elaborating this he said Nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals in the State are landless, shelter less , illiterate, without education and health facilities they deserve a “Special Rehabilitation Package” but the recommendations of the commission is salient about the dilemma of Gujjars.
Justice Saghir submitted report in haste: Tarigami:- Stating that CPI (M) has all along been advocating for restoration of eroded autonomy to the Jammu and Kashmir, but the way Justice Saghir Ahmad the convener of Prime Minister’s working group on Centre-State relations has submitted the recommendations to the chief minister Omar Abdullah without elaborate debate within the group
CPI (M) State Secretary and MLA Kulgam, M Y Tarigami who was the member of the PM’s Working Group on “Strengthening Center-State Relations” has said that the discussions between members of the group on their respective proposals have been left half way. “It was discussed and decided when we met last time to have threadbare discussions on proposals put forth by the members of the group. Then only some consensus could have been evolved, which could have formed the basis for any recommendations submitted to the Chief Minister,” Tarigami said and added that the way the recommendations were submitted without thorough discussion does not augur well for the purpose for which it was constituted.
He has added that it was astonishing that the Convenor of the Working Group has rendered the earlier discussions inconclusive and submitted his report to the Chief Minister in hurry. Tarigami said that the working group was important of all other groups formed by the PM, so it needed broad-based and in-depth consultations and discussions before it was submitted. “The deliberations were in mid-way and needed further sittings before the final recommendations were submitted,” he said.
It may mention here that the Working Group headed by Justice S. Saghir Ahmad, former Chief Justice of J&K High Court, Ex- Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court and former Judge of the Supreme Court of India submitted its recommendations to the Chief Minister on Wedenbsday through its Secretary Ajit Kumar.The Chief Minister conveyed his thanks to Justice Saghir Ahmad and his team for completing the report and submitting it. He advised the Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister to go through the recommendations of the report and then in consultation with the Union Government prepare an action plan for its implementation.
Ajit Kumar also submitted a summary of the recommendations which is the part of the report of the Working Group headed by Justice Saghir Ahmad.