By Our Correspondent
JAIPUR – Veteran Gandhian leader and peace activist Om Prakash Shah has called for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir four years after its special status was revoked and it was downgraded as a Union Territory with the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. Shah, who is also a seasoned diplomat, said there was no justification for delaying elections in J&K, which should be held immediately to give representation to the people’s voices.
Shah, 80, was in the Rajasthan Capital for two days last week to participate in a conference on “Relevance of Gandhism in Present India” and attend the inauguration of a new museum, Gandhi Vatika, constructed by the state government on the theme of the life of Mahatma Gandhi and India’s independence movement. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi were also present at the inaugural ceremony.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind vice-president Mohammad Salim Engineer and Congress leader and Editor of “The Secular Saviour”, Praveen Davar, accompanied Shah from New Delhi to Jaipur and took part in both the events. This was a homecoming for Salim Engineer, as he was earlier a Professor of Electronics Engineering at Malviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) in Jaipur as well as the Rajasthan state president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. He has taken voluntary retirement from MNIT recently.
Shah told India Tomorrow that the evidence of the complete failure of the BJP-led government’s move to abrogate Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution was visible in the spurt in targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits since August 2019, when the decision was implemented. These audacious murders have revived the climate of insecurity and fear in the Kashmir Valley amid allegations that the administration has failed to protect the minority Hindu community.
The situation has deteriorated in Kashmir after the repeal of Article 370, as the militant groups have been issuing open threats to Kashmiri Pandits and others for becoming part of the BJP-led government’s agenda, which the militants believe will change the demography of the Muslim majority region.
Shah spoke on the impact of the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A and the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the morning session of the conference on Gandhism as well. His comments were appreciated by the participants drawn from across the country. Shah said the way to peace and stability in the Kashmir Valley could be explored only through measures for winning the confidence of the people and promoting cordial relations.
Hailing from Kolkata, Shah is a practising Chartered Accountant and management consultant. He has served as the District Governor of Lions Clubs International and was associated with Baba Amte’s Knit India campaign in 1988-89 as the chief coordinator of eastern states, besides having been a member of the Press Council of India. He is recognized as a track II diplomat and is at present the Chairman of the Centre for Peace and Progress (CPP).
The CPP has organized several events to promote communal harmony, national integration and better relations between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh during the last three decades. The CPP has also organized many events and conferences on Jammu and Kashmir. He is among the few intellectuals who have called for constant engagement with Pakistan through dialogue and collaboration at every level. He has been laying emphasis on the need for dialogue, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contact between the two countries.
Shah organized the “India-Pakistan Dialogue-I” in New Delhi in 1991 and was the Indian coordinator for “India-Pakistan Dialogue-II” held in Islamabad the next year. He has visited Jammu and Kashmir at least a hundred times in the past three decades and has spent considerable time with people from different walks of life and visited jails, interrogation centres and refugee camps.
Shah said it was crucial for the civil society in both India and Pakistan to take the lead in organizing peace talks between the two countries and resolve the mutual differences, in addition to the efforts made by the two governments. The challenging task of establishing a climate of trust and confidence between the two countries could not be left to the respective governments alone, he said.
Shah’s role in resolving the problems in Jammu and Kashmir is important in view of the fact that he is perhaps the only leader who has engaged himself in diplomacy in the Kashmir Valley post-abrogation of Artile 370, at a time when most of the frequent diplomats and activists from outside Kashmir have preferred to remain out of the scenario. Last year, he came up with a well-researched book titled “In Pursuit of Peace: Improving Indo-Pak Relations”, carrying articles by prominent people from both sides of the border.
Commenting on the Gandhi Vatika Museum constructed at Central Park in Jaipur, Shah said it was a well-conceived project with an impressive execution. Gandhi Vatika depicts the life and deeds of Mahatma Gandhi in detail and all residents and visitors to Jaipur would be inspired by their visit to the museum, he said. Built at a cost of Rs.85 crore, the monument is a tribute to the invaluable heritage of Mahatma Gandhi and aims at introducing his profound philosophy to the new generation.
The octogenarian leader is also known for the Iftar he has been hosting at his house in Kolkata during the holy month of Ramzan for the last 30 years. Shah said since secularism is an absolute necessity for the unity of a large and diverse country like India, it should be maintained in letter and spirit. All Indians should take part in each other’s customs and festivals and involve people from different faiths in their day-to-day lives, he affirmed.
