Date: 26 Jan 2010
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indus-calling/entry/the-second-flag\//////////////// Second flag of the Republic /////////////////// The Times of India.com////////////// Tarun Vijay/////////////////// Our republic, which boasts of one nation, one people and one union, has two flags. ///////////////// One for India and the second for Kashmir./////////////// No one asks why? /////////////// If the mere picture of a foregn national irks, embarasses and makes the governors apologetic, should a flag, put at par, parallel to the flag of our republic, for whom we swear to live and die, make us happy, joyous and proud? //////////////// Look here. There is one tricolor , which is the soul of us. We sing or it, love it, feel thrilled whenever its fluttered on any part of this planet.Thats us. The invincible tricolour. ///////////// And here is another flag. We hardly know about it. An ugly piece that has to be displayed on the bonnets of the Ambassador cars the governor, chief minister or even the Union Home Minister and Prime Minister uses to negotiate a Kashmir road. /////////////// Suddenly there are two flags, wo people, two lands. And still one republic? Ask Justice Sagheer Ahmad and hear'give more autonomy to J&K' call.More, still more autonomy for what? //////////////// A seperate flag and wanting to be more seperate? //////////////// Oh my god. Whose flag is this any way? They say its Kashmir flag.The Red reminds you of some communist touch, so naturally interwoven. So why don’t our rulers hoist it too in the republic day parade in New Delhi? ///////////////// A bit red faced,they say it’s just for Kashmir.////////////// So why not Bihar and Uttarakhand and Punjab and please, Tamilnadu too have their seperate flags? ///////////////// They say Kashmir is special and other states are NOT. Really? ///////////////// Why not every state in India is special?///////// Why not every Indian citizen is equally special?///////////// We, the Indians, the people of India.///////////// Who gave the constitution to themselves on 26th January 1950, hence the republic and the parade for it. //////////////// We can’t buy an inch of land in Kashmir because thats special and we are NOT. ////////////// There is a provision in the Indian constitution that gives it that special status.And bars the soldiers , who give their life to protect the region, to buy or to get settled down there.The special provision in our constitution, the constitution we are celebrating on 26th January,is called article 370. ////////////// It says we are not authorised to be a citizen of Kashmir. But we are Indian citizens. So what? /////////////// The article 370 says, we are not naturally Kashmiri citizens, even if we are Indians.////////////// If we are Indians, we can be Biharis, Tamils or Arunachalis. ////////////////// But not Kashmiri./////////////// There was a man whose name was Syama Prasad Mookerjee. He died protesting separate provisions for Kashmir. News agency IANS reported recently, “Mukherjee was imprisoned for entering the state without a proper permit in violation of the Article 370. His entry was in protest against the separate constitution, head of the state and flag of Jammu and Kashmir. //////////////// “Mukherjee wanted that Jammu and Kashmir be declared as an integral part of India and governed like any other state of the country.”///////////// Mookerjee(thats how he spelt his name)died mysteriously in a Srinagar jail. Who cares for such 'mad' man, giving life for national integration in its truest sense?///////// Live peacefully, in your Lutyen’s Bungalow and offer government a constructive cooperation. //////////////// That makes life easy, you know. /////////////// May I reproduce some extracts from the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir? It has a separate identity from the Indian constitution and no law that Indian Parliament passes is applied in J&K unless the J&K assembly passes it too and it has the right to overrule Indian parliament and amend or change the contents of the laws passed by the parliament situated at New Delhi. /////////////// So the J&K constitution says-///////////// Preamble: ///////////// We, the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, having solemnly resolved, in pursuance of the accession of this State to India which took place on the twenty sixth day of October, 1947, to further define the existing relationship of the State with the Union of India as an integral part thereof, and to secure ourselves- ///////////////////// JUSTICE, social, economic and political; /////////////// LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; //////////////// EQUALITY of status and opportunity; and to promote among us all;/////////////// FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity of the Nation;//////////// IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this seventeenth day of November, 1956, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION. ///////////// Part II of "The State" of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir:///////////// Relationship of the State with the Union of India-The State of Jammu and Kashmir is and shall be an integral part of the Union of India.///////////// The spirit is fine but the implementation dishonest. /////////////// On April 7, 1958 the Plebiscite Front of Sheikh Abdullah adopted a resolution specifically citing Article 370, and stated that : “Jammu and Kashmir state has not yet acceded to any of the two dominions, India and Pakistan. Therefore, it will not be right to call Pakistani invasion on Jammu and Kashmir as an attack on India.” Using Article 370 Kashmiri Muslim leaders have opposed any family planning and welfare schemes formulated by the Government of India, and the programme was implemented only in the Hindu majority Jammu. The former Chief Minister, G.M. Shah, had said that the aim of the Government family planning programme was to convert the Muslim majority into a minority. //////////// The former External Affairs Minister, M.C. Chagla, had told the United Nations that the Article 370 was a temporary measure. The two former Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad and G.M. Sadiq, too wanted this Article to be repealed. ///////////// Articles 3 and 5 of the State Constitution of the Jammu and Kashmir states that it will remain an “inseparable” part of India .If that expresses the real intent why shouldn't the Parliament repeal article 370? ///////////// Friends on the net suggest,”For those Kashmiri Muslims who have declared themselves to be Pakistanis should be asked to apply for Pakistani citizenship, and if their application fails should be declared stateless persons and no longer citizens of India, and therefore no-longer citizens of any part of the dominions of the Republic of India.” ///////////// Can we do it? ///////////// Article 370 (though originally Article 306-A) drafted by Gopalaswami Ayyengar in close consultation with Sheikh Abdullah reads as follows:////////////// “Temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir /////////// 1. Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution,/////////// (a) the provisions of article 238 shall not apply in relation to the State of Jammu and Kashmir; ////////////// (b) the power of Parliament to make laws for the said State shall be limited to, ///////////// (i) those matters in the Union List and the Concurrent List which, in consultation with the Government of the State are declared by the President to correspond to matters specified in the Instrument of Accession governing the accession of the State to the Dominion of India as the matters with respect to which the Dominion Legislature may make laws far that State; and /////////// (ii) such other matters in the said Lists as, with the concurrence of the Government of the State, the President may by order specify. ////////////// Explanation: ///////// For the purposes of this article, the Government of the State means the person for the time being recognized by the President as the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir acting on the advice of the Council of Ministers for the time being in office under the Maharaja's Proclamation dated the fifth day of March. 1948;///////////// (c) the provisions of article 1 and of this article shall apply in relation to that State; //////////////// (d) such of the other provisions of this Constitution shall apply in relation to that State subject to such exceptions and modifications as the President may by order specify: ////////////// Provided that no such order which relates to the matters specified in the Instrument of Accession of the State referred to in paragraph (i) of sub-clause (b) shall be issued except in consultation with the Government of the State: ////////////// Provided further that no such order which relates to matters other than those referred in the last preceding proviso shall be issued except with the concurrence of that Government. /////////////// 2. If the concurrence of the Government of the State referred to in paragraph (ii) of sub-clause (b) of clause (1) or in the second proviso to sub-clause (d) of that clause be given before the Constituent Assembly for the purpose of framing the Constitution of the State is convened, it shall be placed before such Assembly for such decision as it may take thereon. ////////////// 3. Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this article, the President may, by public notification, declare that this article shall cease to be operative or shall be operative only with such exceptions and modifications and from such date as he may specify: //////////////// Provided that the recommendation of the Constituent Assembly of the State referred to in clause (2) shall be necessary before the President issues such a notification. //////////// In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 370 the President, on the recommendation of the Constituent Assembly of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, declared that as from the 17th Day of November, 1952, the said Article 370 shall be operative with the modification that for the Explanation in Cl. (1) thereof, the following explanation is substituted namely. ////////////// Explanation - For the purpose of this article, the Government of the State means the person for the time being recognized by the President on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly of the State as the Sadr-i-Riyasat (now Governor) of Jammu and Kashmir, acting on the advice of the Council of Ministers of the State for the time being in office.” ///////////// Thats our republic. And the second flag. and the two peoples in one land.Viva the flag hoisters? ////////////// Where is the pain and where is the shoulder? www.tarunvijay.org , tarun-vijay.blogspot.com //////////////// Related Link: http://www.kashmir-information.com///////////////// 000000000