New Delhi, In a parliamentary session that unfolded with fervent exchanges, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference President, Farooq Abdullah, took center stage to challenge Home Minister Amit Shah’s assertion of a ‘Nehruvian Blunder’ regarding the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) issue.
Farooq Abdullah, drawing from historical archives, asserted that both Lord Mountbatten and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel recommended involving the United Nations in the Jammu and Kashmir debate. This disclosure challenges the narrative that blames Jawaharlal Nehru solely for the situation.
Abdullah shed light on a critical juncture when the Indian Army was strategically redirected to safeguard Poonch and Rajouri. According to him, this move was imperative to prevent these regions from falling into Pakistani hands.
Responding to Amit Shah’s accusation of Nehru’s “blunders,” Farooq Abdullah emphasized the necessity of understanding the historical context. He contended that the decisions made during that period were influenced by complex geopolitical considerations.
Home Minister Amit Shah, in his address, attributed the sufferings in Jammu and Kashmir to two major blunders committed by Nehru – declaring a ceasefire without securing the entirety of Kashmir and taking the matter to the United Nations. Shah labeled these decisions as consequential and detrimental to the region.
Shah criticized the timing and method of taking the Kashmir issue to the UN, suggesting it should have been done under Article 51 rather than Article 35 of the UN Charter. He reiterated his belief that the matter should never have been referred to the UN.
Amit Shah underlined Nehru’s acknowledgment of the ceasefire as a “mistake” but characterized it as a blunder with significant repercussions for the nation’s territorial integrity.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill were successfully passed in the Lok Sabha amidst the impassioned debate over historical decisions that continue to shape the region’s geopolitical landscape.
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