No consensus in J&K group on Article 370, autonomy models

New Delhi
29 March 2007

A working group on Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday failed to
forge a consensus on Article 370 or the models of regional autonomy proposed by
National Conference and People's Democratic Party. Justice Syed Saghir Ahmed, who
chairs the working group, told this newspaper that discussions were concluded on Article
370, NC's proposal of autonomy and PDP's prescription of self-rule.

"There is divergence of views (on Article 370) ... there is no consensus," he said in
response to a question after the working group on Centre -- state relations, with reference
to Jammu and Kashmir, concluded its third sitting since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
announced the setting up of this and four other working groups at the Srinagar
Roundtable in May last year. He said that subsequent meetings of the working group
would take up the other issues of regional imbalance, secularism, democracy, refugees
and the problems of minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward
Classes.

Centre's Interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir NN Vohra, in turn, said that Thursday's
meeting was significant in that National Conference ended its boycott and participated in
the talks. He said that Abdul Rahim Rather of National Conference gave a
comprehensive presentation on autonomy as conceived by his party. Mr Vohra said that
the PDP has proposed self-rule but it has not been forthcoming since its leader Muzaffar
Hussain Baig made an oral presentation in the last meeting of the working group in
Jammu.

Abdul Rahim Rather of National Conference, who is also Leader of Opposition in the
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, said that abrogation of Article 370, as sought by the BJP,
was a "constitutional impossibility". The Article, he said, could be changed only on the
recommendation of the Constituent Assembly and since there was no Constituent
Assembly, the question of abrogating it did not arise. "Erosion of autonomy is primary
cause for discontent ... ours is not a new demand. We want restoration of autonomy ...
whatever promises and commitments were guaranteed in 1947 should be implemented,"
he said.

Arun Jaitley of BJP said that "consensus [was] not easy" as the members gave diverse
views. Harsh Dev Singh of Panthers Party said that there was "near unanimity" on
granting of ST status to Pahadis and Kolis.

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