NC walks half way to talk to Centre

NC walks half way to talk to Centre
AASHA KHOSA

NEW DELHI, JULY 13: First, the Centre did it, now it's the turn of National Conference to climb down on the autonomy issue. Today, Jammu and Kashmir Law Minister Pyare Lal Handoo said the restoration of the pre-1953 Constitutional position was not an issue and his party was ready to start negotiations with the Centre on the basis of 1975 accord.

The Union Cabinet, while rejecting the J&K Assembly resolution on autonomy, had also said the 1975 accord should be the starting point of any future discussions.

Handoo's statement signals Farooq Abdullah's willingness to come around, prompted perhaps by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's offer of an olive branch at Begum Akbar Jehan's funeral two days ago.

The J&K Minister said his government was in no mood for confrontation with the Centre on the autonomy issue as ``ground realities in the State were too grave to to warrant one''.

``Where did we ask for pre-'53?'' Handoo asked. He said 1953 had become the reference point in the ongoing controversy although the ``National Conference had never asked for it.'' He said this was only creating confusion.

Handoo said the State government was ready to start talks with the Centre on the basis on 1975 accord (between Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Mohommad Abdullah). ``Let them start talking at least. We will prove all our points,'' he said.

Handoo, who is considered Abdullah's Man Friday on legal and constitutional matters, said he was here on a private visit and would not be meeting any officials. His visit is being seen as a prelude to the proposed visit of Farooq Abdullah to Delhi on Prime Minister's invitation for discussions on the autonomy issue.

Abdullah has since postponed his visit, scheduled for July 15, by a few days. Sources said this was being done to ``facilitate a further thaw in the frozen attitudes on the autonomy issue in official and media circles''. Sources said more state ministers were expected to undertake such visits to build the autonomy campaign in Delhi.

Talking to mediapersons, the State law minister, however, said the state would not accept the reference of the State Autonomy Report to the Constitutional Review Committee. ``The Constitutional review committee does not have a locus standi on this issue and we will not accept such a reference,'' Handoo said.

Claiming greater autonomy was necessary to ``salvage the mind of Kashmiris who wished to live with Pakistan,'' Handoo said ``Kashmir is at the brink of fall if the resolution is not implemented''

Handoo alleged that an orchestrated campaign had been launched by the RSS and other Sangh Parivar affiliates about the misgovernance and non-performance of Farooq Abdullah government. ``You compare the CAG's reports on J&K and Maharashtra to find out which state is misgoverned and where funds are misused more,'' he said.