Patiala: Asserting that the accession of Jammu and Kashmir was "total and
irrevocable", External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha on March 15 lashed out at
Pakistan for demanding self-determination in the state, saying it was a crude
attempt to bolster its agenda of "territorial aggrandizement" through terrorism
against India.
"With the acceptance by India of the instrument of accession signed by the ruler of
Jammu and Kashmir, the act of accession was complete. The state of J and K is,
therefore, an integral and inalienable part of India," he said stressing the
accession was total and irrevocable.
Delivering his convocation address at the Punjabi University, Sinha elaborately
countered certain oft-repeated assertions on Kashmir by Pakistan on the right to
self-determination, UN resolutions and other issues.
He said India has always been willing to discuss the J and K issue with
Pakistan. "But Pakistan seeks parity with India in terms of 'locus standi' in
Kashmir. Pakistan is the aggressor. It cannot have parity with India."
Contending that Pakistan was in illegal occupation of a part of J and K, he said the
only issue that remained to be resolved was the question pertaining to this and
domination of the people of this area by the military establishment based in
Rawalpindi.
"If only Pakistan would be willing to shed its hostility towards India and stop
using terrorism as an instrument of national policy, there can still be a new dawn
in our relationship," he observed.
Sinha said it was Pakistan, which had in October 1947, initially sent tribal
invaders into J and K and then followed it up with regular troops.
Faced with an act of such blatant aggression, it was India, which decided in
January 1948 to take the matter to the United Nations and its quest was to
have the UN play its role in putting an end to this aggression, he said.
Contesting Pakistan's allegations that India has failed to implement UN
Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) resolution of August 13, 1948 and
another of January 5, 1949, he said under them, India and Pakistan agreed to
a three-step formula with a ceasefire, a truce agreement and plebiscite – to
be implemented in "sequential order".
India made it clear that implementation of UN resolutions would be
conditional upon Pakistan fulfilling the first two parts, which required
that it withdrew troops and endeavoured to secure the withdrawal of
tribesmen and Pakistani nationals from J and K.
The minister noted that India's acceptance of UNCIP resolutions was further
subject to several conditions and assurances given by UNCIP.
These included that Pakistan would be excluded from all affairs of J and K,
sovereignty of the J and K government over the entire territory of the state
shall not be brought into question and territory occupied by Pakistan shall
not be consolidated. Besides, it was stipulated that Pakistani troops would
be withdrawn completely.
PTI
