There have been some myths about J&K which have been and or still keeping the expressions / opinions / narrations in debates/ discussions / under questions that had got cultivated over the years since the notes and expressions made by some ‘people’ from within and outside projecting very conservative geographical boundaries of ;J&K , identities of people of J&K and opinions / aspirations projecting the same as of ‘only’ Valley of Kashmir have all these years after 1947 not been seriously responded neither by the local leaderships / National leaderships nor by the governments even in the center / . So people in J&K ( even outside J&K) have been made to live with a number of uncontested myths ( expressions like J&K having ‘own/separate constitution’; Indian state of J&K having own Flag parallel to Indian national flag ; Article-370- a Bridge between India & J&K , J&K having a Special status in constitution of India , ‘people’ J&K had been given an assurance for constitutional Autonomy in return for muslim majority Kashmiries having agreed for acceding to India dominion and like ) particularly related to 1947 Accession of J&K with India Dominion floated / carried by what to talk of ‘enemy’ country like Pakistan, the separatist groups / elements but even by the leadership that has been accepted as main stream by National parties like Congress ( 2002) and BJP (2015).

Some of the prime indicators that could be used for fixing the reasons for the unending socio-political turmoil in J&K ( Valley in particular ) , the inter- regional & inter religious instability and the administrative as well as economic confusions in what the people of J&K have been living even after October 1947 accession of J&K with independent democratic Indian republic possibly could be :- :

1.With partition of India being on communal lines, the J&K princely state being a muslim majority state, the Maharaja of J&K having delayed decision regarding accession for reasons of his having under consideration multiple options as have also been spelled by him in his letter of 26^th Oct 1947 addressed to Lord Mountbatten Governor General of India; political activity for independence ( from the British & the Local Ruler ) being comparatively more live in Kashmir region for democratic rights in the princely state of J&K as compared to other Princely States ; Pakistan having attacked the then Princely State of J&K openly on 22^nd October 1947 from the side of Kashmir valley only ( Muzaffrabad side) surely considering that there more 95 % population was muslim and the forces of Maharaja being very small and depleted too it would be a simple walk away mission but still Pakistan failing to get support of the muslim population of Kashmir valley the J&K National conference cadres did have reasons / opportunity for coming to more lime light worth claiming honours for playing a ‘vital role’ in saving Kashmir Valley / ‘State’ from the Pakistani aggressors (although some areas were lost) and ‘making claims’of comparatively preserving the local socio-communal environment. With the local environment in Kashmir valley having comparatively remained ‘nearly’ free from communal riots in 1947 the local Kashmiri leadership and the muslim community did to earn appreciations from the all India leadership .Otherwise also J&K was often addressed as ‘Kashmir state’ during the times earlier to 1947 . Most of the time issues pertaining to State of J&K were being addressed as issues pertaining to ‘Kashmir’ even when they related to Ladakh Region, even Maharaja of J&K State during pre 1948 times addressed his self as Maharaja of Kashmir and like .

And all these years for expressing the lands & people of India ‘we’ have been often using the verse ‘Kashmir to Kanayakumari’ that made ‘outsiders’ to take every word that was said by a Kashmir Valley person of any class / community for or against India / India government was taken as the word / feeling / aspiration/ opinion of subjects from all the regions of J&K State ( Kashmir valley, Ladakh region, Jammu region).

So what ever negative notes used to be made by some Kashmir Valley leaders or any outsider in relation to J&K were taken by the world community as related to whole J&K including the LOC/IB issues and hence most of the people were getting wrongly conducted about J&K, particularly accession related issues.{Daya Sagar ( Sr

Since in 1947 India had yet to finally draft & accept a constitution for democratic governance the leaders belonging to Kashmir valley of J&K started projecting their views in terms of rights to claim the credit for accession of J&K State to India dominion out of the wish of the people and it was here where the States Department of Government of India and other leadership of India failed to take serious notice of that and did not start undoing the myths atleast about right to accede from day one itself.

(2.) Even after Princely state of J&K having acceded to India Dominion after 15^th August 1947 on 26^th October and the Constitution of India democratic republic having been drawn Indian leadership / governments still appeared confused even as regards J&K being ‘total’ India. So some from even those people ( particularly from Kashmir region) who were not for Pakistan or two nation theory did sense the weaknesses and worked to use the muslim majority character of Kashmir Valley (in particular) and J&K in general for their own personal political ambitions by tactically selling & even cultivating the ‘belief’ that although erstwhile princely State of J&K was a muslim majority state people of “Kashmir Valley” still decided to accede to India dominion and in return the then Indian government / socio-political leadership in 1947 had made some special promises to Kashmiries before they acceded to India . No rejection of such claims has been pointedly made by Governments in ‘Delhi” atleast like it was the right of the Prince of a princely state only to take any decision regarding accession ( though taken late by him for the reasons explained in his letter of 26^th Oct 1947).

“Such’ Kashmir Valley readers well succeeded with the power hungry leaders from outside Kashmir valley too walking along their side. Kashmir Valley centric ‘impressions’ got so well cultivated that even the outside world recognised the Indian state of J&K as Kashmir State and read the lands/people/J&K State as what the political / community leaders only from Kashmir Valley have been saying /express

(3). Going by the environment that prevailed immediately after 1947 in early 1950s the local leaders from Kashmir Valley had hence successfully woven their web of strategies for keeping grip on the democratic governments that were to follow in the independent Indian State of J&K with the strings like (i) trumpeting Kashmir valley a huge muslim majority area,(ii) the then Prince of Jammu & Kashmir having signed in normal course the instrument of accession not before 15^th August 1947, (iii) the Pakistani invaders having openly attacked in October 1947 from Kashmir region side and failed there to a great extent ,(iv) the Maharaja having left Srinagar on 25^th October 1947 etc (v) ‘successfully’ even cultivating the myth that due to ‘their’ contribution J&K had been given Special Status by /in Constitution of India in terms of Art-370 {where as constitutionally there has been no such status like that. No doubt, although late, Government of India did clearly say only on 11-03-2015 through a written reply to Rajya Sabha *Q. No: 138 ( “whether it is a fact that through Article 370, the Constitution gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir;”) that “in the Constitution of India, there is no mention of ‘Special Status to Jammu and Kashmir’ and Article 370 provides for ‘Temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir’” but still in 2021 we may find some senior leaders from all parties still at occasions saying that J&K had a special status and that has been taken away/ removed after 5^th August 2019 } and like.

4..Such type of understanding that has been prevailing and is prevailing even today well demonstrates that the Kashmir Valley leadership of J&K State had succeeded to make people ( **even the other World) identify the Indian state of J&K only in the name of Kashmir and that has been the reason for India finding difficulties in making the world community understand that what is being said by some Kashmiri leaders / writers about history, culture, aspirations, thinking of locals , constitutional needs & status of J&K State , accession 1947 etc represents a very small constituent of the Indian State of J&K ..

** Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad ( a very-very Senior Congress leader from Jammu Region) while addressing a function ( “Peace Sammelan” ) organised by Gandhi Global Family at Jammu on 27^th February too appeared seeing his and J&K State’s identity only in Kashmir ( Valley) when he said < … … hamari pehchaan khatam ho geyee .. .. mere sathiyon ko maloom hai meine Parliament mein bola , ki duniyaan mein jitney bhi Rashtrpati ya Pradhanmantri hain oon se agar poocho ge.. – Africa ke Prime Minister se agar pooch ge – Bartaniyaan , America … Bartaniyaan ke Prime Minister se aur Australia ke Prime Minister se , China ke Prime Minister se , Canada ke Prime Minister se , America ke ab neye neye President aeye hain lekin sab se pehle oonhon ne Kashmir ki baat ki .. oonhon ne Madhya Pradesh ki baat nahin ki - oonhon ne Bombay ki baat nahin ki - oonhon ne Dilli ( Delhi) ki baat nahin ki – toe koyi bhi duniyaan ka aadmi nahin hai ya leaders nahin hai jo Kashmir ko Kashmir ke naam se nahin janta ya Jammu Kashmir ko Kashmir State ( ke naam se) se nahin janta .”>

5. Indian leadership that mattered in power as well as out side power arena too had been keeping and is still keeping focus more on expressions , narrations and ‘leadership’ from Kashmir Valley where after October 1947 the percentage of local non muslims had fallen to less than 5%.There is nothing wrong in keeping more focus on Kashmir valley people and lands but it was / is not in the interest of the affairs related to erstwhile state of J&K when the Governments ‘read’ the affairs and issues concerning the state only from the pages of a few ‘chapters’ and what a leader/ writer belonging to Kashmir valley has been saying..

6. What to talk of the anti India neighbouring countries even the Kashmir valley centric mainstream leadership cultivated more local regional controversies for their vote bank game plans to the extent that they even misused the existence Art-35A which could be otherwise used for giving extraordinary preferential treatment to Indian citizens of the class of permanent resident of J&K over other Indian citizens but the shelter of that article was used more to even harm some permanent residents of J&K simply to project Art 35A as a distancing symbol along with Art-370 where as in actual text both were constitutionally not alien. ( Any how now in August 2019 Art-35A has been in a way rescinded / shed by a Presidential Order like it had been added in constitution of India and Article -370 has been amended/ modified using the constitutional provisions thereby weakening the myths on which some leadership / opinions survived which is surely going to help in the process that the present NDA Modi led Government has initiated for medicating the ideological pollution that had grown around the innocent masses over last 7 decades.)

(7) In a way it can also be inferred that so far Indian leadership / Government of India ( GOI) have not been able to even draw a clear line between the separatist and mainstream ideologies. To exemplify it could be read from the political behaviour demonstrated so far by those who have held the reins of governance like for Congress and BJP the Self Rule Framework for Resolution doctrine of PDP is with in the frame work of Constitution of India even when it talks of joint control of India & Pakistan on certain affairs concerning J&K. To quote (i) Clause-77 of PDP’s Self Rule Framework for Resolution says < “The Regional Council of Greater Jammu and Kashmir will have 50 members. The respective state assemblies of J&K and Pakistan Administered Kashmir shall elect 40 members. The remaining 10 members will be nominated, five each, by the Governments of India and Pakistan (ii) Clause -58 demands Autonomy for J&K from India Nation state. So is also the position / status given to those who long for future of J&K / Kashmir in Achievable Nation Hood. Some innocent people in Kashmir valley ( J&K) if get carried by the separatist ideologies w.r.t accession under such type of environment how could they be tagged with ‘anti national’ labels (from Indian point of view) ?.

(8) It can not be denied that after the retreat of the British the Kashmiri valley leaders have always talked of Kashmiri (Valley) aspirations ( have rarely talked of J&K aspirations ) and ‘Delhi’ too has been ‘sensing’ ‘J&K’ only in people belonging to Kashmir valley & Kashmiri aspirations to the extent of repeatedly feeling the need for “winning” the hearts of Kashmiries. Some ‘permanent residents of J&K’ have gone to the extent of even saying that the 1947 Displaced Families from the areas of ‘J&K’ ( 1947 POJK DPs) as occupied by Pakistan have nearly remained ‘neglected’ by State Governments / Government of India because ‘they’ mostly belonged to areas outside Kashmir valley and most of them were staying outside Kashmir valley after their displacement.

( 9). When ever effort has been made to understand J&K affairs government of India has always tried to find solution with the help of messages and suggestions emerging from the politicians, administrators, thinkers , historians and community leaders mostly belonging to Kashmir valley which also reflects well from what Gulam Nabi Azad ‘professed’ on 27^th Feb 2021 while in Jammu < “.. toe koyi bhi duniyaan ka aadmi nahin hai ya leaders nahin hai jo Kashmir ko Kashmir ke naam se nahin janta ya Jammu Kashmir ko Kashmir State ( ke naam se) se nahin janta . aaj hamari bo pehchaan chali geyi hai”> . So Government India and those who are desperately looking for meaningful way forward must plan their approach taking leads / catching strings out of such like understandings for working out the strategies / plans to handle/ deal the affairs and people in a realistic way / taking the real information to those who matter so that J&K issues are given a right way forward.

(10). Not only that due to the manner in which the affairs regarding J&K have been handled even those people , though very less, otherwise having no mandate for influencing the decisions to be taken by a Prince of a Indian native state as regards Accession of a princely state to either of the dominion or staying buffer in terms of Indian independence Act 1947, who were against J&K going with India dominion since they believed in the religion based two nation theory too got encouraged worth spreading their tentacles ( like Hurriyat, People’s Conference , JKLF etc ) .

11.Very less efforts have been made even by government of India for undoing the wrong quotes about the relationship of J&K with India as myths like Art-370 giving constitutionally special status to J&K , Art-370 is only link / bridge between India and J&K, J&K having separate Flag & Constitution drawing parallels with Indian National Flag & COI, Prince of J&K did sign instrument of Accession for India like other princes but unlike other princes who also additionally signed merger of their states with India the prince of J&K did not sign merger of his state with India ( where as fact is that princely states had to only accede to India dominion and not merge with India dominion ) and ‘special’ claims of some Kashmiri valley leadership about over riding contributions of Kashmiries ( residents of Kashmir valley ) making it possible for J&K acceding to India in 1947 and like .

12.Those who have been cultivating the myth of no merger have taken advantage of the word Vilay being used for Accession ( which is synonymous to ‘Merger’) instead of Adhimilan ( as also used in constitution of India) to make people listen their opinion where as no one appear to have taken notice of that in relation to the interest Indian nation. Some may still contest their using the word/ term vilay for accession but the practice has already done the damage.

Even on 10th August 2016 Dr. Karan Singh ji ( who was in 1947 the Yuvraj/ Regent of J&K , then became Sadar-e- Riyasat of J&K, then remained even Indian Union Minister & ambassador to US and is the eldest leader that we have in J&K today ) had said in Rajya Sabha quote< “.with your permission .. last time I spoke from heart today I want to speak from the heart and the head also .. I want to place before this honourable house some factor which perhaps may not be fully known .. may be a little uncomfortable.. what ever I will say is based upon facts … I know I just might make some people uncomfortable …. we say Jammu and Kashmir is integral part of India…. , ofcourse it is , the day my father signed instrument of accession it became integral part of India no doubt about it … .27^th October I was in the room … I was in the house…when accession was signed …. However please remember some thing more, my father (Maharaja Hari Singh) acceded for three subjects -defence , communication and foreign affairs --- he ( Maharaja Hari Singh ) signed the same instrument of accession that all the other princely states signed but all the other states subsequently merged - Jammu and Kashmir did not merge . Jammu and Kashmir ‘s relationship with rest of India is guided by Art-370 and state constitution and I signed it to law…. We must realise … from the very beginning, right or wrong, Jammu and Kashmir has been given special position” ….. }.>. unquote.

13.But Dr. Karan Singh ji had gone uncontested and uncorrected even from the side of Government of India ( HM Raj Nath Singh Ji and Union Minister MoS Dr. Jatinder Singh ji were also present in the Rajya Sabha ) as regards legality of the unfounded ‘merger’ controversy of which leaders like Omar Abdullah too have been making points even in legislature as well as infront of some foreigners too. If I am correct, even after that some speakers were heard in Parliament mentioning the date of Hari Singh signing instrument of accession as 27th October where as in terms of the records that Government of India has so far made public date of signing the IOA by Hari Singh is 26th Oct.

Dr. Karan Singh ji’s word regarding 1947 times could be like a sermon to a common man and even those who have been initiating unnecessary debates even on technically the total Accession could use such quotes in ‘their’ styles. Ofcourse to my knowledge Government of India too has not made any statement / correction ( I may be corrected if already done ) in that regard denying or accepting even when the references required immediate attention. What signal such things send to out side world could be well understood.

14.These are a few quotes to take some feel how the doubts , controversies and myths about J&K being ‘total’ India focusing on J&K’s 1947 accession with India have been allowed to survive all these years. Such are the reasons for feeling the need only with regard to J&K for observing the Accession day even after more than 70 years where as in no other Indian states the day is not even casually talked about.

Indian leadership that mattered in power as well as out side power arena had been keeping and is still keeping focus more on expressions , narrations and ‘leadership’ from Kashmir Valley where even after October 1947 the percentage of local non muslims had been less than 5%.There is nothing wrong in keeping more focus on Kashmir valley people and lands but it is not in the interest of the affairs related to erstwhile state of J&K when the Governments ‘read’ the affairs and issues concerning of the state only from the pages of a few ‘chapters’.

Government of India in fair wisdom has initiated some actions in August 2019 which were in a way never priorities of the earlier governments but had become the must need for setting some routes for treading the paths for bringing peace and stability in J&K for medicating the ideological pollutions by eradicating the myths about ‘Kashmir’ being constitutionally total India and uprooting the separatist ideologies that had been also helping the foreign players in their designs against India since nearly all J&K questioning tones were raised by the leaders having roots in Kashmir Valley and those professing all identities only in Kashmiriat where as Kashmir valley is a very small region in comparison to even Jammu region what to talk of Ladakh Region. Ladakh region not even reflected from the name of the erstwhile State of J&K. But the political cadres need to work with much more care and commitment ( rising above petty political interests ) since the at social level much need be done and that can better be done by non governmental agencies. The gauge for the ‘success’ would be no other than return of the ‘migrants’ to Kashmir valley on their own.

With the enactment of THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR REORGANISATION ACT, 2019 NO. 34 OF 2019 in the Seventieth Year of the Republic of India (received assent of President of India on 9^th August 2019 ) atleast now a message has gone to the people ‘outside’ that the real dimensions of Bharat Varsh should be gauged from Ladakh to Kanayakumari. (i) Union territory of Ladakh comprising of territories of the existing State of Jammu and Kashmir, namely:— "Kargil and Leh districts" (ii) Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir comprising the territories of the existing State of Jammu and Kashmir other than those specified for UT of Ladakh.. Earlier also suggestions had been made to also show the areas occupied by Pakistan /China in the Jurisdictions of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir/ Divisional Commissioner Jammu/ Deputy Commissioner Leh/ Kargil. But still there are some occupied areas that need be formally mentioned under the jurisdictions of Divisional Commissioner Jammu / Divisional Commissioner Kashmir .

No doubt some people in J&K have expressed unhappiness over the enactment of THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR REORGANISATION ACT, 2019 NO. 34 OF 2019 that reorganised the then existing Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. Objections have more come from the people of Jammu Region and that of Kashmir region where as the people of Ladakh Region are in general happy with the status of a Union Territory ( rather they are often found expressing thanks to present government of India for having presented the reorganisation bill in the Parliament ). Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been regularly assuring ,both inside as well as outside the Parliament, that at appropriate opportunity Government of India will approach the Parliament for according the status of a State to the present UT of J&K and people should have no otherwise opinion on that.

The facts, needs and the references that have been discussed here will have to be taken among the common masses in well meaning way and with minimum possible off colours and dimensions of streams of political gamesmanship rising above any regional and religious controversies.

So the myths need be uprooted / undone in a humble and realistic manner so that the confusions / doubts in the common innocent minds cultivated over 7 decades are washed away and thereafter there will be no need for any one to observe the J&K Accession Day since those who have been making wrong presentations shall be losing their grounds.