CORCOM condemns abrogation of article 370
Source: IT News
Imphal, September 09 2019:
Corcom urges the people of Manipur to discuss the abrogation of article 370 and 35A, which removed the special status of Kashmir, in their latest statement.
A statement released by publicity committee of Corcom, a joint body of major rebel groups of the region, condemns India's abrogation of article 370 .
The statement points out that Section 7(1)(b) of Independence Act (IIA) finds that Kashmir was a sovereign independent country which was the under the suzerainty of British.
Hari Singh, the king of Kashmir signed standstill agreement with Pakistan in August 1947 and later as the Pathan Tribesman invaded Kashmir, Hari Singh signed Instrument of Accession with the Dominion Government of India in October, 1947.This bilateral agreement between India and Kashmir consists that India maintains the power to make laws pertaining to defense, external affairs and communication whereas the legislature of Kashmir will laws pertaining to the matter without any interference from the Dominion Government of India, the statement added.
The Instrument of Accession signed between Hari Singh and Dominion Government of India does not entail that Jammu and Kashmir should accept the Constitution of India.
The agreement just laid down the relationship between the two entities temporarily.
In terminology of International Law, J&K is an associate state.
Given this IOA, these provisions are incorporated in the draft article 360 of the Indian Constitution and later it became 370, the statement further added.
Corcom's statement attacks the legality of the manner in which the articles were revoked.
It stated that the legislative assembly of J&K must be first consulted if the article 370 has to be touched by the centre or break the state into different parts, according to the same article.
Here, the president without any recommendation from the state's legislative assembly revoked it.
Starting from 1948, United Nations Security Council has made eighteen resolutions on Kashmir.
The two most important ones are: there should be plebiscite in Kashmir and Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.
Given this UN resolution that it is a bilateral matter, Pakistan has raised the matter of 37O at UN Security Council again and it is clear that international law does not allow India's act and international community does not agree.
The statement even claimed that the people of Kashmir now have the right to form an exile/transitional government and sue the Indian union for their right to self determination in International Court of Justice.
The statement claims that India has violated these agreements and international laws and it condemns Indian's act of abrogating article 37O .
The statement further talked about the history of Manipur.
It remembers how from a British protectorate it became an independent country in 1947 with its own constitution and legislative assembly and how the Union of India annexed Manipur in 1949.Legislative assembly of Manipur which got elected in 1948 before India annexed Manipur rejected Indian's policy towards Manipur in its 1949 September sitting.
Today, the undemocratic and colonial rule of the Indian state is making attempts to amend the citizenship bill by passing a Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB).
The bill is an attempt to make Hindu immigrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh citizens of this country.
The bill intends to destroy the national liberation struggles happening in Western South East Asia (WSEA by bringing demographic changes.
It also mentioned the economic impact it will have on the region after the bill gets pass.
Corcom's statement tells us that the people of WSEA are moving towards a grim future given that the Indian State is constructing rail lines, building a free Indo-ASEA trade route and special economic zones for the benefit of those who are going to control the political economy of Manipur.
Lastly, the statement urged the people of Manipur that at this juncture, one should leave sectarianism, distinctions between chingmee-tamnee, and decide for our future which is under threat because of the situation developing today because of the policies of the Indian State and unite to fight the Indian state, the statement added.