New Delhi: Taking an indirect dig at the Centre over the appointment of former Supreme Court Justice Abdul Nazeer as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah alleged that the judge has compromised his position. In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, he blamed the government and said "it is trying to become the judge" and added that "Jammu and Kashmir is a Muslim-dominated region and it will continue to remain so."
Q Vice-President has recently said in an alleged reference to the I-T Survey on BBC that these doctored narratives seek to run India down and need a bold counter. How do you see this?
Why should they bring India down? India can never be brought down by a media house. India is not so weak that it can be brought down by a media house or by anybody.
Q We've been witnessing controversial statements by the Union Law Minister and even by the Vice-President on the collegium system while the V-P recently said the scrapping of NJAC, by the Supreme Court, was a severe compromise of parliamentary sovereignty and disregarded the mandate of the people. Don't you believe that these statements have an ulterior motive?
The Supreme Court must not be brought into controversies. It is the last resort for justice. And I think, both the executive and the Supreme Court must get together and find a solution to it rather than coming into the open like this and that brings down the Supreme Court. Such things compromise the honour of the Supreme Court. I don't think that anybody in India would want the SC's supremacy to be brought down. I would suggest to all political parties and all leaders, for God's sake not to get into these controversial matters in this manner. We are actually dishonouring the SC.
Q But these statements are coming from the high echelons of the BJP?
I think the problem is if the government wants to now become the judge, then I think it is not a very good thing. All must fight against this. The matter should be sorted out. We want honest judges, who can deliver justice and if the government is wrong, then they can also put the government in the dock. That is how SC should be. It is the last resort for justice whether it is for the government or the common man.
Q How do you see the elevation of former SC judge Justice SA Nazeer as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, a month after his retirement?
I think the problem here is that the judge should not have accepted it. First, there should be a cooling period and that is what the government used to always do in the past. But, by appointing him, the government has dishonoured him (judge) also. Because now, in front of people, he appears to be the person, who has sided with the government's judgment. Whether it was the Triple Talaq or the Ayodhya judgment, and the other matters that the government intended to get the judgment to its favour. He had been part of that. So, he has already compromised his position. So, it is like the earlier Chief Justice, who was given a Rajya Sabha seat (referring to Ranjan Gogoi). Wasn't that also wrong? This is how they are lowering their position. Such things are lowering the image of the judiciary in the common man's eyes.
Q What do you have to say about Bulldozer politics? Do you feel sad when you see people enjoying and celebrating this? Has India changed?
It's a very sad thing. The government can't provide jobs. Somebody has been running a shop for 50 years and you just come and demolish it. This sends a very wrong message. Doesn't this show that they're trying or attempting to push them into the streets? What about his family, his children, who will pay their school/college fees? You have no place to live and this is something that should not have been done. This is not a democratic way of doing things.
I am very sorry that people are celebrating this. It's a very tragic thing. I hope that they realise that this nation is for all irrespective of caste, creed, or religion. We all have to strengthen this nation and by dividing this, we cannot strengthen the nation. It is unity in diversity. Even Dr. BR Ambedkar was very clear about it. He said that religion is right, but religion does not mean that it should be brought into the running of this nation. If that happens, then you are going to destroy the Constitution itself.
What is the role of religion in nation-building?
I think every Indian has a role in nation-building whether he is small or big.
LG Manoj Sinha has been saying that Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is a free man. Is he a free man?
You search for him yourself. He was not allowed to go Jama Masjid to offer prayers. He is not a free man. There are so many controversies in his statement. And that is very unfortunate. That young man (Mirwaiz) has become a prisoner in his own house for the past three years. This is not democratic India. I think the government must realise that democracy means tolerance. He is part of India.
The political process in the region heats up after the abrogation of Article 370. There has been a complete clampdown on Hurriyat's properties and its office. What is the future of Hurriyat now?
Not only Hurriyat properties, but look at the media itself. It can't write the truth. The minute you say something, you're called to the police station. They harass and that is not what we expect. The government should be tolerant. Democracy functions when there are people, who can see where we are wrong and they correct us. They don't pull you down.
I've been Chief Minister and several times they used to tear me down and I knew there must be some wrong that we had to correct. When I used to see things written against me, I used to admire them and I used to call my minister and say that there must be something wrong. We are not Gods. We make mistakes and that is part of human beings. We are not perfect. It is the media which corrects us.
What is the future of Hurriyat now? Is it the end of it?
Nothing ends. It all goes underground. And that is the tragedy of it. When they're underground, you never know what the hell is happening. Never put people underground. That is when tragedy comes. When they're out, talking against you, in that case, you can see them, and respond to them. Now today, fire is burning inside and we do not know what would be the result of that fire.
The SC has recently dismissed a plea challenging the Delimitation Commission in Jammu and Kashmir. Your take on it?
Unfortunately, my view of the Delimitation Commission is absolutely clear. We ought to have delimitation in 2026 for the whole of India. I wanted to do it back in 2000 when I was at the helm. And then I realised that they told me, look the country is going for this in 2026, why can't you wait? So we waited! But, why did they do it now in Jammu and Kashmir? States are not made Union Territories rather it's the opposite. And this hurts us because why we are being treated in a way as if we don't exist. We do feel sad about it.
The socio-political parties of Ladakh are in Delhi demanding statehood. How do you see this?
Now they are demanding that we don't want to remain a UT. It's a big challenge to them and it shows that hopes have completely been shattered. I hope Delhi would wake up and give the status of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The day Musharraf died, former RAW chief AS Dulat said to ETV Bharat said that Musharraf was our best man. Then, what is the future of that four-point formula?
The first and foremost thing is SAARC. Bring that back. SAARC is like a common market in Europe. Unfortunately, the bitterness between India and Pakistan has hit the entire SAARC movement. I think India and Pakistan have to try and mend their ways. They have to try and see that terrorism should come to an end so that we can live together in peace. That will bring SAARC back and we'll have an economic process in these nations that are members of SAARC. We should not look toward Russia or America, but rather we should look at our neighbours. And, India is the big brother here. And being that it must accept that if a small brother commits a mistake, you don't push him out. We are a family.
You recently said that the BJP govt wants to convert J&K into a Hindu-majority state.
Yes, they are trying that but they're not going to succeed. It's a Muslim-majority state and it will remain so. It is the crown of India and will remain that.
