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Madhok advocates splitting up J&K into three states

Former president of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh and chairman of Nationalist Forum, Prof Balraj Madhok today called for reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir to carve out separate states of Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir under the Indian Union, as a recipe to tackle political instability in the region.

In a statement, Prof Madhok urged the government to take effective steps to wipe out Pakistani militants and agents from the state and hand over Doda district to the army for some time. He felt New Delhi should reiterate its legal claim on Pak-Occupied Kashmir.

He said it was wrong on the part of the Bharatiya Janata Party to practise political untouchability against other nationalist elements and parties. ''The only way to end political instability is polarisation of political parties on the basis of ideologies and BJP must take a lead in uniting all nationalist forces,'' he said.

Prof Madhok said the Sino-Pak axis, especially in the light of the recent revelations by some defecting Pakistani scientists, had given a new twist to the threat to Indian security.

Calling for some changes in the country's foreign policy-orientation, he suggested that the question of freedom of Tibet be revived. ''India's northern border should be Indo-Tibet border and not Indo-China border,'' he said.

Referring to Pakistan's demand for self-determination for Kashmir, Prof Madhok said support must be extended to the demand for self-determination in Sind province and other areas of Pakistan.

Besides calling for forging closer relations with countries of South-east Asia threatened by Chinese hegemony, India should try to convince the world opinion about the dangers of Pakistan's Islamism and Chinese expansionism, he said.

UNI

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