Noted Kashmiri politician Bhim Singh has called on the government to appoint the next president from Jammu & Kashmir and send a strong signal to secessionists.
Singh suggested the name of another Kashmiri politician Karan Singh for the post.
Karan Singh is the son of the last ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh. He is also a member of the Rajya Sabha.
“Every Indian shall feel dignified and honoured when its President shall address the world from Kremlin, White Hall or White House for world peace and humanism which world needs most today,” Bhim Singh said.
His appeal comes as rumors abound that the BJP may bring in Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to the post. This has been seen with dismay by many in the opposition parties as Bhagwat has, in the past, made calls for a pan-India cow protection law, a relook into reservations and a return to ‘ancient Indian culture’, especially as far as the women are concerned.
The BJP has a track record of going with out-of-the-box ideas when it comes to nominating the president. During its last tenure, it installed India’s missile scientist APJ Abdul Kalam as the president, an apparent effort to tone down the party’s Hindutva image and position it towards the center of the political spectrum.
Bhim Singh, who has traditional ties to the family of Karan Singh, said the move would send a message of unity to the people of Jammu & Kashmir — a special status region. Bhim Singh, an advocate, has been a strong proponent of the cancellation of the hill state’s special status within the Indian union and amalgamation of the same into the union.
“There may be many more notables who enjoy equally goodwill and have capacity and capability to represent India as its President at this difficult juncture,” Singh said.
“But India has a small problem created by our neighbourers in J&K and that problem has been disturbing our peace for nearly 70 years. Dr. Karan Singh as a President of India shall be an appropriate answer to the questions raised by our neighbourers regarding the so-called issue vis-à-vis Jammu and Kashmir.”