Shri M.S Golwalkar ‘Guruji’, second Sarsanghachalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, was a visionary on issues of national importance. June 5th happens to be his death anniversary. Reinitiating the debate on Article 370 and complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India is the best tribute one can give to the divine soul. Here are the excerpts of his views he expressed during his interview with the then editor of Organizer, Shri K R Malkani, in October 1967
Q: Government does not seem to know what is to be done next in Kashmir. It does not want to lose Kashmir and it does not know how to keep it!
There is only one way to keep Kashmir – and that is by complete integration. Article 370 must go; the separate flag and the separate constitution must go too. If it is necessary to have, President’s Rule is a temporary thing. Within a year or two there will have to be fresh elections, and the new VidhanSabha may be more rabidly communal than the present one.
But as I see it, the basic question is whether we want to keep Kashmir or not. Since it is decided that we must keep Kashmir, all necessary steps must be taken to implement this decision. If the border area of North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) can be centrally administered through the Army, why the border area of Kashmir can’t be administered similarly for the same strategic reasons?
Q: What will the world say?
We must decide what our vital national interests are and then proceed to safeguard them. We must not bother too much about so-called world opinion. Do you think it is favorable to you even now? Did this ‘world opinion’ favor you over Junagadh or Hyderabad or Goa? Bharat must be governed by Bharat’s interest and not by foreign opinion, which perhaps is only a reflection of foreign interests.
Some time back the London Times correspondent in Delhi met me. He asked me, what I thought of the Presidential election in our country. I told him a new President (Dr. Zakir Husain) had been elected and I had nothing to say about it. But he persisted and said that some religious leaders had criticized his election. I told him, “So what? When Edward VIII wanted to marry Mrs. Simpson, the secular British dethroned him for wanting to marry a Roman Catholic!” These people come and lecture to us on the virtues of secularism! We must not take their opinion with more than a pinch of salt. I say if we don’t integrate Kashmir, and lose it, this very world opinion will call us fools. Hence, to formulate policies on the basis of the world opinion will be like repeating the story of the old man, his son and his donkey.(With Pressmen at Bangalore, November 1965)
Q: How do you view the ceasefire line in Kashmir?
If you say that Kashmir is ours, the portion of Kashmir which is in the hands of Pakistan should be taken back. A prominent leader is saying that we should give away part of Aksai Chin to China and make friends with China, in order to face Pakistan. The same gentleman had advocated the giving away of Kashmir to Pakistan during the time of Chinese aggression. Just imagine, if this process of giving away a part of our country whenever either of the country invades us continues, what will be our fate? Where would we be?
Q: One of our esteemed leaders has said that our stand on Kashmir has been wrong always. According to him we should view the problem in the light of Junagadh and Hyderabad. In the case of the above two, the people, i.e., Hindus being in a majority opted to join Bharat, whereas the ruler, a Muslim, wanted to accede to Pakistan. Then we supported the cause of the people and ultimately people’s wish was made to win. In the same way we should view the case of Kashmir and give it away to Pakistan as it is having a majority of Muslims. Surely this argument appears quite logical.
But the fact is, the people’s wish was opposed by the rulers in Junagadh and Hyderabad. Whereas in Kashmir, the National Conference, the major political party, and its Constituent Assembly which was the representative body of the entire people had unequivocally decided to join Bharat. The ruler also opted for Bharat. Therefore there is no question of any rift between the wishes of the people and the ruler. And the question of joining Pakistan did not arise at all.
Q: Do you see anything new in the recent declaration of Sheikh Abdullah that he does not question the Constitution about Kashmir?
He has said this many years back also and has gone back upon his words. What is the use of believing what he says today unless he proves to be consistent? That is our difficulty. He can retract himself or change or say whatever he likes, in one place one thing and in another place another thing. He has said we have to believe him, but he must be believable!
