Times of India Blunder upon Gilgit Baltistan: Damaging India’s Sovereignty

Rushing phenomena of presenting the news in the first instance to their deary viewers is common in electronic media. This sometimes proves fatal especially when news gets reported from Jammu & Kashmir. As many a times, due to lack of information or doubtful sources, errors are committed in presenting the factual information. Though media is commonly excused in committing such factual errors while reporting news under misconceptions, there are some issues or subjects causing blunder upon which is unacceptable. In one of such instance, Times of India (an online news portal) committed a highly grave mistake when it showed territorial areas of Jammu & Kashmir as Pakistan’s territory while reporting news on surging cases of COVID 19 cases in Pakistan. Publication of this news by TOI showing Indian territories as an area of other country is highly abominable act and is a direct attack on the sovereignty of India. On April 24, 2020, Times of India published a story on its online portal citing the statistical data issued by Pakistan’s Health Ministry on rising no. of corona patient cases in different regions of Pakistan. While doing so, the Indian news portal didn’t care to check that, the area “Gilgit Baltistan” is part of India. Gilgit Baltistan is a mountainous region which legally comes under the Union Territory of Ladakh, the northernmost region of India.

“In the last 24 hours, 642 new cases were reported, taking the tally to 11,155 in the country, health officials said on Friday. Punjab reported 4,767 patients, Sindh 3,671, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 1,541, Balochistan 607, Gilgit-Baltistan 300, Islamabad 214 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 55 patients.” Times of India (April 24, 2020 12:19 IST)

(Source link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistans-coronavirus-cases-rise-to-11155-79- cases-locally-transmitted/articleshow/75342952.cms)

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA’S STAND ON GILGIT BALTISTAN

India has time and again made its stand clear that territory of J&K also cover the illegally occupied territories by Pak and China. In 1994, Parliament of India also resolved to take back the illegally occupied territories of J&K. (For details see: Parliamentary Debates: Official report, Volume 170, Issue 2, 1994, p. 237)

Few days back, Govt. of India lodged a strong protest against Pakistan on Gilgit Baltistan order by Pak’s Supreme court. Protest note says, “It was clearly conveyed that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of India by virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession……..Pakistan should immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation”: (Press Statement May 4, 2020 by Ministry of External Affairs) In a swift but unprecedented move, Indian Meteorological Department also started a weather forecast of Gilgit Baltistan and Muzaffarabad (territories of J&K under the illegal occupation of Pak). Further, name of meteorological sub-division of Jammu and Kashmir has been substituted with “Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad”

GILGIT BALTISTAN: A LEGAL TERRITORY OF INDIA

Currently, Gilgit Baltistan area is under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. As said earlier, this region legally belongs to India. J&K became part of India when Maharaja Hari Singh had signed the Instrument of Accession on Oct 26, 1947 which covered the area under the present control of Govt. of India along with Gilgit, Gilgit wazarat, Baltistan, Mirpur, Mujaffarabad. Article 1 of Indian Constitution speaks of territory of India wherein UT of Ladakh and UT of J&K has been placed as Entry 9 and Entry 8 under the Heading “Union Territories” in J&K Reorganisation Act of 2019. Before 5 th Aug 2019, erstwhile State of J&K was placed at 15 th no. in the list of States under first schedule to the COI in which territory of J&K was defined as “The territory which immediately before the commencement of this Constitution was comprised in the Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir”. Constitution of J&K (now being redundant) under Sec 4 defines the territory of erstwhile State of J&K. It provides, “The territory of the State shall comprise all the territories which on the fifteenth day of August, 1947, were under the sovereignty or suzerainty of the Ruler of the State”. (See: http://jklaw.nic.in/pdf/CONSTITUTION%20.pdf)

CULTURAL ROOTS IN INDIA

People of this region speaks Shina language which comprises lot of Sanskrit associative words. Culturally this region had always been a part of India where at one time, Buddhism was followed by many of its inhabitants. Large Buddha statue carved at a mountain site there is evident of it.

(Image: Political map of India, PTI)

GILGIT BALTISTAN ON INDIA’S MAP:

Many people get confused when they read or hear about POK region, as there is no such region on India’s Map. The area of J&K which is illegally occupied by Pakistan is known as Pak occupied territories of J&K. This area is further divided into two main regions: Pak occupied territories of Ladakh (POTL) and Pak occupied Jammu Kashmir(POJK). Gilgit Baltistan region is territorial part of POTL.

Survey of India, Department of Science and Technology had recently released new maps of India depicting the whole Gilgit Baltistan region under the Union Territory of Ladakh. These maps were issued in furtherance of an official gazette notification issued by Ministry of Home Affairs, where in President of India has promulgated an Order called J&K Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties)Second Order, 2019 clearly specifying the Gilgit and Gilgit wazarat region as part of Leh District of UT of Ladakh.

“Territories of Leh district.—The territory of Leh district specified in section 3 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 shall constitute the following districts of the existing State of Jammu and Kashmir, namely: – “Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilas, Tribal territory and ‘Leh and Ladakh’ except present territory of Kargil”. (Source: MHA Order, 2 November 2019, S.No. 3979E)

(Image: Kargah Buddha located in Gilgit)

REPRESENTATION OF GILGIT BALTISTAN IN J&K ASSEMBLY:

It is this region i.e. Gilgit Baltistan along with Mirpur-Mujaffarabad for which 24 seats are reserved in the legislative assembly of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Today thousands of displaced people from POJK and Gilgit Baltistan are living in Jammu in the hope that one day they will be given the representation in assembly of UT of J&K against the decades long vacant seats for POJK and POTL.

VOICE OF GILGIT

Senge H Sering, a ground activist of Gilgit Baltistan who worked for decades in this region in defending human rights of suppressed people against Pakistan authorities, said at United Nations Human Rights Council that, “Gilgit-Baltistan is a part of India. Members of the United Nations need to realise that Pakistan has become a big stumble block for last 70 years” (Source Tweet: ANI, Sep 11, 2019). Often, people of Gilgit Baltistan can be seen protesting in their streets against the atrocities and barbaric treatment meted out to them by Pakistan’s authorities for Pro India movements.

ISSUE APOLOGY FOR MISINFORMATION

Publishing the content which not only attacks the sovereignty and integrity of India but also hurting the sentiments of common citizen of India is highly unwarranted under broadcasting rules of Indian media. Press Council of India and other regulatory authorities should take suomoto cognizance of April 24, 2020 news by TOI on Gilgit Baltistan issue otherwise such missteps are capable enough to ruin India’s efforts at international platforms to stake its claim on its own legal territory. The least which is expected from Times of India is to issue an apology and give a corrigendum at the earliest regarding the misinformation it provided on Gilgit Baltistan territory of India.