12081949--89 Text of the Letter dated 12 August 1949 from the Secretary-General, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India G.S. Bajpai addressed the Chairman of the Commission in answer to the Commission s invitation to a joint political meeting (UN Document No. S/AC. 12/242)
12081949--89 Text of the Letter dated 12 August 1949 from the Secretary-General, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India G.S. Bajpai addressed the Chairman of the Commission in answer to the Commission's invitation to a joint political meeting (UN Document No. S/AC. 12/242)
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated the 9th August (annex 27) which was delivered by a member of your staff to the Secretary for Kashmir Affairs, Mr. Vishnu Sahay, that evening.
The Government of India agreed to joint meetings at Minister's level of their representatives and representatives of Pakistan under the auspices of the Commission for the implementation of part II of the Commission's resolution of 13 August 1948. As regards the provisional agenda prepared by the Commission, the Government of India propose the addition of the following items:
(1) Clarification of A. 3 of part II of the resolution of 13 August as regards (a) local authorities and (b) the surveillance of the Commission.
(2) The Commission has already accepted the need for a large-scale disbanding and disarming of the "Azad Kashmir" forces This decision is not open to argument. Steps for its implementation, however, have to be discussed. Measures necessary for disbanding and disarming these forces should, therefore, figure on the agenda.
(3) In the Prime Minister's letter dated the 20th August 1948, to Mr. Korbel [S/1100, paragraph 80], the subject of the administration and defence of the sparsely populated and mountainous region of the Jammu and Kashmir State in the north was dealt with. It was pointed out in the letter that after Pakistan troops and irregulars have withdrawn from this region as they have to under the 13th August resolution the responsibility for its administration would revert to the Jammu and Kashmir Government and that for its defence to the Government of India. It is desirable that the question of the effective discharge of this responsibility should be clarified at the forthcoming conference. Though this is a matter for settlement between the Commission and the Government of India, it is necessary that Pakistan should be made fully aware of its implications.
With regard to the subject-matter of the agenda, the Commission has already reached certain conclusions in respect of some of the items. The large-scale disbanding and disarming of the "Azad Kashmir'' forces is an example. The Government of India assumes that conclusions of this character will not be thrown open to debate. As I explained to Your Excellency during our conversations when the preliminaries of the proposed conference were discussed, it is in the interests of the solution of the problem of the truce that the Commission and the Government of India earnestly desire that the Conference should not reopen matters which have already been determined.
The Government of India will be represented at the proposed conference by the Honourable Shri N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Minister for Transport and Railways. The date proposed for the opening of the conference, namely the 17th August, will not be convenient since it happens to be the day of an important religious festival, and during the period 13th to 18th August, both dates inclusive, the Constituent Assembly will be in recess and several Members of Government may be out of New Delhi. The Government of India, therefore, suggests that the Conference should begin with effect from Monday, the 22nd August.
In conclusion, I am to explain that it would save time if each Government were informed in advance of the suggestion of the other regarding the agenda. The Government of India suggests, therefore, that the additions to the agenda proposed by them be communicated to the Government of Pakistan.
(Signed) G.S. Bajpai
Secretary-General