Legal eagle will fight final case in people’s court

Though many would disagree, Professor Bhim Singh says he’s taken up every fight for the right reason. The 69-year-old lawyer and chairman of the J&K National Panthers Party (JKNPP) defended dreaded ultra Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, who was kept in jail for 16 years without a trial. Singh was also part of the team that represented former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in a UN criminal court.

This year, he’s decided to contest from the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat to take up a battle in his final  contest — an  amendment to Article 370 if he enters Parliament. Singh spoke to DNA about his career, politics and his aspirations for Kashmir. Excerpts:

Why did you feel the need to contest polls since you were already a legislative council member?
I feel that Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance is an enemy of the people. The Congress, in particular, betrayed people by joining hands with the PDP in 2002, and now, with the NC. The party favoured delimitation of seats but later sat on it. It created a situation that bred corruption and I have taken up this fight to expose their misdeeds.

You could have done it while being the MLC. Why did you resign from the membership of the upper house?
I resigned in protest against the Congress-NC alliance —- they are a treacherous combination. The Congress joined hands with PDP and Panthers Party in 2002, announced the Common Minimum Programme, but did not implement it. I think it was unfair of the Congress to overlook its commitment. Plus I am for the amendment of the Article 370, something that can be done only in parliament. A single MP can muster the support of 100 more members to press for the amendment.

But Article 370 is a binding force between the J&K and the Union. Why do you want to dilute the special status?
I am not for the scrapping of Article 370, but I want it amended. At present, parliament cannot make laws for J&K, particularly in the areas of defence, currency, communication and foreign policy. It is the president, who, like a viceroy passes an order for J&K, which is neither discussed nor debated. The only provision I want is that parliament have the authority to make laws for Jammu & Kashmir.

You favoured an alliance with BJP, but it seems they were not interested. Now they have fielded candidates against you?
Ideologically, we are poles apart from BJP. Since it is also the adversary of the Congress, we wanted to have a tie-up, however it did not work.

Then what are your chances because the BJP and the Congress have fielded stalwarts in Udhampur?
I have learnt one thing in life and that is you should try your best and leave the results to God.  I am 69 and this is my last election. I am here to try hard and hope for the best.
You have been in news for all the wrong reasons.

You contested the case of Bitta Karate, the man accused of killing many pandits in the early nineties, and got him released?
I must have received more than 500 hate mails for that. This is a democratic country and I would fight for the rule of law. Bitta Karate had written me a letter from jail because he had not been tried for 16 years and was being booked under Public Safety Act. I took up his case because I wanted the rule of law to prevail. I have defended other detainees too, free of cost.

You fought for President Slobodan Milosevic in a UN Criminal Court in The Hague and also volunteered to represent Saddam Hussain?
 I was engaged by President Slobodan Milosevic in a UN Criminal Court in the Hague. I believe he was a victim of American and NATO conspiracy. They accused him of killing Muslims but only few people know that his wife was a Muslim. I was not allowed to represent Saddam and my visa was cancelled. I had been given a visa for life but when the Americans came they cancelled it. Now I have applied for a fresh visa because I want to represent Tariq Aziz, former deputy PM of Iraq.

Have you written a book on Iraq?
Yeah I wrote Iraq, a Heroic Resistance, but nobody wanted to publish it. The Anglo-American lobby controls the media. I believe America is not fighting a war on terror but a war against Muslims.