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Jammu is bedevilled of many ills. Its age
old culture is threatened. It is being said to be turning communal, intolerant,
insecure and rattled. A sudden torrent of abuse and criticism is worrying
because it has been echoed by none other than a former Union Minister. Currently
Jammu is surrounded from all the sides by inimical elements. It is sitting on a
volcano is obvious after repeat terrorist attack on Sunjwan military station in
February 2018 before which more ghastly attacks at Kaluchak and Nagrota military
camps, stone pelting on army picket and attack on media persons in Rohingyas settlement
at Bathindi. Communal overtones in Rassana murder incident, violent Nowshera
agitation and killing of four militants in Sunderbani are the other shockers. Adding
fuel to the fire, Hon’ble chief minister gave blanket sanction to the tribals
to settle anywhere in Jammu with anti-eviction instructions. Such news anguishes
the most because the hidden message seems different. We see Jammu’s culture of brotherhood
exemplified by ‘a lion and a goat drinking water together at the same pond’ being
shredded apart. Chronic discrimination, suppressive statements, illegal
immigration and local disturbances effect our daily lives. Why Jammu is in agony
is because it has been led down by its own leaders. Interestingly, over the
period of time, Jammu leaders dumped Jammu for political and economic benefits
such as a ministerial berth, a job to the sibling or a wine shop. That is
Jammu’s misfortune. It doesn’t happen in the valley. Therefore common man is anguished
and feels that a hard working and upright person like Jagmohan or Basant Rath
can only redeem Jammu. I don’t buy that argument. The emergence of this line of
thinking does not hide the truth. Those of us who look at someone other than
own leaders for rescue must look at the helplessness in which Jammu leaders are
stuck in playing second fiddle in power sharing and the Kashmir imbroglio. It
is not easy for them to rescue themselves or us from the abyss. But that
doesn’t absolve them of accountability to the voters. Most certainly people are
going to ask the BJP legislators, at an appropriate time, what have they done
to redeem Jammu after Jammu gave them an unprecedented mandate and sent them to
the seat of power. It was certainly not for Bijli, Pani or Sadak. It was for
something big. Hence local leadership is the first agony. Connected to it is
identity. Quest for distinct and decisive identity is missing in Jammu. Opposite
is happening in the valley. While Kashmiriyat is the keyword in the state,
Dogriyat is unheard of. Jammu is at the verge of losing its identity firstly
because of minority status of the region and secondly because of aggressive
advent of Kashmiriyat. The paradox of Dogra identity is that if you are a supporter
of Dogriyat, you are considered anti-kashmiriyat and subjected to oppression. The
Dogriyat thus remains confined to the royal palaces and obviously so because Dogras
ruled Jammu for centuries. They are natural fulcrum of Dogriyat and have a role
in redeeming Jammu. (Jesus Christ came to redeem humanity of its sins). I feel
one of the erstwhile royals can provide legitimate leadership to steer Jammu
out the abyss because of their historical bonding with Jammu identity.
The other anguish is migration from the valley
which is increasing Jammu population many folds and changing its demography. Unplanned
growth of Jammu is telling upon its resources. Anti eviction instructions of
the chief minister will further increase the migration which has the potential
of angry backlash and communal undertones. Another irritant is Article 370. Constitutionally
and administratively Jammu is discriminated by Article 370. It was
incorporated in the constitution of
India with democratic and political provisions biased in favour of valley. Article
370 devolves political powers to the state to an extent that the centre is unable
to question its pro-majority or anti-minority policies. The perception about
Article 370 in Jammu and Ladakh is that it deprives these regions of political
power, development funds and govt jobs. (Whatever jobs the people of Jammu and
Ladakh get, majority of them are with the intervention of courts). Many ills mainly
derive from Article 370 which was rather surreptitiously inserted in the
constitution by Presidential Order as a temporary provision on the suspect plea
of strengthening secularism since it was the only Muslim majority state. No cabinet
and parliamentary approval was taken for this. Unfortunately temporary
provision has become ‘touch me not’ sword in the political sheath whereas the word
secularism is just not found in the preamble of State Constitution. Invoking
Article 370, in my view, will be the most important step in redeeming Jammu.
What else devils Jammu is the angst over
District / sub-district status. Smaller size districts in the valley and
proportionally much larger in Jammu is fuelling the Nowshera agitation. Same anger
is manifesting in other places. The passions raised by such issues are
dangerous. The situation is likely to aggravate further and take communal
overtones. Before it goes out of control, Nowshera must be given district
status and a commission appointed to grant more districts in Jammu. Chronic
corruption, nepotism, oppression, insecurity, pervasive fear of terror attacks
and potentiality of use of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis for fomenting communal
tensions further anguish Jammu. Another major issue in Jammu is delimitation
and rotation of reserved constituencies. Despite being in the ‘agenda of
alliance’, nothing has been done in this respect. Delimitation Commission must
be constituted soon.
Rumbling of discontent in and around Jammu
raise the question whether all will get together and demand reorganization of
the state. Statehood to Jammu has become a political exigency and UT status to
trans-Himalayan Ladakh is a national security requirement. Creation of homeland
for persecuted Pandits is also a civilisational necessity. Today or tomorrow
the Indian state has to come around to these realities. Only way to contain separatism
and militancy in Kashmir is by re-organising the state. While the real dangers
are mired in speculations, time has come for Jammu to rise to the occasion
before it is too late. A victimized frog like tragic story justifies my plea.
“Put a frog in a vessel full of water and start heating the water. As the water
temperature begins to rise, the frog keeps adjusting to the rising temperature wriggling
its limbs till the water reaches boiling point to which frog can’t adjust
anymore. At this point frog tries to jump out but can’t because it has lost all
its strength in adjusting to the rising temperature. Soon the frog dies. What
kills the frog is not the boiling water but its inability to decide when to
jump out”. Jammu need to adjust to the changing situations but be sure when to decide
not to. This time we need to face the situation collectively. Let us jump while
we still have the strength. Leadership, if needed, can be provided by someone so
far out of the power politics.
A window of hope can be opened for the
people of Jammu by a short spell of Governor rule. It will create a conducive
atmosphere among the people for seeding the hope of toning the administration
to provide good governance which is necessary to allay apprehensions in Jammu. Finally, a warning to the vested interests,
‘your meddling in Jammu affairs for vote bank politics is bound to land you in
a pit like the ‘Alice in the Wonderland’. Once in the rabbit hole, you wouldn’t
come out of the wonderland despite various openings coming your way. Unlike you
Jammu is too deeply integrated with the rest of India. If BJP’s ultimate goal to
make India a Hindu Rashtar succeeds, think where will the Kshmiriyat and Dogriyat
stand?
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