[Reader-list] Separate Jammu region from Valley (Kashmir) - Ghulam Nabi Khayal

[Kshmendra Kaul]

EXTRACT: 
"I have a strong belief that all those politicians, whether at the helm of affairs, or out of if, or preaching secession from India, are undoubtedly dishonest and hypocrites when they speak holding together of all the three regions of this State; Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh. This unrealistic and falsified propagation, they themselves contradict in private conversations."
 
Kshmendra

 
 
"How long this blackmailing? Let the troubleshooter Jammu go away"
 
By GHULAM  NABI  KHAYAL

For a long period of time of the contemporary history, and that too during its own Dogra rule, Jammu has been playing its role as a submissive, compromising and accommodating part of the State.

       Things have drastically changed over the years and that too 
during the last two decades of militancy which overtook the entire State particularly the Valley of Kashmir.

       Here I recall an instance narrated to me by a doctor-friend who was then heading the State health department. Once he went to Jammu on an official visit where a delegation of farmers from the border area of Ranbirsingh Pora met him with their complaining before the director that their fields were drying up for want of water which the state government used to supply them to irrigate their fields. They were facing draught and starvation if the water is not released immediately, they said.

       It was about four months later that the officer again visited Jammu. Again the same delegation of farmers met him. While thanking him for adequate supply of water they complained that their fielded were now flooded with the most excessive flow of water.

       “Didn’t you ask the concerned officials to stop water when you had full of its supply?” he enquired.

       The leader of the delegation answered, “Yes sir, we did tell them but they said that Director Sahib had not given us instructions to stop supply of water.

       This was the Jammu of yesteryears. A noble city of simpletons and innocents.

       Today every thing has undergone a sea change and therefore, a common saying has gained currency across Kashmir Valley that Jammu has taken away everything from Kashmiris except a polluted Dal Lake. “Let them take it also but leave us to our fate,” they demand.

       Before I start elaborating on this column, I want to ask a pertinent question pointed at one and all in this State.

       Could it be that any body enlightens me or guides me on my query: Politically, economically, socially, geographically, historically, culturally and linguistically, what commonality is there between Kashmir and Jammu? I say not even one percent. If it is so, and it is so, then why to continue with this unholy alliance for constantly inflicting injuries of extremism and communalism on the bruised psyche of people of Kashmir.?

       During the last 50 years, several new states in the Indian Union have been carved out of different provinces like Haryana, Delhi, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh and many more.

       I have a strong belief that all those politicians, whether at the helm of affairs, or out of if, or preaching secession from India, are undoubtedly dishonest and hypocrites when they speak holding together of all the three regions of this State; Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh. This unrealistic and falsified propagation, they themselves contradict in private conversations.

       In fact, Jammu from the very beginning after 1947, has never reconciled with the Kashmiri dominance in the State government ignoring the fact that this is a Muslim State and its head of the government shall have to be conventionally, a Kashmiri Muslim and not a member from the minority community from Jammu. This may be the basic reason that right from its birth, the independent India never thought of having a Muslim as the country’s prime minister.

       It was just before the partition 62 years ago, when Mahatma Gandhi suggested that Mohammad Ali Jinnah be made the prime minister of United India to save it from a devastating partition. This was vehemently opposed by Jawaharlal Nehru and Valabh Bhai Patel arguing that the Hindu majority might not accept a minority prime minister wholeheartedly and its repercussions could be fraught with grave dangers to the already shattered peace of the country. Gandhi was left with no option but to surrender. Even then, it was after 1984, that all the successive deputy chief ministers of this State hailed from Jammu and this policy remains unchanged till date.

       There is a general feeling across the Valley of Kashmir that Jammu has time and again demonstrated hatred against Kashmir and the Muslims of Kashmir. This may be reasonably so because their dear Dogra ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh was  forced to flee the State after Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah launched a popular mass movement of Kashmir ko chod do (Quit Kashmir) and Bainaama Amritsar ko tod do (Nullify the Deed of Amritsar). But the natural turn of events and situation does not submit before the whims of the people when the tide has already turned against them.

       During the Amarnath row last year, the fundamentalist Jammu also did not left any stone unturned to humiliate and harass Kashmiris to the extent that some of their fanatics forced an economic blockade for the Valley trying to starve the people of Kashmir. This was the most deplorable act on the part of Jammu communalists.

       Jammu has also tried to maintain a separate identity in different fields of life. When Chaman Lal Gupta was civil aviation minister in the Centre, he ordered designing of the Jammu airport building in a way that it resembles a Hindu temple. While landing over there, it is felt that one is not arrived in an airport terminal building but is entering into a temple. This is communalising each and every thing in gross violation of the Indian Constitution.

       Jammu has also been crying foul that there is a continued discrimination practiced against this region by the State governments. Unfortunately, there has never been specification of this baseless allegation nor have factual figures been made public for an open debate.

       The facts speak for themselves that it is rather otherwise. There are more colleges in Jammu than the Valley and the number of all other institutions, both governmental and private, touches higher mark when compared to a much lesser number in Kashmir.
       Of late, disturbance excited in Jammu by extremist forces rally around the motivated demand of establishing of the Central University over there. This is again an unrealistic tactics of pressurising the government because, as already stated, Jammu has much bigger number of educational institutes as compared to the Valley.

       By all means, Jammu has proved a liability for the people of Kashmir. Enough is enough. It is high time that also in accordance with the persistent campaign of Jammu Mukti Morcha, the Jammu region is separated from the Valley so that this menace is done away with once and for all. In that case, Jammu shall live its own chosen life and we will live ours.

Author is Srinagar based analyst.Email: gulkhayal at yahoo.co.uk
 
Posted on 24 Aug 2009 by Webmaster
 
http://www.kashmirwatch.com/showarticles.php?subaction=showfull&id=1251108334&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3&var0news=value0news
 
Originally published in Greater Kashmir on 10/08/09
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/today/full_story.asp?Date=10_8_2009&ItemID=35&cat=5
 

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