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Mandate for coalition, not confrontation

Sir,

The recent election in our State culminated into a hung Assembly. It has produced a fractured mandate. The verdict conspicuously favours a coalition Government but the main coalition partners PDP from Valley and Congress from Jammu till date have not been able to come to terms for cobbling together a coalition Government because of their regional bias and pure partisan interest. The main hiccup in the Chief Ministerial slot. Though the PDP has lesser number of seats as compared to Congress but in utter disregard of the spirit of democracy and wishes of the electorates expressed through ballot, they unjustifiably want the coalition Government to be headed by a leader from PDP. This demand of PDP is irrational, undemocratic and unreasonable because they don't have the sufficient numbers to claim the Chief Ministerial chair but throwing all norms to the winds they are persisting with their undemocratic demand. Their argument that CM from Valley is a prerequisite for resolving Kashmir problem, is misplaced and unfounded. It would create a wedge between the people of Valley and the people of Jammu region.

People have given mandate for coalition Government as an alternative of National Conference Government which did not fulfill the aspiration of the people but PDP instead of falling in line with the norms and commons of democracy, they are pressing for unreasonable demand which would inflame the regional sentiments of the people which would be detrimental to the National interest. Still the hope is not lost. Top brass of Congress is in contact with Leaders of PDP. If good sense prevails on the two sides, the issue will be amicably resolved in the interest of democracy. Dr. Farooq is irritated at his defeat. He did not cooperate and forced the Governor to impose Governor's rule to avoid constitutional crises in the State. This is a strong indication of the apathy of the politicians towards the democracy and national interest. If the stalemate continues, then the battle like for Regional Division and re-organization of the State shall be clear.

It will be prudent for the leaders of Jammu region to shed off their political affiliations and wage a decisive struggle for carving out of separate Jammu State. This would also open the eyes of authorities that be in Delhi. The movement should gather such a momentum that they would be forced to respect the sentiments of the people and would accede to their demand for separate Jammu State. Afterwards they can run the State in accordance with their political strength in the new assembly.

Yours etc...
P C Sharma
Trikuta Nagar

Ignoring Jammuites

Sir,

It is a well known fact that for over 50 years Jammu has played a second fiddle to Kashmir. The CM has always been from Kashmir and the cabinet has always had token representation from Jammu with no voice in the administration. The NC has always been able to divide the Jammu politicians by offering bribes and cometic roles. There are only two individuals from Jammu who had earned the respect and the ear of the Chief Ministers from Bakshi to Mir Qasim. They were Girdhari Lal Dogra and P. L. Gupta (who drafted the J&K Constitution as Secretary of the Assembly and then later served as Law Secretary). Most of the others were tokens with no voice. Inspite of the neglect from the Muslim dominated J&K Government Jammu has prospered because of the entrepreneurial spirit of the people of Jammu. While Bakshi was sympathetic to Jammu, Sadiq and Mir Qasim were less inclined. Sheikh Abdullah and his son Farooq have done nothing but to ignore the interest of the people of Jammu.

Mr. Azad is portrayed by the PDP as "not from Kashmir" while he points out that Doda is closer to Kashmir than Jammu. This nonsense has to stop. Let the party with most seats in the coalition select the CM candidate and then let this person insure that there is fair representation in the cabinet and the administration from all regions of the State.

Yours etc...
Devinder Gupta
USA
On e-mail

Cataract surgery

Sir,

Through the medium of your esteemed Daily, I would like to inform general public that "Phacoemulsification-Cataract Surgery" is not a new technology brought here in Jammu as claimed in a news of a private hospital published in your esteemed newspapers recently Dr. Anil Mahajan of Santosh Eye Clinic of Shastri Nagar Jammu had pioneered more than five years ago, when he introduced this facility to Jammuites, My mother got removed the cataract of one of her eyes with this technology by Dr. Anil Mahajan way back in 1997. Now satisfied with the performance of her eye this week she got removed the cataract of her other eye as well by Dr. Anil Mahajan.

Yours etc...
Sudhir Gupta

Plea to Administrator, JM

Sir,

Residents of the Talab Tillo have expressed serious concern and strong resentment over the PHE Department's move to dig, construct and raise unathorised structure in the Municipal Park at Talab Tillo, Jammu thereby disturbing the greenry, and violating environmental and pollution rules, putting at stake the lives of inhabitants of the area. Parks are the lungs of the city and if they are encroached, it means people are being deprived of the basic civil amenities for which Jammu Municipality is committed to all citizens of Jammu and in particular to the local inhabitants of Talab Tillo area. It is the only part in the whole of the vicinity of Talab Tillo are for paying and breathing for the local people and particularly for the people of advanced age.

It is not out of place to mention here that the land of the Talab on which park exists was purchased out of the Municipality Fund and developed by incurring huge expenditure by the then Administrator Smt. Vijay Kotwal IAS. The Administrator Jammu Municipality is the custodian of the said public park and, therefore, it is the duty of the Administrator to prevent it from any alternation at the cost of the valuable greenland in the heart of locality.

Finally, we the residents of the Talab Tillo area request the Administor, Jammu Municipality and all the concerned authorities to intervene into the matter and save the green heritage in the heart of locality from being converted into concrete Jungle for our coming generations.

Yours etc...
Residents of
Talab Tillo Jammu.