Rajan Gandhi
PM candidate Modi’s one lakh plus ‘Lalkar Rally’ at Jammu on 1st December 2013 was a turning point in 2014 general elections as Jammu has been fountain head of nationalism right from Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s days and Modi ji made a special mention of his decades old association with Jammu and Nationalist Dogras, who have been keeping for decades Indian interest above even their own. People of Jammu obliged with three parliamentary seats for BJP from Jammu and Ladakh. Riding on success of parliamentary elections and with Jammuites hoping their dream of breaking shackles of Kashmir hegemony for decades will come true as such in state elections also BJP tasted victory by winning dream 25 seats, second only to 28 of PDP. But Jammu region got the first reality check when BJP stitched alliance with PDP to form Government to work according to agenda of alliance in which all issues like Article 370, 35A and delimitation of assembly constituencies were kept in abeyance. To speak frankly, BJP lost the battle that very day and after that for three years mandate of Jammu was humiliated day in day out with BJP men parroting all is well where as army got its hands tied and valley on the boil for all these years, nothing gained but all lost. Such was the scenario that despite eighty thousand crore plus financial package by PM Modi no development project could be undertaken even to the level of stone laying leave alone inauguration.
Another incident which stunned and stung Jammu was shifting of AIIMS allocated to Jammu region to Kashmir for which the Jammu BAR association came forward and again on the pattern of 2008 Shri Amarnathji agitation whole Jammu came on roads which ultimately forced centre to allocate two AIIMS, one for each region. After death of CM Mufti Mohammed Syed it took BJP three months to convince Mehbooba Mufti to head the coalition government again and immediately after her oath as CM this power syndrome became evident once more when in April 2016 NIT students of Srinagar were ruthlessly beaten black and blue by our J&K police, for hoisting National Flag at NIT Srinagar! Hostels were vacated and students, majority of them being residents of other states, were made to travel to Jammu without any security on their own in the surcharged situation. From than onwards time and again throughout during coalition government of BJP-PDP Jammu got consistently humiliated and provoked, be it biased employment list, release of stone pelters from Kashmir but no respite for Jammu youth involved in 2008 agitation, distribution of funds, implementation of GST, toll tax at Lakhanpur, district status to Nowshera, Rohingyas or Rasana rape case. No action on Pakistan Zindabad sloganeering MLA despite Speaker being of BJP showed how lust of power make parties and politicians compromise. Finally after wasting three years with no promised dream development work at Jammu BJP realized that incidents of Kashmir were denting it’s nationalistic image and could harm it’s interest at national level as such it finally withdrew support to PDP coalition but pain of Jammu continued unabated.
Meantime new governor SP Malik took some time to understand the things and once acquainted he was astonished at the level of corruption in the whole state and his public admissions regarding this menace were eye opener for even Central Government. Governor took immediate steps to form ACB, Governor Malik revealed bungling in J&K Bank, state employees insurance scam as well as ‘Roshni’ land scam in which encroachers got state land at peanut rates due to hand in glove official policy of revenue department, politicians and land mafia. Meanwhile Pulwama and subsequently Balakot happened and once again before 2019 general elections Jammu became the centre stage of nationalism and nationalistic Jammu once again voted for BJP candidates for massive victories. Come August, PM Modi and HM Amit Shah finally took the call and ultimately Article 370 got abrogated along with Article 35 A and J&K State got divided into two UT’s, Ladakh and J&K. Internet blockade of entire J&K followed causing numerous hardships to people of Jammu also despite Jammu being incident free till now. Business got severely hit with even pilgrimage tourism coming to near halt.
It is very important to mention that since independence Jammu has got raw deal continuously as far as development is concerned with Jammu getting its present railway station in 1973 only after army faced lots of logistic problems in carrying the requisite material during 1971 war and that very station is still used with no augmentation till date. Separate railway division for J&K seems to be a an impossible task as both MPs of BJP want it in their respective constituency. Same is the story of Jammu airport which till date has not been upgraded to International one despite one crore tourists, in fact risking every landing as emergency brakes are applied and reduced payload is necessary due to short airstrip. Jammu got GMC also in 1973 but still many critical PG courses are not available and shortage of staff and infrastructure is a well known fact with no remedy till now. Mere announcements of new airports or district hospitals are not going to serve the purpose as people of Jammu are now fed up with lip services only; projects are announced but they never see the day light. Jammu River Front, Artificial lake, Jammu Metro, Smart city, Mubarak Mandi Heritage restoration, helicopter services all are in frozen mode for last six years as mere announcements and photo ops are the only visible things on the ground. Much delayed four laning of Jammu-Akhnoor highway as well as Jammu-Kashmir highway speaks about the work on ground. Rubbing salts to wounds are numerous toll plazas started in Jammu region. Jammu AIIMS is still in hibernation mode as no construction has started as yet where as Bhatinda AIIMS sanctioned in same official letter has already started classes and OPD. Shelved Dry Port Project, non starter Akhnoor’s Chenab water supply project, no replacement of Old City’s rusted water pipes, failure to plan and implement anything on SWM or STP for city garbage despite 75 Corporators on job speaks about stark reality and nothing else. All these things were recently exposed during one day city trip of LG who was aghast to see the progress and quality of various works. Only completed PMDP project, Jammu Ropeway is waiting for inauguration but every effort is being made to sabotage even this vital tourism project by various government departments itself. Tragic part is despite almost zero development it’s projected at Centre that there is no problem at Jammu and what Jammuites are just over expectation from BJP! BJP had already lost MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, narrowly holding Haryana and Karnataka and reasons are not hard to find, obviously disconnect with people like in Jammu, unable to fulfill promised development.
Dreams of Jammu are shattered once again and ours once 21 Gun Salute Princely State of J&K got reduced to State only and in last six years from State got degraded to UT that again clubbed with Kashmir and the resultant ‘Information Black Hole’ has been enforced on Jammu also despite no incidence of terrorism anywhere for last six months. Projection of Kashmir as destination for tourism and investment with Jammu nowhere in picture is the ground reality as of now and this tilt is quite visible even in Republic day tableau itself also. Public is clueless when this information blackout will be lifted, when delimitation will take place, when statehood will be restored or when will development take place and return of KPs to Kashmir is still a distant dream as well. All this seems to be a mirage right now as visit of even 36 Union Ministers have failed to clear the mist as only removal of articles 370 and 35A can neither solve day to day sufferings nor aspirations of the public. Despite no law and order problem in Jammu no major investment in private sector has been done in Jammu in recent past with the result unemployed youth migrating to other states for better prospects. Despite almost six years at Centre, three years directly in alliance in state and two years of Central rule in the state least visible development is there on ground. Over all one can say to Jammu public to keep day dreaming ‘Achhe Din’ and bear the never ending pain of transformation from State to UT as well as 4G to 2G.
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