Tarun Upadhyay RSS Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat arrived Jammu on Sept 30 on a fourday visit. It is his visit post abrogation of Art 370 and J&K being made a Union Territory. His visits comes in the back of seething anger in Jammu against host of decisions taken by the UT administration and Kashmiri Muslims in the UT nursing sense of “victimisation” Mohan Bhagwat’s last visit to J&K was in 2017 when he chaired a meeting of important dignitaries of Sangh from across the India. This time he would review the functioning and activities of Sangh in J&K and Ladakh since Sangh considers J&K and Ladakh as one unit. RSS chief is not scheduled to address any public meeting but will meet select few citizens at a function to be held at an auditorium in Jammu University. He will also meet people who participated in Praja Parishad movement. His meeting with living members of the Praja Parishad is important for many reason. Praja Parishad Party founded in Jammu in November 1947, after Maharaja Hari Singh was forced to move out of Kashmir, started agitation for “Ek Desh Mein Do Vidhan, Do Pradhan, Do Nishan- Nahin Chaleinge, Nahin Chaleinge’ . RSS activists Balraj Madhok and Premnath Dogra were the force behind this agitation. Modi Government fulfilled this demand of Praja Parishad on Aug 5, 2019 by abrogation of Art 370 and scrapping Art 35-A. But, what is little known is the fact that undertone of this movement or agitation was also against Kashmir’s hegemony and the “vindictive” approach of the late Sheikh Abdullah and subsequent Chief Ministers against Jammu. Two years after abrogation of Art 370 , Jammu is seething with anger and nursing a sense of “discrimination” and “victimisation” too which it believed should have gone with the J&K being made UT and coming under direct control of BJP The host of decisions taken by the present J&K Government had made local businessmen believe that these have hit Jammu’s economy. Government’s decision to stop Durbar Move practice, open auctioning of liquor vends and sand are believed to have hit the local businessmen hard. Culmination of this anger was the complete Jammu bandh called by traders and Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Sept 22. It was the first complete bandh in Jammu after abrogation of Art 370 against Government. Sangh is the force behind the rise of BJP especially in Jammu where it has been active since even before 1947. It not only helped in the spread of BJP but also extended support to all agitations of Jammu starting from 1953 when Praja Parishad launched agitation against separate flag of J&K. RSS for decades has deep connections with the business community of Jammu. A sizeable section of business community in Jammu has traditionally been full time RSS activists too. The anger of business community of late has also been targeted against Sangh as there is a perception it has failed to “secure” interests of Jammu. Almost all important educational institutions of Jammu provinces are being headed by people not from Jammu. Though, these are apparently Government decisions based on merit but it is also a common knowledge that these are political decisions and since BJP is in power, Sangh does seemingly has a role. Even though RSS chief is not scheduled to discuss political and economic developments of Jammu and Kashmir but he is most likely to get feed back about it from the top functionaries of the Sangh even if during an informal meeting. Mohan Bhagwat who had called abrogation of Art 370 courageous decision, comes to UT when J&K administration is acting tough against “antinational” and separatist forces especially in Kashmir. The Government has till now terminated services of about 25 employees on the charges of having “terror” links. J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari this week said the Government has virtually “terminated” all Kashmiris. Bukhari said Kashmiri muslims have been taken of from important positions in bureaucracy and police. Since 2019 , Kashmiri muslims have nursed a sense of being “victimised” and “sidelined” by the J&K Government, a concern highlighted by all important Kashmir based leaders including Dr Farooq Abdullah, who had even said that Kashmiri Muslims officers are being “humiliated”. In July, Bhagwat while addressing an event organised by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch on the theme ‘Hindustani First, Hindustan First”, had denounced lynching terming it against Hindutava. He also said people shouldn’t get trapped in the cycle of fear that Islam is in danger in India. “DNA of all Indians are same, irrespective of religion..we are in a democracy where there can’t be a dominance of Hindus or Muslims. There can only be the dominance of Indians.” After abrogation of Art 370, J&K residents more so Kashmiri Muslims have realised the fact that Indian-Kashmir binary has obliterated. They are seeking answers if they will be treated as “equal” if DNA of every Indian is same as believed by Bhagwat. Jammu is seeking “rewards” for years of political struggle in realising the ultimate goal of Sangh and BJP.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
