Ashish Kaul
‘Modi hai to mumkin hai’ – this slogan may be new, but the message is old; one nation, one flag and one Constitution has been the adage for the longest time. Without any doubt, the Modi Govt has given the emblem of One Nation-One Constitution a new high. There were several clauses added to the Constitution after Independence that were intended to create a stronger, better and elevated India. Article 370 was disputed from the beginning amidst all these clauses. This is a reality of the past. Today, the abrogation of Article 370 is a celebration and a political moot point.
Article 370 has been a peculiar irony for Jammu and Kashmir. On one hand, it has given the Muslim society a form of power and aggression while on the other, it blocked the development of areas like Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar and Ladakh for decades. The entire J&K and Ladakh will now benefit from the facilities and schemes of the Centre after a long hiatus of 70 years. Employment will increase, roads will be built and development is expected to thrive. New offices will open up and the region will attract investment. It has been claimed that the three provinces will be newly recreated after the historic decision. Will this really happen? Will Kashmir’s real problem be diagnosed? Will Jhelum again be called Vitasta? Will the Kashmiri Pandits return & live peacefully among their muslim brethren again in the Valley? Will every person, who was displaced due to Islamic terror for over 700 years, be able to roam on the streets with an Indian flag in his hand fearlessly?. While these questions will remain unanswered, this brings forth the state of Jammu province that has always been sacrificed at the altar of J&K’s statehood. While the country is celebrating the abrogation, people of Jammu have quietly made tremendous sacrifice yet again. It was the people of Jammu who have wholeheartedly respected and implemented every decision made in the name of the erstwhile J&K State but has the Centre ever reciprocated in any measure?. Restrictions on mobile and internet most certainly was a necessity in Kashmir region due to strategic reasons but why did the people of Jammu have to suffer the same fate? 30 years ago Kashmiri Pandits sacrificed their very being due to their loyalty to India and 30 years hence people of Jammu are faced with the same travesty.
If you take a closer look, several states in India have bigger problems; then why has ‘Kashmir’ been an outstanding thorn for the longest time? I believe the fight against naxalism and for water, land and forests in Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, North-Eastern states is different from the religious terrorism in Kashmir and that’s why previous Govts haven’t been able to remotely solve Kashmir. I think the pegging peace in Kashmir and prosperity of J&K on Article 370 is a mere distraction and the arguments being presented are cajoling. In retrospect, the statistics are challenging the concerns that are being expressed about the development and infrastructure of J&K as a State. According to data from 2012 to 2014, the estimated age (higher limit) in Jammu and Kashmir is 73.5, compared to 75.1 in Kerala and 64.8 (minimum) in Uttar Pradesh, making the state 3rd in the country on that index. In 2016, there was one doctor in Jammu for every 3040 patients, which is a better than 14-15 States in the country. Did the Governor and State Administrator Jagmohan face the hurdle of Article 370 in the development of Jammu region? Today, the Hindu-dominated Jammu, in which the BJP is ruling, has become a garbage dump. Broken roads, irregular electricity, dilapidated educational institutions, poor medical facilities, non-existent traffic management system and impotent municipalities – are these due to terrorism in Kashmir or Article 370 or just a lack of political will? Who is responsible for the thousands of Rohingyas believed to be living in Jammu and as widely reported near the high-security Jammu airport and who is responsible for the biggest land grab scam alongside Tawi and Belicharana area ?
It is weird illusion that people are riding upon that the abrogation of Article 370 will give the Kashmiri Pandits their lost land and houses and eliminate terrorism from the Valley. The religious demographic of the entire province has changed. Today Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri & Ladakh – all these areas have seen a growth in Muslim population – it stands at about 50% today. The Muslim community has grown beyond 50% in most areas. The presence of the Gujjars and Bakarwals across the Tawi is officially unaccepted by the government. How much more can a small city like Jammu take ?. The day is not far when the natives of Jammu and the Muslim community together will oppose the abrogation of Article 370.
Those who are dreaming of buying land in Kashmir, must know that it is difficult to get an inch of land there. And even if the land is found, it is almost impossible to live in peace. As a society, the poison of religion has dissolved deeply into present-day Kashmir. The people look united and they are not going to give anyone even a small piece. If peace has been achieved at the cost of 370, then why isn’t the Government already giving a part of Kashmir back to the Hindus? I do not think that the purchase and sale of land will be allowed and if it happens then again Jammu will be the most negatively affected. If there is any merit in religious dilution as a tool then the demand of Panun Kashmir – a region for aboriginals in Kashmir should not be a problem at all.
Only Kashmiris can cure the disease of terror from Kashmir, not a government. Kashmiri Muslims too must now understand that their existence is incomplete without a Kashmiri Pandit. To keep Kashmiriyat alive, the Muslims living in the Valley must understand that had they protested the exodus of the Pandits in 1989 due to religious terrorism, the flames of terrorism would not be so livid today. Peace can truly be restored if the Muslims of the Valley realize, apologize and rectify their mistakes and welcome the Kashmiri Pandits back with open arms. Like Abhimanyu, the protagonist of my book Refugee Camp, I also have a strong belief that peace in any society can be brought only by the people of the society, not by the Government or the police. Expectations and celebrations associated with the abrogation of Article 370 are less reality & more exaggeration. The future will tell us what benefits Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh got from this abrogation. At the moment, the removal of this Article will not remove terrorism, nor will the Pandits go back and get guarantees of being safe. All Kashmiris of all faiths themselves have to decide whether they want terrorism or co-existence with Kashmiri Pandits, Kashmiriyat and peace. In the meanwhile, Jammu continues to suffer in silencedevoid of basic technological needs and in complete apathy of civic administration. Jammu has nothing in common with modern day Kashmir, if anything Kashmir is an unnecessary burden on the limited administrate ability of Jammu region. While abrogation of various articles are focused at restoring much needed peace in Kashmir – the need of hour is statehood for Jammu for Jammu to continue to be an ally and an equal partner in maintaining peace in Kashmir.
(The author is Chief Creative Officer – Folklore Entertainment)
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