Jammu’s ‘Mann ki baat’

Rajan Gandhi

Jammu greeted Modi in 2014 with massive turnout at Modi’s election rally as if it’s going to be an independence rally for Jammu, three parliamentary seats with even former CM Gulam Nabi Azaad tasting humiliating defeat and subsequently dream 25 seats in 2015 assembly elections. But as they say power and politics are dirty games, Jammu got the first shock when BJP stitched ‘Agenda of Alliance’ with PDP, just setting aside its core issues like Article 370, 35A and delimitation of assembly constituencies. Jammu lost the battle that very day when Mufti Mohammad |Sayeed thanked Pakistan with PM Modi sitting on the dais and after that for continuous three years mandate of Jammu was humiliated daily with RSS man turned BJP points man for J&K Ram Madhav parroting all is well and then Home Minister Rajnath Singh doing ‘ninda,kadi ninda and ghor ninda’ while terrorists were on rampage with army hands tied and valley on the boil for all these years, nothing gained but all lost. ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans echoed for the first time in history of State Assembly with BJP member on Speaker’s Chair. Jammu AIIMS was snatched and allotted to Kashmir with BJP Dy CM saying, “no power on earth can snatch AIIMS from Kashmir” to please CM Mufti and same Dy CM of BJP on the floor of assembly stated, “India is using our land and water” and as Legislative Assembly Speaker accused Army of “harassing” people after the force raised objections over the construction of his house next to an ammunition depot in Nagrota. Complete silence on Rasana rape episode when whole Jammu was termed as ‘Rapistan’ on national and international media and BJP even sacrificed it’s two ministers who supported Rasana protests under pressure from CM Mehbooba, further ‘Draconian Tribal Order’ was silently accepted by BJP jeopardising every Jammu development project including AIIMS. Who can forget founder of Jan Sangh Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee sacrificing his life for ‘One Nation One Constitution One National Anthem and One National Flag’ but come 2021, on the very next day of his death anniversary on 24th June GUPKAR Alliance was in talks with PM. Since 2014, terrorists have struck at Pathankot airbase, Uri Brigade, Sunjwan Brigade, Nagrota, Ban Toll plaza twice and Gurdaspur to name a few reminding everyone that all is not well. BJP and whole nation got jolted as Pulwama tragedy happened on 14th February 2019 which ultimately woke up BJP from hibernation mode and rest is history as subsequently Balakot happened and BJP came to power with thumping majority of 303 in 2019 general elections.
Come 5th August 2019 and history was created with abrogation of Article 370, simultaneously two UTs of Ladakh and J&K crafted out. For 18 months mobile internet remained snapped in peaceful Jammu also and got restored only after much public hue and cry and Supreme Court intervention. Jammu public was not even allowed to celebrate abrogation of Article 370 fearing backlash in Kashmir. What followed after Article 370 just explains the lack of will to tackle corruption, nepotism, favouritism, anti-nationalism, hawala network, narcotics smuggling or even terrorist activities despite unprecedented curbs. All so called main stream leaders of Kashmir were put in jail and some even got PSA invoked. In seven years of BJP rule since 2014 seven different heads have been in charge of Jammu and Kashmir; CM Omar to Governor Vohra to CM Mufti to Governor Vohra to CM Mehbooba to Governor Vohra to Governor SP Malik to LG Murmu to now LG Manoj Sinha. This is how sensitive region of Jammu and Kashmir has been handled.
On development front such is the scenario that despite unheard one lakh crore economic package by PM Modi no development project is complete till now with dreams of Artificial Lake, River Front, Gandola, Zoo, Religious Circuit, Raghunath Bazaar development, International Airport or even Jammu AIIMS all elusive despite seventh year of BJP rule. Leave alone development, COVID 19 has fully exposed basic facilities of even health infrastructure in Jammu with record over twenty-one hundred deaths in Jammu Zone, 1132 in Jammu alone and still counting, with Principal and Administrators of GMC and Associated hospitals changed too frequently even at the drop of hat. Faulty oxygen plant at GMC Jammu remains cause of many deaths but no one held accountable. Condition of other GMCs of Jammu Division and district as well as sub district hospitals remain pathetic as some are without oxygen plant and some even without backup power with shortage of faculty and staff. Come summer and tall claims of massive electric infra also came crumbling down with Jammu facing even 12 hours’ power cut first time in a decade. Misrule doesn’t end here as no action on J&K Bank NPAs, loan frauds and corruption cases remain unresolved, right now under the carpet with no headway even in CBI cases of bank, JKCA or Roshni land fraud. No tangible action on anti-national activities of government employees except some cosmetic termination of few lower cadre employees. Every effort is being put to appease Kashmir as discrimination with Jammu continues.
Mother of all problems delimitation still remains unresolved though Commission has been set up, allegedly working on fallacious Census of 2011 as base where in 15 lakh so called fraudulent voters got increased in Kashmir division despite migration of KPs which will ultimately tilt the balance in favour of Kashmir. Jammu tourism remains neglected as in the past with no planning no focus and random activities like cock tail parties or events at wild life sanctuaries or other states during COVID lockdown to utilise yearly funds in fag March end. While Rs2,92,54,000/- compensation was given to Kashmir boatmen and others, Jammu received only Rs1.68 lakhs only as Katra and other tourist spots’ Ponywalas, Pithus and boatmen were not even registered by Jammu Tourism Department. Education department of Jammu Zone is als totally neglected as 5 of 10 Jammu Zone Districts are without CEO.
All |890 Central Laws have been applied to UT of J&K, 205 irrelevant atrocious J&K laws got repealed and 129 archaic J&K Laws have been modified till date. AGMUT cadre also got implemented in UT of Jammu and Kashmir but dead wood babus of higher bureaucracy have not been despatched out of UT till now. Just one tweet from Turkish media and section on Jammu and Kashmir temples got deleted from official website. On one mischievous RTI and a babu puts RSS in the league of banned fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami. Who can forget controversy of attempt to convert City Chowk Girls School into Secretariat Parking or more recent attempt to convert Panjbhakhatar Temple land again into official parking? New Excise policy has resulted in tremendous hardships not only to old license holders but public as well as almost 100% vends have been allotted in Jammu Zone only with public out rightly protesting against opening of new shops in their areas. Poor quality of civil works, pathetic work at Mubarak Mandi and Central schemes like PRASAD being implemented in Kashmir only have been hallmark of last seven years.
Whatever may be the compulsions of GoI there is no justification in decision to again get entrapped in Kashmiriat slogan as this policy since Vajapayees’s era has been disastrous as bloodshed of 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016 and more recent attacks on elected panchs, sarpanchs, DDC members have shown nothing has changed for radicalised minds. Who can forget anti-Indian Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti statements as such go soft policy on GUPKAR Alliance is a political suicide with no gains except giving importance and relevance to irrelevant PDP as well as NC. There is no point in trusting and betting on same old horses who have caused unabated dance of bloodshed just to loot and fleece India and ignoring Jammu Dogras, Sikhs and Kashmiri Pandit migrants.
Despite GoI’s unabated appeasement policy towards Kashmir, BJP has got no headway in Kashmir politics. Jammu being fountainhead of nationalistic politics GoI must support Jammu at this juncture. PM Modi must make a course correction and separate Jammu from Kashmir or otherwise his dream of bridging Kashmir’s ‘dil ki duri’ with Delhi may turn out to be ‘Jammu Voter’s ki BJP sae Duri’. With China hissing at our doorsteps in Ladakh, Taliban controlling Afgahanistan and Pakistan as usual bleeding India, with recent drubbing in West Bengal and issues of exponential increase in prices of even basic amenities like petrol, edible oil as well as medicines, unemployment and putting battered economy back on track and latest drone attack on Jammu Airport, BJP simply cannot afford to lose Jammu for the sake of Kashmir appeasement. Jammu cannot be experimental lab anymore, for BJP it’s time to introspect, where and what went wrong?