‘Cong, NC discriminated with IB people’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 30: Union Minister of State with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today reiterated the Narendra Modi Government’s commitment to give equal treatment to all regions of the State.
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Addressing a largely attended meeting at border town of Hiranagar in Kathua district today in connection with distribution of Dish /Set-Top boxes among the border residents of Kathua and Jammu district along with MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, Advisor to Governor, K K Sharma and Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Sanjeev Verma, Dr Jitendra Singh said Modi Government is atoning for the sins of previous Congress and NC Governments at Delhi and J&K who discriminated with the people on the regional basis for their vote bank politics.
The Union Minister made it clear that no discrimination will be made with any part of the State on the basis of caste , creed, region or religion as the BJP led Government is wedded to the Mantra coined by Narendra Modi, `Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas.’
Hitting out at Congress and NC who ruled the State and the Centre for over 50 years, the Minister said people must ask the leaders of the two parties what was the reason for depriving the people of International Border (IB) from three percent reservation given to people of Line of Control (LoC)? He said the IB as well as LoC people were facing problems of the same nature and discrimination with the human beings on the basis of vote bank politics is a grave injustice.
He said passing a Bill in the Lok Sabha for grant of three percent reservations to IB people was a commitment of BJP and “we have taken a decision prior to Lok Sabha elections in this regard. This way we atoned for the sins committed by previous NC Congress Government”, he added.
Terming the telecast of 15 minute Dogri Samachar bulletin from D D Kashir as another big step to end discrimination, Dr Jitendra Singh asked that why those claiming to be champions of Dogri language have not so far acknowledged it? Taking a dig, Dr Jitendra Singh wondered where are those self-styled Dogra activists who are always clamouring for Dogra pride but are today hesitant to acknowledge and laud the Modi Government for giving Dogri a satellite slot on Doordarshan for the first time in history.
He said, sometimes one tends to suspect that some of these fake activists are actually not keen to achieve the objectives but are more interested in the objectives not being achieved, so that they can carry on with their self styled activism.
He said this is the beginning and soon a full-fledged Dogri Channel will be set up. Dr Jitendra Singh appreciated the Modi Government for conceding this long standing demand of allowing satellite Doordarshan channel for Dogri news and Dogri programme. He recalled that this had been a demand from Jammu for several decades but the successive Governments in the past never paid attention because of their different priorities.
He disclosed that from June 22, daily Dogri programme is available on Doordarshan Satellite Channel after 6 pm in the evening and gradually the time slot will increase, before “we finally have an exclusive 24 hours Dogri channel through satellite Doordarshan.”
He said, ever since Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister in 2014, there has been a cautious effort to correct the regional imbalances of the past and strike an optimum regional balance in all the Centrally aided initiatives. One of the most recent examples of this, he said, is the Amendment Bill brought in Parliament to introduce 3% reservation in educational institutions and jobs for people living along the International Border (IB).
Dr Jitendra said it is a healthy change, which is taking some time to find a place in the mindset of people because of the several decades of injustice suffered by them. He said, he could sense the cynicism when certain fringe elements tried, in vain, to rake up an issue by saying that the free DD Dish boxes meant for border area people had been distributed to people of Srinagar.
In today’s hi-tech information technology age, he said, all of us are expected to know that the State level official launching of the new scheme was to be done by the Governor who is presently operating from the summer capital of Srinagar, but the beneficiaries who received the free Dish boxes in the June 22 function at SKICC, Srinagar also belonged in large numbers to the IB and LoC sectors of Kathua and Rajouri districts.
Referring to the growth of Dogri language in educational institutions, Dr Jitendra Singh said, there is a basic problem which is that of shortage of Dogri teachers as well students preferring to take Dogri as a medium of learning. To those who pretend to cry hoarse for promotion of Dogri language in schools, he asked, will these protagonists make at least this much of commitment that their own children shall take up Dogri as the medium of studies both at high school as well as at 10+2 level and refuse to go in for English or Hindi medium?
Elaborating on the Union I&B Ministry’s initiative to distribute free DD Dish, Dr Jitendra Singh said 30,000 such boxes will be distributed, to begin with, in the State. This, he said, has a special significance because in the border areas, where Indian signals are poor and sometimes the Pakistani signals are more overpowering. He informed that a proposal has bee approved to erect Mobile towers in the border area for the benefit of mobile and internet.
Addressing the function, MP Jugal Kishore Sharma said that he too wanted to speak on reservation Bill in Lok Sabha but due to paucity of time he could not do so. However, he lauded Dr Jitendra Singh for giving point to point reply to the opposition who opposed the decision.
BJP leaders, Rishipal Verma, district president, Prem Nath Dogra, DC Kathua Vikas Kundal, SSP Sridhar Patil and others were also present on the occasion.
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