Harjinder Singh (Retd.DFO)
The realization was there but it is only from about last two or three decades when people of Jammu actually started raising their voice openly about the discrimination with them in various fields. They have been venting their frustration in recruitments, allocation of funds and other infrastructural development. Whenever there was an issue of sanctioning of some National level Institute or project, people from Kashmir deemed it as their right for its establishment in the Valley whereas Jammuites felt ignored and took this as high handedness on the part of Kashmiris. There has always been a kind of domineering attitude of valleities. It is also a fact that Kashmir is an internationally known place whereas Jammu is not known to many outside India. This lack of recognition of Jammu region can be broadly attributed to political, geographical and social reasons. In particular,the reason for Jammu being lowly can be assigned to lack of required political acumen of people of Jammu and Govt. of India’s appeasement policy toward Kashmir. But how long Jammu’s playing second fiddle to Kashmir could continue?
The situation started changing with the emergence of regional parties and Congress and NC being challenged in their strong holds. The opinion got gaining grounds that instead of continuously struggling for getting their due share it was worthwhile to struggle to make Jammu a full fledge state.There have been half hearted agitation type approaches for Jammu’s statehood but that never got converted into a full blown agitation because of lacklustre support of some communities with in Jammu region. Not only that, Jammu’s making into an independent State was not in the national interest in the prevailing situation and thus this hypothesis has been a damp squib till date. But then again how long the needs and aspirations of the people can be subdued?
It seems the time has come when people of Jammu can no more be kept deprived of their legitimate rights and I feel this fact is adequately understood by people from valley also. But as said above when time is not ripe for separate statehood for Jammu thenwhat can bethe viable preposition, as of now, that meets the aspirations and also fulfils rightful demands of the people of this region?The situation of this state can also be compared with someone having split personality. Or we can say a person with two identities. Such a diagnosis demands a specialized treatment and that consists of treating Jammu and Kashmir regions as two full-fledged independent units. Is that course of action too daunting too pursue? Not at all. Only serious intent and political will on the part of Govt. of India is needed. Article 370 is there to facilitate such an arrangement as it provides special status to J&K. Of course this may require some minor adjustment. This way Jammuites will have their grievances removed once for all and Kashmiris will find more concretization of Art.370. Such an arrangement automatically will do away with all types of discrimination leaving no scope of any anger, supressed feeling, discontentment or even agitation when some AIIMS, IIT, NIT, Central University, Research Institute or World Bank aided project is sanctioned for this state as there will always be two instead of one. All financial allocations will be separate, directly from Centre. No misgiving, no misunderstanding, no animus between the people of the two regions. As regards Ladakh, this needs to be made a union territory as early as possible as the interest of Ladakhis are best served under direct Central governance. And all this goes well in the interest of our nation.
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