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| Ravaged Jammu which deserves equal attention | | Biased think tanks | | Neha
JAMMU, Sept 30: The recent floods devastated not just parts of Kashmir valley but also almost the entire Jammu province. There was hardly any district out of 10 that did not suffer from flood fury. In fact, Jammu province suffered more losses both in terms of life and property/infrastructure. According to one estimate, nearly 90 per cent of villages in Jammu province were affected by the rains and floods. Reports suggest that no less than 3,153 out of 3,729 villages in the hilly and mountainous alone were affected. The story of Jammu district was no different. As many as 817 villages with 3,06,000 people in Jammu district were affected. Over 190 persons lost their lives. Rajouri district alone witnessed 93 deaths. In Udhampur district, the death toll was 35; in Reasi, it was 20; in Poonch, it was 27; in Kishtwar, the death toll was six; in Jammu district, it was ten; and Doda, Ramban and Kathua districts witnessed three deaths each. Nobody knows how many people are still missing in various parts of Jammu province. Besides, one village, Saddal in Udhampur district, was completely destroyed by a massive landslide.
What these are not the final details on the losses Jammu province suffered. The magnitude of the loss could be colossal. It is sad that the miseries of the people of Jammu province have not moved various think-tanks. They are only concerned with Kashmir as if what the floods did to Jammu province was a routine matter unworthy of any consideration.
That the biased think-tanks are concentrating only on Kashmir and ignoring the woes of the people of the flood-ravaged Jammu province could be seen from what the New Delhi-based think-tank, Centre for Policy Analysis (CPA), said on Sunday during interaction with reporters. The CPA has sent a four-member fact finding team to Kashmir. It is headed by the Director of this so-called think-tank, Seema Mustafa, and other members of the team include Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mohandas Karam Chand Gandhi; Anand Sahay; and Pawan Verma, JDU MP in the Rajya Sabha. The team is also accompanied by CPA Web Editor, Bulla Devi.
What did these team members tell media persons in Srinagar? Seema Mustafa, a known sympathizer and supporter of Kashmiri separatists, among other things, reportedly said: "We haven't seen any urgency in the Government considering that winter is round the corner. She had seen a number of Sikhs in the Gurudwaras in Kashmir having come with international aid from Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. If Sikhs having Indian citizenship can come to Kashmir with international aid, I don't see any reason why international aid shouldn't be allowed. There is major disconnect between New Delhi and Srinagar and what is being said in New Delhi doesn't happen in Kashmir. Anand Sahay reportedly said: "Elected representatives should be held accountable. Local sensitivities have not come through in the Indian media that only highlighted what Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was doing. No stories were done on the Government failing to warn the local population or not distributing relief among the flood-hit people". Tushar Gandhi said that "it was not the time to be bothered about New Delhi-Kashmir relations" and that "floods in Kashmir were an extraordinary situation and Government of India needed to expand the existing norms" (read more aid).
No one is questioning what this think-tank is doing and saying in Kashmir. It has every right subject to the condition that it doesn't cross the fine line. But it is criminal on their part to make unjust and invidious distinctions between the flood-affected people of Kashmir valley and Jammu province. They cannot distinguish between flood-victims in Jammu province and those in Kashmir valley. But the people of Jammu province have all through been unfortunate, as they were never considered part and parcel of the state society. If anything, they were considered fit only for crumbs. This policy of indifference towards the people of Jammu province will not do. The likes of Seema Mustafa would do well to adopt a holistic approach. They are dealing with an ideological issue; they are studying the loss and nature of loss the natural and manmade calamity caused. |
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