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| JPUF, BSP, AAP all for the Jammu cause | | Rise of pressure groups | | Rustam
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 21: A number of important political developments have taken place in Jammu province, which never got its legitimate due share in the political and economic processes during all these 67 years of independence. It all started in the wake of the fractured mandate that the people of the state gave on December 23 in the assembly elections. The fact is that three pressure groups have come into being after December 23.
The first pressure group that was formed was the Jammu Pradesh United Front (JPUF), a conglomeration of 15 smaller political groups under the leadership of the Panthers Party president Balwant Singh Mankotia. The JPUF, which was formed on January 9, declared that it would work for the promotion of the Jammu cause and stated that its immediate objectives were three - Chief Minister from Jammu, citizenship rights for refugees from West Pakistan and repeal of Article 370. Ever since its formation, the JPUF has been organizing political activities in its own way with a view to achieving its stated objectives. In a way, it is extending its overt and covert support to the BJP, which is likely to be part of the new government in the state.
The other political party, which has also become somewhat active, is the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Interestingly, it is not only urging the BJP to work for the Jammu cause, but has also expressed itself in favour of the state's division. It, like the JPUF, has also demanded the state's complete integration into India, saying if the people of Jammu province, especially the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the refugees from West Pakistan and Other Backward Classes are to exercise the rights which are available to their counterparts in the rest of the country, the state has to be integrated fully into India. It, like the JPUF, wants the BJP to include in the common minimum programme Jammu-specific issues.
On Friday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Volunteer Forum of Jammu & Kashmir also came forward to identify itself with the Jammu cause. It said the formation of new government by ignoring the "genuine and long-pending issues of the Jammu region would badly affect the future of the state". It said that the new government "should not ignore the aspirations of the people of Jammu region" and that the new government must maintain regional balance. There should be equal development of all the three regions of the state, it said in unambiguous language. "The continuous neglect of the people of Jammu region by "all traditional parties would send a bad signal to the Jammu people" and all the political parties "should read the writing on the wall". The stand taken by the AAP on the Jammu issue is significant in the sense that only last year one of its top leaders Prashant Bhushan had demanded referendum in the state to know if they wanted the presence of the Indian army in the state or if they wanted the Indian army to quit the state and that if the people of Kashmir wanted separation from India, they should be given independence. In any case, what is significant is the fact that none one but three pressure groups have come into being in Jammu, which augurs well for the political future of the region. It appears the young Jammu has decided to play the role in Jammu politics the various pressure groups in Kashmir have been playing since years now to keep the Kashmiri leadership on its toes. |
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