Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 16: Jammu & Kashmir is a highly diverse state. It is, in fact, a mini-India housing many religious and ethnic minorities.
However, the minorities, including Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh, complain that they do not enjoy minorities rights in the state like the minorities, including Muslim, Sikh, Jains and Christians, enjoy minority rights across the country.
Their complain is that the successive Governments of Jammu & Kashmir have failed to protect the religious minorities in the state as the National Minorities Act is not applicable to the state. The "genocide" of Kashmiri Hindus is too well known. That they had to quit Kashmir in January 1990 is also not a secret.
According to the political scientist, Alexander Evans, "95 percent of the Kashmiri Hindus living in the valley left in 1990" And, a CIA report suggests a figure of "300,000 being displaced from the whole state with the actual figure much higher".
During 1989, there were riots between Buddhists and members of the majority community and Ladakh Buddhist Association had started a "social and economic boycott" movement. The movement was withdrawn in 1992. In early 2000, many Buddhists women were kidnapped and those who objected to it were "harassed".
On March 20, 2000, 35 Sikhs were fatally shot at Chittisinghpura in Anantnag district to force them to flee like Kashmiri Hindus.
Similarly, on February 3, 2001, 7 Sikhs were killed in Mehjoor Nagar firing.
It is quite clear that in the environment of instability, the government of Jammu & Kashmir is unable to handle the law and order situation and is unable to ensure the security, rights, and well-being of minorities.
The general view among the minority communities is that the Indian Minorities Act must be applied to the state so that they enjoy the benefits of almost 60 schemes meant for the minorities.
In Jammu & Kashmir, these schemes are availed by the majority community as it has been declared as a national minority. The matter had gone to Supreme Court during the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government and the apex court took cognizance of the fact. Three months ago, it directed the state government to appoint a commission charged with the responsibility of identifying minorities in the state. So far nothing has been done in this regard. It was Jammu-based Advocate Ankur Sharma, who had knocked at the doors of the Supreme Court on behalf of the minorities in Jammu & Kashmir.
On June 19, Jammu & Kashmir was brought under the Governor's rule. It happened following the withdrawal of support by the BJP to the PDP.
The minorities hope that the Governor administration will do the needful and redress their decades- old grievance.
Jammu & Kashmir Governor is a very powerful institution as it exercises extraordinary executive and legislative powers. He has all the powers needed to implement the Supreme Court direction. |
