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| Shunting SDM Zanskar smacks of prejudice administration | | | ET Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 26: The Government in a quick decision had shunted out SDM Zanskar Urgain Loondup. He has been asked to report to General Administration Department. In his place a young IAS officer of 2011 batch has been posted.
The Government response in diffusing the situation by appointing an officer who is in service for just one year speaks about the seriousness of its mind. The town is simmering with the tension for about two-month.
Urgain belonged to the majority community of Zanskar and could relate to them. In a mob frenzy, when religious sentiments are up, so violent incidents are bound to happen and did happen there.
It was during this violence that some minority people were injured and by the intervention of the authorities the injured were shifted, curfew imposed and situation was brought under control.
However, on mere allegations of some people against SDM that he acted in a biased manner against minority the Government response was totally unwarranted.
The officer should have been allowed to remain there, as he had equation with the locals and understood their sensibilities, and then the action of either transferring him or attaching him should have been taken when the situation is normal and peace has been returned.
However, this action smacks of prejudice on part of the administration which is alleged to be Kashmir centric against which there is strong resentment in Leh and Buddhist dominated Kargil areas.
It will only aggravate the problem and this has the potential of having repercussions in Leh.
The transfer of any official has the potential of triggering tension and if it percolates to the ground in Kargil and Leh town then only Government would itself to be blamed.
The situation is especially sensitive and it has more potential of counter reaction in Kashmir, though the region doesn't have any commonality with Kargil, but separatists there can play a communal card.
It would have been better on part of the Government to post a senior official there, may be not an IAS officer, but one with the sound knowledge of the area and understanding its sensibilities to show case its action being taken in a rational manner and in the interest of the administration which didn't appear so with the shunting out of urgain.
However, there scale was limited and this saved the situation from aggravating . |
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