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| Decision on Telangana upsets Kashmiri separatists | | Patience of Jammu, Ladakh ending | | Rustam
JAMMU, Aug 1: The July 30 decision of the Congress-led UPA to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh to create a new State of Telangana comprising ten districts has alarmed and upset the separatist leadership in Kashmir. On the day the landmark decision was taken taking into consideration the aspirations of the people of Telangana region as well as electoral interests of the unpopular and declining Congress, NC working president and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah not only opposed the decision, but also described it as dangerous, suggesting the decision had the potential of inspiring the people of Jammu Pradesh to start a full-scale agitation, coupled with violence, to achieve statehood.
On July 31, APHC-M chairmain Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a fanatic and separatist who has no say whatsoever in Jammu province and Ladakh region, and NC MP Mehboob Beg opposed the decision of the UPA. Beg took the line Omar Abdullah had taken a day before and the perturbed Mirwaiz went a few steps further. In a statement issued in Srinagar, Mirwaiz said: "The demand for a separate Jammu state by some Jammu-based communal elements is inflammatory, which may lead to unrest in the region and disturb communal harmony. This step will lead to hatred and may increase tension between different groups and identities supportive of communal harmony". Mirwaiz also took Omar Abdullah to task for his recent statement that his Government could grant more powers to Ladakh. "This statement is unfortunate, as giving further powers to Ladakh will pave the way for the division of the state and create an uncertain situation in the region," he said.
Omar Abdullah, Mehboob Beg, Mirwaiz and their ilk know it full well that discontent and dissatisfaction has gripped Jammu Pradesh and that the people of Jammu, who have been reduced to a nullity for all practical purposes by New Delhi and Kashmiri leadership and its handful of Jammu-based agents, are quite capable of achieving their age-old objective: Separation from separatist and communal Kashmir. Their apprehension is genuine.
The people Jammu Pradesh have in the past umpteen times displayed their strength and showed the Kashmiri leadership its rightful place. They did it in 1952-1953, in 1966-1967, 1979-1980, 1975-1977, 1998, 2008 and 2009-2010. All these movements were successful - movements aimed at bringing the state closer to New Delhi and forcing the Valley-centric Governments to concede their popular demands. The Kashmiri leadership will always remember the 1952-1953, 1975-1977, 1998 and 2008 movements.
Two of these movements had brought down the Governments of Sheikh Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad. The 1966-1967 movement, which culminated in the killing of four youth, resulted in the appointment of Gajendagakar Commission to look into the grievances of the people of Jammu Pradesh. Establishment of the University of Jammu was the immediate fall-out. The 1978-1980 movements resulted in the appointment of Sikri Commission and Wazir Commission to look into the demands of the Jammu youth and demand seeking creation of three new districts in the Pradesh. The 1998 movement resulted in the constitution of Singhal Committee and establishment of Mata Vaishno Devi University and Agricultural University. The 2008 movement, which could be described as the mother of all movements in the world, not only resulted in the fall of the State Government, but also transfer of Baltal land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board on a permanent basis and the 2009-2010 movement forced the authorities to set up Central University in Jammu.
Now the question to be asked is: Why do Omar Abdullah and ilk oppose the demand in Jammu Pradesh for statehood? The answer is simple and straight. The answer is that the creation of separate Jammu State and separation of Ladakh from Kashmir would harm the financial interests of Kashmir, defeat the ongoing separatist and sectarian movement in the Valley and create a situation in which the communal and separatist Kashmiri leadership will not be in a position to play any mischief in these two regions. Separation from Kashmir will help the people of Jammu Pradesh and Ladakh preserve their distinct identity and defeat those who are out to change the demography of these two regions for ulterior purposes. Let them say whatever they, but the fact remains that the state is destined to wither away sooner than later, as the patience of the people of these regions has almost ended. |
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