Rustam
JAMMU, Nov 25: There is a consensus in Jammu province that the existing politico-constitutional and administrative set-up has outlived its utility and that if the people of Jammu province, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs included, are to obtain their due share in the country's polity and lead a dignified life as proud Indian citizens, this set-up has to go lock, stock and barrel.
The Congress, which is a party to all the injustices perpetrated on the people of Jammu province during all these more than 65 years by the successive Kashmiri-dominated and Valley-centric Governments in the state, admitted in 2008 that the system had failed the people of Jammu province. The Congress had said that an amendment in the State constitution and federalization of the State polity were must to end discrimination with the people of Jammu province. The Congress had promised a regional council for Jammu province, but forgot the commitment to share power with the "anti-Jammu Kashmiri leadership and keep it in a good humour".
The BJP has been consistently urging the Government to empower the people of Jammu province politically so that they could exercise rights like their counterparts in Kashmir. It has on a number of occasions demanded reorganization of the State polity. It has, in addition, repeatedly drawn the attention of the authorities to the problems being faced by the people of Jammu province and put forth a demand seeking constitution of the delimitation commission so that the people of Jammu province get their due share of representation in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly that discusses and decides questions of supreme importance to the well-being and happiness of the people.
The Panthers Party and the Jammu State Morcha, besides other small political groups and even the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Jammu and Kashmir Bar Association, Jammu, have been putting forth demands aimed at obtaining justice for the ignored, exploited and marginalized Jammu province.
The fact of the matter is that the people of Jammu province constitute the most neglected lot in the country whose aspirations and needs needed to be taken cognizance of forth with. Their patience is coming to an end at a very rapid pace and it would be suicidal for the authorities in the state and New Delhi to ignore the developing situation in this province. You cannot go on treating the people of Jammu province this way all the time; you have to assuage their hurt feelings and empower them to ensure peace in the province. |
