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| Congress condemns Omar's Govt, says responsible for defeat | | Regional Council for Jammu | | Rustam
Jammu, June 3: Senior Congress leader Madan Lal Sharma, who was defeated by Jugal Kishore Sharma in the recently-held Lok Sabha elections with a huge margin of over 2.5 lakh votes on Monday held two factors responsible for the defeat of the Congress in Jammu. He said the Modi factor and the failure of the Omar Abdullah-led NC-Congress coalition Government to deliver resulted in the defeat of the party. The disconnect between the Government and the people and the Modi phenomena changed the whole election scene in Jammu and opined that if the Congress is to remain relevant in Jammu province, it has to address the issues facing its people. Interestingly, he talked of discrimination with Jammu overlooking the fact that the Congress has been in power in the state since 2002. It had ruled the state earlier as well.
Madan Lal Sharma also suggested a solution that could end discrimination with Jammu province and help the Congress restore the lost political space in this region where the people have been seething with anger since decades because they have been denied their due share by the successive Kashmiri-dominated and Kashmir-centric Governments in the state in the political and economic processes. In fact, he himself admitted that the successive Governments in the state were Valley-centric. As for a solution to the Jammu problem, he said an empowered regional council is the answer. Establish a regional council in Jammu on the pattern of autonomous hill development councils at Leh and Kargil, he said, adding "Regional council is a must for ending discrimination with Jammu with regard to development, infrastructure building and fulfilling aspirations of the people".
It is intriguing that Sharma and his party, instead of asking the Government to set up a regional council in Jammu, put forth a demand to this effect. The Congress is part of the Government and it's for the Government to set up regional council. But more than that, the Congress' election manifesto 2008 had held out a solemn commitment that it, if came to power, will amend the state constitution to federalize the state polity and establish regional council in Jammu.
The Congress had also made a similar promise in 2002. Both times it misled and hoodwinked the people of Jammu province and got votes, but threw its election manifestos in the dustbin after assuming power. The kind of politics the Congress is indulging in Jammu after suffering a massive defeat will not help it gain ground. The people want action on the ground. They are fed up with hollow sloganeering. It would be better if Madan Lal and other Congress leaders from Jammu put pressure on the Congress high command to force Omar Abdullah to modify some relevant provisions so that a regional council is established in Jammu province and discrimination with it ended on a permanent basis. The defeat must make the Congress leadership in Jammu change itself and behave in a manner the people want. |
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