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| Jammu leaders need to think beyond party politics | | Regional Council for Jammu | | Rustam
JAMMU, Oct 9: Minister for PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma Wednesday again reiterated that he stood for the Dogra identity, regional council for Jammu province and end of the Kashmiri domination. "For how long Jammu will continue to play second fiddle to Kashmir and only think of the post of Deputy Chief Minister? Why not a Chief Minister from here? I had to face opposition within the party for my 'bold' postures on regional council and Hindu Chief Minister. Jammu leaders would have to admit whatever he had said on these issues. We have to think beyond the party politics and struggle unitedly for better future of Jammu and this is not possible by limiting our vision and approach," he reportedly said at Akhnoor. Fair enough.
Sharma's views on regional council for Jammu province could not be dismissed as preposterous. He only hit the nail on the head when he said the people of Jammu cannot play second fiddle to the Kashmiri leadership and that regional council and unity among the Jammu leaders was the need of the hour. Indeed, Jammu province needs an adequately empowered regional council. For, the existing politico-constitutional and administrative system has failed Jammu, marginalized its people and rendered the Dogras ineffective and unreal for all practical purposes. The existing 57-year-old system is undoubtedly one of Kashmir, by Kashmir and for Kashmir and this must be thrown away lock, stock and barrel.
What Sham Lal said was what the people of Jammu province, barring a few cronies or agents of Kashmiri leadership in Jammu, believe in. They are completely fed up with the Kashmiri leadership and the system that was handed down to us by Jawaharlal Nehru and his anti-Jammu and anti-Ladakh coterie of which the father and founder of National Conference Sheikh Abdullah was an important member. They want a regime that is their own, that ends the Valley domination over them and that also compensates them for the huge political and economic losses suffered during all these years of accession at the hands of Kashmiri leadership.
In 2008, the Congress had sought mandate in Jammu province in the name of Jammu. Its manifesto had not only held out a categorical commitment that the Congress, if voted to power, will end discrimination with Jammu and appoint delimitation commission, but also promised that it would amend the state constitution to federalize the state polity and set up regional council for Jammu. The manifesto included several other Jammu-specific issues. The party manifesto was released by incharge of J&K Prithaviraj Chavan, JKPCC president Saif-ud-Din Soz and Ghulam Nabi Azad.
The fact of the matter is that the Congress only befooled the people of Jammu province by promising a regional council to them. The people of Jammu province are wise enough and they know who their friend is and who is not. |
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