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| Wajahat Habibullah's proposal of five regional assemblies is old wine in new bottle | | |
JAMMU:
The presentation going to be made by Wajahat Habibullah, the Chief Information Officer, government of India and a former Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, in the meeting of the working group on Jammu and Kashmir, on September 2 in New Delhi, proposing five regional assemblies in the state, one each for plains of Jammu region and for hilly areas of the region, one for Leh and other for Kargil, while the fifth for the whole of Kashmir valley, is in fact the repeat of the old game plan of Kashmiri politicians to divide Jammu region and Ladakh on communal lines, while keeping Kashmir valley as a single entity. Right from the day Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah took reins of power in his hands in 1947, attempts are made from time to time to dismember Jammu region and include the Muslim majority areas of the region, as Doda district, parts of Udampur district Poonch and Rajouri districts with Kashmir, to form a greater Kashmir. With this mischievous game plan in mind, Sheikh Abdullah abolished the Reasi district, which had parts of present Rajouri district in it and created a new Muslim majority district of Doda, by dividing the larger Udampur district. However the state's own constitution categorically demarcates the regional entities and territories included in the two main regions of the state viz. Kashmir and Jammu. The share of seats in the Legislative Council is earmarked on regional lines, which unambiguously includes Rajouri, Poonch and Doda districts in Jammu region.
However the opposition by the BJP to the proposed formula to be submitted by Wajahat Habibullah in the working group, constituted by Prime Minister to go into the modalities of Centre-State relationship with regard to Jammu and Kashmir can get sharper teeth if the Muslims of the proposed hilly region, having Muslim majority population, come forward to oppose the same. In the absence of any voice against the proposal from these areas and more so in the face of support extended by the leaders of majority community from these areas to the proposal, the opposition of the BJP to the same will remain hollow and will itself lead to communal divide and distrust in the region. The BJP has missed many opportunities to extend its support base among the Muslims, in Muslim majority areas of Jammu region, who too are subjected to neglect and raw deal at the hands of Kashmiri politicians and Kashmir centric politicians in the country. The BJP which has been prompt to give call for bandh, whenever Hindus are massacred in terrorist attacks either in the Hindu majority areas of Jammu or in the far flung Muslim majority hilly areas of the region, have failed to react with same vehemence when Muslims, including Gujjars are subjected to killings by the terrorists, on charges of their being informers of the security forces or on other flimsy charges.
Similarly, BJP has remained indifferent to the struggle by Gujjars for reservation, as a backward class.
JU hot bed of political controversies: Jammu University has been embroiled in political controversies. Many of the university teachers, including heads of the departments are active members and leaders of political parties, devoting their time and energies more on pursuing their political agenda and promoting the cause of their political parties than devoting to the welfare of the students and serving their academic interests. Prof. Amitabh Mattoo, the present Vice Chancellor of the University, after his taking over, had to face stiff opposition from pro Jammu politicians within the university and outside, who charged him of being Kashmir centric and sympathetic towards the separatists, in view of his political analytical stories appearing in some national newspapers, when he was Professor in the JNU. However it goes to the credit of Prof. Mattoo that soon he could placate and win over all his opponents, including Panthers Party chief, Prof. Bhim Singh who had taken the woe to be not sparing in opposing Prof. Mattoo and boycotting all the functions, where JU Vice Chancellor was also invited. But soon Prof. Bhim Singh became a close friend of Prof.
Mattoo. The present controversy over the role of Prof. Rekha Choudhary in the survey conducted by Indian Express, ANN in collaboration with Political Science Department of JU, has strangely brought the two ideologically allies in confrontation with each other. In response to the strong protest by the Shiv Sena and their representation made to the Vice Chancellor about the role of the head of Political Science Department of the university, Rekha Choudhary promoting the agenda of secessionists in projecting a vast majority of Kashmiris opting for secession from India and in favour of independent Kashmir, the Vice Chancellor has constituted an enquiry committee, to probe into the matter. In reaction to the same Prof. Rekha Choudhary is reported to have circulated an open letter against the Vice Chancellor, thus violating the academic atmosphere in the university. The JU Teachers Union (JUTA) has come out in support of the Vice Chancellor and against Professor Choudhary.
There is limit beyond which any academic exercise, debate or conducting of survey and making it public cannot be permissible, if it goes against the interest of the country and the national solidarity.
By becoming party to a manipulated survey, which serves the interest of secessionist in Kashmir and harms the interest of country's solidarity, the Head of the Political Science Department of JU, has definitely over acted in discharge of her professional responsibility.
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