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| BJP's regional Councils resolution termed as betrayal of Jammu state demand | | | Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | Sep
The resolution passed by the national executive of BJP at Bhopal, seeking empowerment of Jammu and Ladakh regions of J&K state, by constituting separate regional councils for the three distinct regions of the state, has hardly any buyer either in Jammu or in Ladakh. The supporters of separate Jammu state are highly critical of BJP for the party shying way from this demand, which they believe alone can lead to empowerment of Jammu, which has been denied due share in the political structure and decision making in the state, being made to play second fiddle to the Kashmiri politicians. Even the Ladakhis are not content with regional council or Autonomous Hill Development Council, which they have already got, but which they term as without any real power. Their demand has been for separation from Kashmir and union territory status.
Some supporters of separate Jammu state within the BJP as well as the RSS and activists of since dissolved Jammu State Morcha, which was floated by the RSS before 2002 state assembly elections, demanding full statehood for Jammu characterize the latest BJP resolution for regional councils, as betrayal of the trust and going against the understanding given by the national BJP leadership, for their extending support to the demand for separate Jammu state, on which understanding the Jammu State Morcha was dissolved about a year ago.
The former JSM activists are also critical of RSS for leaving them in lurch, by unilaterally dissolving the morcha and taking hands off movement for Jammu statehood, the resolution for which was passed by the RSS Kendriya Pratinidhi Sabha in its meeting at Kurushetra in 2001 and to spearhead the movement for which RSS had first floated J&K Nationalist Front and later Jammu State Morcha, which also fought state assembly elections in 2002, on this plank. The non RSS supporters of Jammu statehood, who had either joined JSM or were sympathetic of the outfit, for advocating the cause of Jammu State feel having been betrayed by the RSS, who first hijacked the movement for Jammu state and then ditched it by withdrawing from the movement.
The movement for Jammu state, which had secular credentials and had supporters within many parties, including in the Congress, was dubbed as communal after RSS hijacked it, with supporters of the demand among Congressmen and activists of other parties distancing themselves from the movement. With RSS lately discarding the movement and dissolving Jammu State Morcha, floated for the purpose, has unwittingly sabotaged the movement for Jammu state, allege some strong protagonists of the demand, which include some former morcha activists. The latter also feel to have been left in the lurch by RSS, who had assured them of their proper adjustment in the BJP and the latter taking over the movement for Jammu state, at the time when JSM was dissolved. But the BJP leadership neither accommodated the ex morcha activists nor it extended support to the demand for Jammu state.
Although the J&K state unit of BJP had in an executive meeting at Jammu adopted a resolution for Jammu statehood, but it never pursued the same seriously. So much so the BJP representatives in the Round Table Conferences on J&K or in the meeting of the working groups have never raised the demand for Jammu state, although they have remained pleading for abrogation of Article 370. Now the BJP resolution for regional councils has shocked those who were expecting the party to come round in favour of Jammu statehood. They describe the latest BJP resolution as retrogressive and going back by three decades, with Jan Sang demanding regional councils in 70s. Since then much water has flowed in Tawi and Chenab and the people of Jammu are craving for full political power, breaking the shackles of the hegemony of Kashmiri leadership over them.
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