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| 'We are not demanding Azadi, we are demanding only CBI probe' | | Kathua Case | | Early Times Report
Kathua (KootaH), Apr 22: The alleged Kathua rape and murder case has further widened the already rather wide gulf between Jammu province and Kashmir Valley and sharpened differences.
It has angered Jammu people, who have been accusing the Kashmir-dominated successive government in the state of denying them their due share in the political and economic processes. In fact, they are accusing the ruling class in the state and sections of national media of betraying them and portraying a wrong picture about them. And the simmering beneath the surface are 70-year-old grievances that, according to authentic reports, "have been fanned by stagnant economic growth and fast-changing migration patterns".
Go to Hiranagar and you will see everyone saying in one voice: "We will not let Jammu be discriminated against…'Hum Kya Chahte' (What do we want?): We do not seek Azadi; we are demanding only CBI probe into the case so that the real culprits are apprehended and punished and innocents are spared from the police wrath".
This demand seeking CBI probe has become what is being described as a "lightning rod across the Jammu region". All, without any exception, from the old town of Jammu to the newer settlements across the Tawi river and from Kathua to Rajouri, Kathua to Ramban and from fields of the Samba and Kathua districts to what is now also known new Jammu, demanding a CBI probe.
"What's the problem with a CBI inquiry? Does that demand for a CBI probe make us supporters of rapists? Why the national media is painting us pro-rapists? Have we ever asked not to punish the culprits? No we haven't. But media and vested interests have hurt us by dubbing us as pro-rape. Don't push us to the wall; don't insult and humiliate us; don't test our patience. Enough is enough," each one is saying at Kootah, where women have sat on fast-unto-death demanding justice and fair play. Almost all have quit Rasana where the incident allegedly took place and have migrated to Kootah for safety.
The truth is that all are backing the demand for a CBI probe. "We are not extremists, we don't support rape. But we will not let them malign us. Even if the charge sheet is true, people won't believe if the state police say it. CBI is a must," the agitating people of Hiranagar are also saying.
All in all, the situation in Jammu province in general and Kathua and Samba districts in particular is assuming alarming proportions with each passing moment. It's time for the authorities to show maturity and save the situation. And nothing would be more appropriate then that the authorities should make sincere efforts to ally the fears of the agitating people of Hiranagar. This is a must. |
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