news details |
|
|
| Agitation for a piece of land which none had grabbed | | | Gareeb Dass
Jammu | June 28
"Nub Thavon Taapas,zameen hemoas vaapas"(keep Ghulam Nabi Azad in the sun to get back the land).Those in the valley who have coined this slogan speaks volumes of the craft of Kashmiris in rhyming their slogans which paint a political leader in satire.This is how "Taapas"(sunshine) has been rhymed with "Vaapas"(restoration).It may be a satire used for explaining the role the Chief Minister played in diverting the 800 Kanals of land to the Shrine Board for constructing pre-fabnricated tents and toilets at Baltal,it does speak volumes about the real mind of people and those who triggered the violent agaitation against the land transfer. Those who encouraged groups of people to take to the streets resorting to violence did speak about the threat to ecology,in the mountain belts around the holy cave.They did speak of their fears about the possibilities of pilgrims altering the demographic character.They expressed their apprehensions about cultural aggression.And by the time these fears were found baseless they pointed their guns against the land diversion demanding immediate cancellation of the order.
If more than four people were killed in the violent incidents and in police firing and over 200 civilians and policemen getting injured it was all for protecting 800 kanals of land against falling the hands of the Amarnath Shrine Board In the heat of their emotions those who triggered the trouble and those who indulged in violence lost sight of the fact that the case for land diversion had passed through a number of Government channels.The Forest Department had given its clearance.The Department of environment had raised no objection.The Law Department,headed by Muzaffar Hussain Baig,had okayed the proposed which was later approved by the cabinet.How can one blame Ghulam Nabi Azad for diverting the 800 Kanals of land to the Shrine Board at the drop of his hat ?Even if the agitators against the land transfer wish to blame anybody for the deal they should hold the entire cabinet responsible for it.
The land diversion case was finalised somewhere in April where were the separatists and the PDP for all these weeks ?Yes,Muzaffai Hussain Baig has an argument.He says he and is party,the PDP,raised the cry over the land diversion after he had been informed that the Board had started raising permanent structures.Lo and behold one Srinagar based English Daily had published two pictures in support of its contention that the Board had constructed permanent structures.The authenticity of these pictures was given a lie by none other than the Chief Minister,Ghulam Nabi Azad,and the Governor,N.N.Vohra.While the former stated that the Board had not raised any permanent structure,the latter denied that any permanent structure had been built by the Board at Baltal.Chief Minister also stated that one serai at Baltal had been built during the time of Sheikh Abdullah.No doubt these two announcements mellowed down the tempers in the valley but the protest demonstrations and shut down continued possibly because the agitators had come to believe that the Board had taken hold and possession of 800 Kanals of land.Land is the only thing in the world which neither can be lifted from one place to the other nor can it be kept in a bank locker.You may say water also cannot be stolen.But water can be drained from one spot to the other.Why then the cry ? Again,presumably the agitators believed that diversion of a piece of land violated Article 370 of the Constitution of India and the the 84-year old State subject laws.Ahy they have maintained silence when several thousand kanals of forest land has been grabbed in Ganderbal,Kangan,Pahalgam,Gulmarg,Sonamarg,Bhatindi,Rajouri,Doda and Poonch by influential people for building houses and farms ?
But those who ignited turmoil in Kashmir did nothing to check all that which flowed from the violence.It was only Syed Ali Shah Geelani,chief of Tehrik Hurriyat Conference,who issued a statement calling upon protesters not to attack Amarnath pilgrims whom he described as "our guests."Had others done the same pilgrims and tourists would not have suffered injuries and inconvenience. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
