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| They were served roasted lamb but they demand its tail | | | Gareeb Dass
Jammu | June 30
Is it political eccentricity or senility on the part of those who still clamour for cancellation of the Government order on diversion of 800 kanals of forest land to the Amarnath Shrine Board?Possibly it is both.The Governor,N.N.Vohra and the Chief Minister,Ghulam Nabi Azad,have served the entire roasted lamb to those who roared against the transfer of land to the Shrine Board.Alas some political leaders,including separatists insist on tasting the tale of the lamb.Isn't it sheer idiosyncrasy on the part of those political leaders and separatists who continue to demand cancellation of the order ?If the decisions taken by the Governor and the Government are read between the lines they indicate that the Shrine Board has become almost defunct.It had been constituted in 2000 for managing the yatra affairs,for making the Baltal-cave mountain route passable and for setting up prefabricated tents on the routes to the cave.It had the task of giving
permission to those who operate free langars for the yatris.Also its job was to utilise the money,earned from offerings and donations on the development of the mountain cave shrine.
Under the new decision the state Government has taken in its hand the management of the yatra.The Governor,who heads the Shrine Board,has conveyed in writing to the Government that the Board no longer requires land at Baltal and Domel for setting up prefabricated tents and toilets.This way the land diversion order has lost its significance and relevance.The row over the order was the outcome of fears that the Shrine Board could construct permanent structures on the land diverted to it.And when the Board has annoced that it does not require any land there is no justification in the demand for cancellation of the order.If Sarabjit Singh,awaiting death sentence in Pakistan,is sent back to India without the cancellation of the death sentence order will the family members demand that his death sentence be first commuted?The actual demand is that Sarabjit Singh should not be sent to the gallows.If he is deported to India he is spared of facing death.
The case is similar to the land diversion order.People and political leaders wanted no land for the Board.The Board has washed off its hands hence the land is safe in the hands of the state Government.Whatever developments have taken place during the three days the Action Committee Against Land Transfer(ACALT) is not satisfied.It wants the order to be scrapped failing which it will carry out the peoples'march to the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.The ACALT has received support from the separatists indicating that both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference wish to cash on the poitical drama having been enacted by the PDP.
The row over the land transfer had been triggered by the PDP simply to gain advantage during the ensuing Assembly election.Its leadership had never envisaged that the row it had initiated will go out of its hand.When violence rocked Kashmir for more than three days and Jammu witnessed series of protest demonstrations the PDP leadership felt scared.It had no other alternative but to withdraw support to the Government which it felt could alone bail out the party from the backlash of the people who had realised that the PDP ministers were a party to the decision of diverting 800 kanals of land to the Shrine Board.
The ultimte analysis is that the Government stooped.The Governor succumbed to the pressure mounted on him by the Government and political leaders.If the two yielded to the pressure it was for ensuring peace.Now it is the moral duty of political leaders and separatists to stop crying for the moon in the murky sky of Kashmir. |
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