news details |
|
|
| Better sops for removing regional discrimination are needed for restoring peace | | | Gareeb Dass
Jammu | Aug 5
The ongoing stir in Jammu is purely a mass movement.The strings of the agitation are no longer in the hands of one or two political parties.Though the Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti continues to draw support from the masses in the Jammu region,its leaders are no longer in a position to go against the wishes and will of the people of the region.As such it is almost a futile exercise if the Prime Minister,Manmohan Singh appeals to Atal Behari Vajpayee or L.K.Advani for intervention so that peace was restored to Jammu.It is equally a futile exercise if the AICC Chief,Sonia Gandhi,appeals to the BJP Chief,Rajnath Singh,for defusing the crisis.Rajnath Singh has rightly told Sonia Gandhi that since the crisis was the result of mismnagement by the Congress it was better if the party leaders resolved the land row issue.
The mood of the masses in Jammu is highly volatile.You cannot expect leaders of the stature of Vajpayee or Advani or Rajnath to carry out some damage control exercise.They may not be in a position to act as trouble shooters when the current turmoil has its roots in the prolonged discrimination of the Jammu region.Now that the Sangarsh Samiti has not been influenced by the Governor's offer for helping him in the reconstitution of the Shrine Board the state Government in consultation with the centre could explore the possibility of defusing the crisis by initiating measures which could amend some of the injustices meted out to the people of the Jammu region during the last over 50 years.It can start with the setting up a Delimitation Commission which could recommed increase in the number of Assembly constituencies from 37 to at least 45.This could cool down the tempers in the region.
If the state and the central Governments want to mellow down the level of anger of people,especially the youth,they should order special recruitment drive in state and central Government offices besides police,Army and the paramilitary forces.Increase in the allocation of development funds for the region could be another incentive for the people who continue to defy curfew restrictions.Even if the current strict measures initiated by the Government succeed in promoting some lull it could simply sow the seeds for a storm in the future.And a section among the agitators have started believing that if the land was not restored to the Shrine Board a situation could emerge in which the Government may grant statehood status for the Jammu region.Whether there are some basis for such belief is not important.What is important is the force that is guiding the current movement.And history is replete with instances when mass movement becomes leaderless it could assume alarming dimensions.This is what one is worried about.
This should concern both the Governor and the central Government.The Governor should not think that his task is over after he failed to motivate the Sangarsh Samiti leaders to sustain the process of dialogue.The channel of dialogue,which stands choked for the time being,can be reopened if the Governor or the centre offers better options for the people of the Jammu region.The Governor should not think that force can quell violence.It may susbside the level of violence but the degree of anger cannot be suppressed and that too when doctors,employees too have joined the stir by lending support to the Samiti and the cause it was fighting for.The mood of the people can be guaged by the level of support they have extended to the ongoing Bandh which is to last for another five days.So these five days should be treated by the Governor and the centre as a breathing period for taking in hand some measures which could reduce the level of anger of people. Any further waste of time could prove harmful. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
