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| Muzaffarabad "chalo" rally a political stunt | | | Gareeb Dass
Jammu | Aug 11
Is it necessary for the separatists and the PDP to carry out Muzaffarabad "chalo" rally when over 1200 trucks,carrying several consumer items reached Srinagar during the last five days? Is such a march warranted when several hundred trucks,loaded with fresh fruit,left Srinagar during the same period ?The Government had made arrangements for a fleet of 700 trucks for carrying fruit out of the valley but there was fruit which could be loaded only in 200 trucks.Certainly such a march is not called for when those,who have given the call for the march ,know it fully well that they may not be able to reach even the zero line in the Uri sector.After the Union Home Minister,Shivraj Patil,dished out a veiled threat that the proposed march will not be allowed to carry out the PDP Chief,Mehbooba Mufti,did not want to be caught napping.She said,soon after Patil boarded the plane for Delhi,that she supported the separatists Muzaffarabad "chalo" programme.And already the Government has swung into action by having kept over a dozen separatist leaders under house arrest.
These separatists besides the fruit growers and the PDP would have genuine reasons for campaigning in favour of the reopening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road for trade had the valley received a dose of total economic blockade.Yes there was disruption in the movement of goods carriers on the highway because of agitation and shutdown in Jammu but there should have been no reason for the separatists to give a call for Muzffarabad "chalo"when the highway was cleared for movement of goods.These separatists have not given a call for Muzaffarabad "Chalo" rally when the Srinagar-Jammu highway gets blocked for several days on account of weather related problems.Why then the call this time ?
The call has been given to mount pressure on Delhi and the state Government so that they do not withdraw the order under which land diversion to the Board was revoked.Those who have given the call wanted Delhi to intervene so that effective measures were taken to keep the highway passable for goods carriers.The separatists have become adept in demonstrating their pro-Pakistan leanings in one form or the other.They have been looking for opportunities for exhibiting such leanings and the turmoil in Jammu which had affected movement of goods provided them the much needed opportunity.Secondly,the call for Muzaffarabad "chalo" was given to further internationalise the Kashmir issue.Possibly they have chosen an inauspicious time for giving the call.
Earlier,the separatists besides the PDP and others have demanided reopening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road for traffic.Nobody had raised eyebrows because the demand had been made to facilitate hassle free people to people contact.Later their demand for reopning of Poonch-Rawalakot road for traffic was also conceded.Those in Jammu raised a demand for reopening of Suchetgarh-Sialkot route for trafic.This demand is yet to be fulfilled.And an exercise is on for keeping the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road and the Poonch-Rawalakot route open for trade.Such demands were not criticised in any quarter.Even the leaders of Chamber of commerce and industries in Jammu favour keeping these two routes open for trade.
In the light of these developments the call for Muzaffarabad "chalo"seems to be part of the plan of giving new thrust to the pro-Pak campaign in the valley.And again the PDP did not want to miss the opportunity for keeping in good humour the electorates.So everything seems to fair not only in love and war but in election also. |
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