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| Agitation off, not struggle | | | | Peoples of Jammu region deserve congratulations and so does the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti. Not only the Jammu City but almost entire region is in a festive mode after the government agreed to the basic demand of the agitation. The intervening night of Saturday and this Sunday was a unique experience in Jammu. People had their hearts beating fast than ever as a four-member official panel headed by Governor’s Advisor Dr SS Bloeria sat down to hammer out the issue with a numerically similar group of Shri Amarnath Yatra Sanngharsh Samiti. Hardly anybody preferred to sleep last night as thousands of people thronged to the venue of dialogue while lakhs still remained glued to the television screens to see outcome of talks. It was grueling yet exciting experience for all in the town. Not that people were tired of continous shut downs, curfews and demonstrations as they wanted an end to the crisis; they were waiting to see as what happens to their agitation. Each one of them was seemingly ready to launch fresh round of agitation. So what the agitation was all about. The revocation of a government order diverting 800 kanals of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board was just a trigger and the basic issue was a sentiment of blatant discrimination against Jammu region. People of this region have always accepted patiently whatever was done to them. Often they tried to lodge peaceful protests but they were told keep silent in ‘national interest’. For this misunderstood national interest Jammu has made a glorious history of tolerance. This time, the attack was on religious sentiments and the mindset behind the attack was the same that of discrimination. Therefore, there was hardly any reason to give into the persuasions of national interest pleas. ‘Enough is enough’, was the clear message from Jammu when the region made its voices heard across the country. After two months of unanimous protests and supreme sacrifices of many shapes and forms, the honour and dignity of Jammuites has been restored. One must understand that this just the beginning. Only agitation has been called off and not the battle. Jammu has to go a long way in its struggle of equity and justice. The trigger of Shri Amarnath Shrine land controversy has served a great purpose by uniting the people on a wide range of issues. The biggest advantage of the present agitation, of course, has been the fact that it remained thoroughly secular. Several attempts were made to give communal colours to the agitation but the men of wisdom both among Hindus and Muslims fought tooth and nail to keep the secular tradition of the region high. We must say that restoration of land is just a well beginning and the struggle should continue for just and genuine rights. |
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