 Early Times Report
Jammu, May 18: Although former Union Minister and three-time Lok Sabha member, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta had devoted prime of his life to strengthen Hindutva ideology in Jammu and Kashmir, J&K unit of BJP has forgotten its ideologue, who had laid the foundation of the party in this region.
BJP emerged as a strong force in J&K after the 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
Before 2014, BJP was not a strong force in J&K but some leaders had worked assiduously to strengthen the party in every nook and corner of Jammu province. Prof Chaman Lal Gupta was one among them.
Except for few leaders, most BJP leaders have no time to pay proper tribute to Prof Gupta, who passed away on Tuesday. There is anger among veterans Sangh Parivar leaders for, what they alleged, deliberately, ignoring a dynamic leader Instrumental in forming VDCs, stopping migration of minorities
It was all due to efforts of Prof Chaman Lal Gupta that members of minority communities are living safely at native places in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Reasi and Udhampur districts. When terrorism was at its peak, it was Chaman Lal Gupta who coined the idea of constituting Village Defence Committees (VDCs).
After the cleansing of the nationalists in the troubled Valley of Kashmir in the early '90s, the erstwhile Doda District and certain other hilly areas of Jammu region were the target of the terrorists. After due consideration both at the State and Central level, consent was given for the constitution of VDCs due to efforts of Chaman Lal Gupta.
“What BJP today in J&K is all due to the unparallel sacrifices of a leader like Chaman Lal Gupta who devoted prime of their lives in the State after partition”, observed a senior party leader.
Wishing anonymity, the leader said that it was all due to petty personal ego among leaders that due treatment was not given to Prof Chaman Lal Gupta at the fag end of his life.
“I myself failed to understand why the party has meted out ill-treatment to Chaman Lal Gupta who had laid the foundation of the party in J&K and it was he who made Jan Sangh and BJP a vibrant force in Jammu region”, he said and added “Only the incumbent BJP leadership can reply why the party has maintained a distance from its founding father”, he said. | 