 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 2: The executive body meeting of the All India Jat Mahasabha, Jammu and Kashmir (AIJMS-J&K) was held at Golden Leaf, Banquet Babliana, Jammu, under the chairmanship of its President Ch. Man Mohan Singh, during which the organisation reviewed its sustained efforts since 2014 and assessed the current situation concerning the development and welfare of the Jat brotherhood in the Union Territory.
Addressing the meeting, Ch. Man Mohan Singh appreciated the unwavering commitment and hard work of the Mahasabha leadership and workers, stating that AIJMS-J&K has consistently stood by border residents during times of crisis. He recalled that during cross-border firing, the organisation facilitated specialised medical treatment for seriously injured civilians from village Budejaal, village Abdullian of R.S. Pura and village Naushera, arranging their treatment at Amandeep Hospital, Amritsar, with financial assistance amounting to ?18.50 lakh. He further informed that AIJMS-J&K extended relief and financial assistance of ?4.50 lakh to Sh. Mohinder Singh of Naushera, who suffered 70 to 90 per cent burn injuries due to the fall of a high-tension electric line and was treated at GMC Jammu. The Mahasabha demanded that civilians injured in cross-border firing be treated in military hospitals on the same lines as injured soldiers. It was also informed that AIJMS-J&K delegations met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh twice, seeking compensation for farmers whose agricultural land lies beyond border fencing and remains uncultivable due to security constraints, resulting in recurring losses.
The meeting recalled the prolonged struggle of AIJMS-J&K for securing OBC status for Jats of Jammu and Kashmir, during which several rallies were organised at both state and central levels. A historic Mahila Sammelan, attended by nearly 4,000 Jat women, was organised to intensify pressure on the government. The leadership stated that following this massive mobilisation and the persistent efforts of Mahasabha leaders, the government agreed to include Jats in the OBC category within 20 days, marking a landmark achievement for the community.
Members also reviewed the strong agitation organised at R.S. Pura against the delimitation of Assembly constituencies, alleging that Jat-dominated seats were declared reserved in an attempt to weaken Jat leadership. It was informed that AIJMS-J&K met the Delimitation Commission of India and succeeded in restoring the original name of the Suchetgarh Assembly constituency, though the reservation of Assembly seats could not be reversed despite the organisation's best efforts.
The executive body was informed that AIJMS-J&K fought persistently for securing job reservation for residents living within 0-6 kilometres of the International Border and Line of Control, and ultimately succeeded in obtaining the benefit for border residents. The organisation also highlighted its intervention regarding the recurring devastation caused by the Basanter River during the rainy season, which washes away agricultural land and threatens habitations in Ramgarh constituency. After detailed representations to the then Governor late Sh. Satya Pal Malik, a project worth Rs 14.80 crore was sanctioned for the protection of agricultural land and residential areas along the right bank of the Basanter River. |
