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| CU: Let Jammu have University, not communal tag | | |
ZAFAR CHOUDHARY
Jammu, Aug 7: Between government’s cautiously aggressive campaign to make a point that Central University shall first come up in Jammu and the Central University Andolan Samiti’s denial to acknowledge any such move, the Jammu regions appears to have won a point quietly even as Kashmir is watching over situation with a sharp eye.
Two days after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah led a team to meet Prime Minister, HRD Minister and other Central leaders, on Wednesday a group of Ministers had a long session with the prominent Jammu citizens and students leaders convincing them of the ‘fact’ that the Central University in Jammu is nothing less than a reality. The Ministers could not lay the facts bare, for obvious political compulsions, and those running movement for establishment of Central University in Jammu got very little out of it to feel convinced. Therefore, the movement is on and a shutdown call has already been dished out.
The fact of the matter is, however, that Jammu has won a point in its long struggle of regional balance but the government is hesitant in making the blueprint fully public fearing a backfire in Kashmir. Sources said that addressing concerns of Omar Abdullah’s team the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh indeed advised that work on Central University should begin in Jammu without any second thoughts as he personally took responsibility of taking care of Kashmir –sanctioning another Central University or an equivalent institution of higher learning in addition to the already
Reliable sources confirmed to Early Times that following state delegation’s meeting with the Prime Minister, instructions have been issued to the district administration Samba to demarcate and alienate 3916 kanals of land in Patwar Halqa Balga on east of Jammu-Pathankote National Highway in Samba district. The land is entirely owned by the state and is a completely barren chunk with no agricultural activity even in its two-kilometer periphery. Foundation stone of the University is likely to be laid down within this month as the Vice Chancellor of the proposed University Prof Abdul Wahid too has written to the government to expedite process of land identification and alienation so that works can be taken in hand in time.
The Central University Andolan Samiti, however, is not ready to accept this as a reality till a proper notification is issued. Sources in the government said that issuance of formal notification is already in the pipeline but the same may take more time for want of procedural formalities.
Meanwhile some experts believed that people involved in movement for establishment of the Central University in Jammu region should tread a cautious approach lest the issue gets spoilt. They said while Central University Andolan Samiti is carrying forward an agitation in Jammu but at the same time similar demands with more aggressive agitations are also picking up in Rajouri-Poonch and three districts of Chenab Valley region. All these areas are Muslim dominated and a more aggressive agitation in Jammu excluding these area will have the potential of looking like a communal demand and thus loosing out the popular mandate.
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