news details |
|
|
| Still undecided on CU , What about IIMC ? | | | Nirbhay Jammual
Jammu,September 12:-The Govrnment of India has announced to set up four Indian Institute of Mass communications and Jammu and Kashmir state too will get one such institute.Once the project was cleared it may again give rise to regional tension.The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting,Ambika Soni,while making this annoucement,has not said anything whether the proposed institute was to be set up in Jammu or in Srinagar.She seems to be possibly unaware of the level of regional tension in the state over the location of the proposed central University.It can happen only in a state like Jammu and Kashmir where the anger against regional discrimination has piled up during over last 50 years.
The Jammuites have been demanding that the Central University be set up in the region.They have three arguments in its favour.First they say that while addressing the annual convocation of the Jammu university Prime Minister,Manmohan Singh,had said "you will get one central university."This is being interpreted as Prime Minister's promise to the people of Jammu who had gathered at the convocation function.Secondly,they argue that over 5,000 acres of land,required for the construction of the university complex,were not available in Kashmir and against this suitable Government land was available in Samba.Thirdly they say that when the centre sanctioned one central university and one IIM for the state the valley centric leaders made it known that the IIM would be set up in Srinagar.And when the Jammuites did not raise any objection why should the valley centric leaders oppose setting up central university in Jammu.
Is it upto the central Government to select the site for the proposed institutes or it rests on the state Governments to identify and acquire the place for setting up the central projects ?The Union Minister for Renewable Energy,Dr Farooq Abdullah,has said that it was for the centre to decide about the place where it wanted to establish the central university.By saying so Farooq wants to absolve the state Government of any responsibility for the current tension that has gripped Jammu.Well experts have stated that the central Government sanctions a project and institute and it is for the state Government to identify the area or the place where the project was to be set up.Nobody can deny that the state of Jammu and kashmir has two distinct regions which have different geographical,demographic, lingual,cultural structure and history.Alleged neglect of the Jammu region over the years has made the Jammuites very touchy.If they have raised a hue
and
cry over the central university issue they cannot be faulted because regional balance demanded that out of the two institutes sanctioned for the state one has to be set up in Jammu and the other in Kashmir.
Even if one delegates the authority to the centre to select a place for the central university it has to seek assistance from the state Government.The centre cannot directly acquire or purchase land in Jammu and Kashmir because of the restrictions imposed by the state subject laws.As such it is the state Government that has to purchase or acquire or make available land for the central projects.This way the choice for the central Government is limited.Even if it wants one project to be set up in Jammu and other in Kashmir the state authorities can raise hurdles by conveying to Delhi that the required land or the infrastructure required for the projects was not availa
Now that the Chief Minister,Omar Abdullah,has announced that he has already taken up the matter with the prime Minister requesting him to sanction two central universities for the state.So far the Union Minister for Human resources,Kapil Sibal,has not yet conceded this demand yet.Well the state Government has made up for the mistake it committed in creating a situation in which regional tension had gone up by annoucing that if two universities were not sanctioned the state will not accept the plan for setting up one university.This way the Chief Minister has tried to please people of both the regions.Will he succeed ?Future events will determine
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
