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| Two CUs and pitfalls | | | | In Jammu and Kashmir, the news about sanction of two Central Universities, one for Jammu and other for Kashmir, is nothing less than a pleasant music to the ears. After months of animosity and brewing up tension between the civil society of two regions, the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development is reported to have decided to sanction one more Central University for Jammu and Kashmir as the one already sanctioned was entangled between the dispute between two regions as indications suggested establishment of University in Kashmir which was vehemently opposed by many in Jammu region. At a point in time, the coalition government in the state which, which is into its very first year in office, appeared in a tight spot as it could not risk the goodwill in one region at the cost of other. Therefore, at the height of agitation in Jammu, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah led a delegation of Ministers, drawn both from the National Conference and the Congress, to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to plead for the case of two Central Universities. Though an official notification or at least an official communication from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development is yet to be seen, but even going by the statement of the state government on two Central Universities, the decision has its own pitfalls. Firstly, as per the original scheme of things, Jammu and Kashmir had been awarded with one Central University and one Indian Institute of Management. Indications as of now reflect that the decision on second Central University, with an aim to strike regional balance, has been taken at the cost of Indian Institute of Management which can be termed as much more prestigious than Central University in terms of world class education, human resource development and job creation. While getting information about two Central Universities we are also given to understand that IIM is a gone case for now. It has been indicated that the funds supposed to incur on the IIM shall now be diverted to the newly to-be-sanctioned Central University. The second pitfall, as we see, is about the larger political question of the regional imbalance between Kashmir and Jammu and the mechanism of allocation of resources and avenues. Going by the announcement of the state government, the sanction of second Central University goes in the annals of history as first such major victory of Jammu region in seeking parity with Kashmir region. The Chief Minister, the Ministers in his cabinet and other political leaders have started flooding the newspapers with their statements of gratitude to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal etc for acceding to their demand of two Central Universities. The basic issue which needs to be understood here is that how many such things are possible which can be equally divided between Kashmir and Jammu. We have a government shuttling between two regions for more than 100 years and it has not been able to bridge the emotional gaps. Of course, it is in the interest of entire state that Jammu and Kashmir is getting two Central Universities but here is the time that the political class and the civil society must rise above narrow regional consideration to work for greater coordination and emotional integration between three regions of the state as there are many things yet which can not be divided equally between the regions. |
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