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| Is it Jammu and Kashmir Assembly or Kashmir Assembly? | | STARK REALITY | |
RUSTAM
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 4: The manner in which things are being discussed in the ongoing Assembly session shows that while the Kashmir-based legislators have converted the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly into Kashmir Assembly for all practical purposes, most of those belonging to Jammu province have utterly failed to represent the Jammu sentiment. Even a cursory look at what has been happening in the Assembly will be enough to reach this conclusion.
Almost all the Kashmir-based legislators have been talking about the Valley and its people and their needs and problems and making it loud and clear that it is imperative to respect the political aspirations of the Kashmiri people, as also to take on board Pakistan by addressing its concerns. Some of them have been denouncing the Indian Army and paramilitary forces in their own typical manner, saying the security forces have been violating human rights in Kashmir.
Some have been going to the extent of demanding withdrawal of the security forces from the state, thus attacking the very institution of the Indian state. In fact, they have moved a Private Member’s Bill in the Assembly seeking withdrawal of the security forces from the state. The fact is that most of the Kashmir-based legislators are advocating the need of some major political concession to Kashmir in the name of peace process and under the guise of “alienation” of Kashmiri people. And, they are advocating the Kashmiri cause not only in the Assembly, but also outside it. In short, they belong to different political parties, but are fighting like the Palestinians an ideological war both in and outside the Assembly. There is no fundamental difference in the schools of thought they belong to.
On the contrary, most of the Jammu-based legislators have been behaving in a fashion that shows they are divided into several camps and they have no clear agenda. Such is the situation that most of them are making common cause, may be inadvertently, with the Kashmiri legislators by not opposing their controversial agenda and ill-conceived demands. Their attitude cannot be termed as neutral. To remain neutral quite often means indirect support and support means support, whether direct or indirect.
It was expected the Jammu-based legislators would this time rake up with full force the Jammu-centric and nation-centric issues. The expectation had stemmed from the loud noises the parties like the BJP and the National Panthers Party made on the eve of the Assembly session. The hope had also stemmed from their vehement opposition to the Justice Sageer Ahmed’s pro-autonomy report.
But all these hopes stand dashed to the ground. They have virtually let down their constituencies by not forcing the government to tackle the problems the people of Jammu province have been facing since long. They have not done anything in this regard. If anything, they are simply taking recourse to the politics of rhetoric and half-hearted walk outs to hoodwink the people and remain in limelight. They appear quite happy because the generous state government has given laptops to all the legislators to establish that it doesn’t believe in the policy of discrimination. They also appear happy because the state government would soon enhance their salaries and perks.
The most disturbing aspect of the whole situation is that they, barring one or two, unlike the Kashmir-based legislators, without any exception, go to the Assembly unprepared.
The result is that the problems and grievances of the people of Jammu province are multiplying manifold with each passing day. The failure of the Jammu-based legislators to come up to the expectations of their constituencies has created widespread disappointment among all, barring those few who are close to the administration and those ruling the state. The extent of demoralization in Jammu could be determined from the fact that the people have started asking: What would be their ultimate political future in the state or will they remain part of India?
The Jammu-based legislators need to emulate their Kashmiri counterparts. They must take cognizance of the miserable plight of the people of the province they represent in the Assembly and fight for their legitimate political and economic rights and interests. To fight for the Jammu cause doesn’t mean harming the interests of Kashmir. The already over-developed Kashmir must get what it deserves. But the extremely backward and grossly ignored Jammu province, which otherwise contributes more than 70 per cent revenue to the state exchequer every year and which is, in effect, the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, must get its due in all spheres and at all levels. And, it is here that the Jammu-based legislators are required to play their role. Will they?
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