news details |
|
|
| Do not allow separatists any more to poison local mindset in the name of Religion | | A Look Through the mist | | By Daya Sagar
The Omar Abdullah lead National Conference Congress government has claimed that the Inter-District Recruitment Bill passed by JK Assembly would provide equitable opportunities of employment in the Civil Services in the State .It has been slated that The provision would attend to complex socio-economic and Geographical /topographical / linguistic/ matrix of the State. It has also been claimed that security concerns and related issues too would be addressed through the provision. But the way the bill has been objected to by the valley based leaders has instead hurt the social matrix. So I would first draw the attention of the people towards social matrix only. Kashmiri leaders have initiated damaging debates. Even National conference has tried to explain to the Kashmiri leaders that the amendment { moved by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar on 9th April to keep jobs reserved { eight percent } for the Scheduled Caste even from outside district } to original bill was more under the pressures of Congress. Dr. Farooq Abdullah was quoted as having said at Gopalpora that had people given total verdict to NC { and not made NC to walk on bhaisaki } conditions would have been different { this was obviously in reference to inter district recruitment bill also}. Dr. Abdullah pleaded that although the bill has been passed for open 8 percent reservation for SC still there are 92 percent jobs for locals.
Recently a notice from JK PSC appeared in media on 17 th April concerning the examination for J&K Civil Services. In the notice there was reference of some candidates from Kashmir valley. There was no non muslim candidate amongst the candidates mentioned from Kashmir Valley. Where as those mentioned with address of Jammu Division had many muslim candidates. It should really worry those who are concerned for the welfare of JK. It was not due to the fact that only Muslim candidates are allowed to apply from Kashmir Valley. But it was due to the fact there is no local Hindu population { worth competing } left back in Kashmir valley.
The mindset of the Kashmiri separatists is well reflected from what Mr. Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani said at Hyderpora on 17th April { after his return from Delhi where he had gone to meet parliament attack accused Muhammad Afzal Guru in Tihar Jail} “ “Inter district recruitment bill passed by the legislature with amendment was illogical and unjustified. The eight per cent reservation for schedule castes is unjustified, illogical and wrong. We have no personal animosity with SCs who have been victims of Brahmin supremacy for thousands of years”. Still Geelani was against SC reservation , one would ask ?
No doubt, all these years in all Indian States, the provisions for reservations in services and education have been much used by the politicians for dividing people in the name religion / caste / region. But the manner in which the “ Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment Bill 2009” { CSDR} passed {with amendment } by JK legislature on 9th April has been reacted to by Kashmir based leaders should attract special concern.
The Bill { commonly understood as Inter District Recruitment Bill } has made `domicile’ mandatory for selection for Divisional / District cadre posts except for the JK Schedule Caste candidates. Some main stream political leaders / some separatists have objected to the preferential treatment given to SC candidates. The objection is not because ALC/ST/OSC/RBA are not exempted from the condition of domicile . But objections to the preferential treatment given to SC are simply on communal basis.
Peoples Democratic Party leader and Convener of the Kupwara Bachao Committee, Abdul Haq Khan MLA Lolab was quoted saying that the bill is akin to stabbing the people of Kashmir in their back and has done injustice to people of Kashmir. He has gone to the extent of saying that {i} government succumbed to pressure of Bhartiya Janata Party to amend the bill, {ii} forces in Jammu are always against the interests of Kashmir, {iii} Schedule Caste Category appointees will start residing in Kashmir valley and will change the demography. Abdul Rehman Veeri accused the amended bill for “ Democracy Ka Khoon” and Moulvi Iftikhar Ansari alleged that NC has been backstabbing Kashmiris . As per Chairman Hurriyat Conference (M), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq the amended bill is against the interests of Muslims { particularly Kashmiries }. He has gone to extent of saying that {i} bill is to benefit a particular region { Jammu},{ii}J&K is a Muslim majority state and if interests of Muslims are harmed he { Umar Farooq} won’t remain silent, {vi} Kashmir region is being discriminated and {v} As per Umar Farooq Muslims are intentionally being kept away from government jobs.
One could infer from such like statements that such leaders do not want any one from outside Kashmir valley to settle in Kashmir Valley { more particularly the Hindu }. The wounds that have been inflicted with the migration of over 3 Lakh Kashmir Pundits from Kashmir valley could further deepen
There is immediate need to come out of the illusions. At one place GOI / State Government are allowing people to talk of not allowing the demography of Kashmir valley change { from almost 100 percent muslim}. And on the other hand every next day Omar or Azad is inviting the people from other Indian states to visit Kashmir valley as their own home place. Regional , communal and valley centric mindset of the some Kashmiri leaders has to be culled before promoting imported “TULIPs” raised in Kashmir .. Government at New Delhi / State Government must not neglect the issues any more. There is immediate need to do rethinking on the approach towards Kashmir valley affair.
No doubt there do exist some logical objections to the provisions contained in the CSDR Act. The objections could be {i} once applicants for district / divisional cadre posts have been restricted to local domiciles of district only , why should there be any exception based on caste / religion / region, {ii} it is unfair to allow only Schedule caste candidates to apply for all the District / Division level post irrespective of their domicile {iii} in case SC candidates have to be kept as an exception then the other categories like ST { Gujjar / Bakerwals } /RBA / etc too need be considered for exemption. And above allin view the continued migration for over 20 years { mostly Hindu} from Kashmir valley restriction for applying a Kathua resident for Kupwara district cadre would further seal any marginal scope for reconstruction of socio communal matrix of Jammu and Kashmir. No some { both from Jammu and Kashmir region } may be justified in alleging that Congress has kept eye on the large SC vote bank in Jammu region. But the region based / religion based observations made by the Kashmiri leaders surely are not justified.
A Jammu bandh call on 9th April was given by the BJP supported by Bar Association Jammu and many others { Transport and Trade Organizations, various Sikh Organizations, All J&K Shri Guru Ravi Sabha, Panun Kashmir, Amar Khashtriya Rajput Sabha, All J&K Mahasha Sadar Sabha, Arora Bans Sabha, Brahman Sabha, Sanatan Dharam Sabha, All J&K SC/ST United Front, Shiv Sena (United), Central University Andolan Samiti, Sanatan Dharam Natak Samaj, Kashmiri Pandit Sabha, Bhagat Maha Sabha, Saraiara Sabha and Anusuchit Jaati Aarakshan Bachao Manch}. The call was to register a protest against the Inter District Recruitment Bill in total. The same day Inter-district recruitment bill was passed by voice vote { the bill bars those seeking employment in government from applying against posts in districts other than their native one / 15 year domicile with the exceptions of only those who belong to SC category}. JK People Democratic Party had opposed the amendment in the bill that treated SC candidates with exception for District / Div cadre posts. BJP and others had opposed the bill in total.
The Act passed by the JK Legislature is yet to be formally approved by Governor . Why not still consider either excluding the exception provided for Schedule Caste or also provide same exemption to ST/RBA/OBC/ OSC as well. Otherwise the separatists would keep on poisoning the local mindset in the name of Hindu and muslim. In Jammu region also politicians would exploit communities .
(*Daya Sagar is a senior coloumnist on Jammu &Kashmir Affairs, dayasagr45 @yahoo.com }
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
