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| Azad not just harmed Jammu, he harmed Congress as well | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 19: Ghulam Nabi Azad became Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on November 2, 2005. The people of Jammu had welcomed his elevation to the office of Chief Minister. The main reason was that it was for the first time that a Jammu-based politician became the executive head of the state. Earlier, the office of the Chief Minister was considered as the sole preserve of Kashmir.
The appointment of Azad as Chief Minister obviously made the people of Jammu province believe that a new day of rational hopes on their part was about to dawn. Unfortunately, however, it did not happen. Azad pursued policies his predecessors had followed to benefit Kashmir and jeopardize the legitimate interests of the people of Jammu. It is an established fact that he harmed the people of Jammu province more as compared to his Kashmiri predecessors. The manner in which he subverted the Wazir Commission report and created four districts each in Kashmir and Jammu is just one example that indicated his bias towards the people of Jammu region. One can cite innumerable other examples to prove the point that Azad's policies were highly anti-Jammu, which had been responsible for the elevation of Azad to the position of Chief Minister.
Paradoxically, Azad also harmed the interests of his own Congress party in Jammu province for reasons best known to him. He handled the Amarnath land issue in a manner that created an awkward situation for the Congress party in Jammu region. First, he ordered diversion of a small piece of land at Baltal to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. He did so strictly in accordance with the directions of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in this regard.
His was a sound decision as it was consistent with the legal directions in this regard. But the moment the communal forces raised a hue and cry in Kashmir against the legal action of the state government, the unnerved, confused and weak Azad yielded. He took no time in reversing the May 20, 2008 decision and debarring the Shrine Board from using the said piece of land for creating facilities for the pilgrims on a temporary basis. He withdrew the diversion order on July 1 much against the wishes of the people of Jammu, who were already on the roads protesting against the opposition in Kashmir to the land diversion decision.
As expected, the unlawful decision of Azad's government provoked widespread protests not only across Jammu region, but also at several other places in the country. The result was the collapse of his government on July 7. Had Azad tendered resignation the moment the communalists in Kashmir raised a hue and cry against the government's legal decision and dissolved the assembly saying that the matter was sub-judice and that the reversal of the said decision would amount to contempt of court, the situation would have been altogether different. He and the Congress party would have won the elections in Jammu region hands down. Such a decision on his part would have undoubtedly endeared the people of Jammu region. In fact, the dissolution of the assembly and holding of fresh elections would have enabled the Congress party to capture all the 37 assembly seats in Jammu region. And, had this happened (and it would have certainly happened), the Congress would have formed the next government in the state on its own.
By going beyond the confines of the High Court orders, Azad did harm the long-term interests of the Congress party and the nation. The Congress could capture only 13 seats in Jammu and the result was an alliance with the National Conference, which do not see eye to eye with the Congress and which has been systematically eroding the support-base of the Congress in Jammu region. It is because of the follies of Azad that the Congress became unpopular in Jammu. In other words, Azad proved a liability for the Congress party in Jammu.
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