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| Peace in Kashmir imperative for regional harmony | | | Any turmoil in the Kashmir valley has its impact on the Jammu region.Since the rise of militancy in Kashmir in 1989-90 any action in the valley finds its reaction in the Jammu region and the vice versa.Since the 2008 row over the land diversion to the Amarnath Shrine Board separatists and militants have been trying to foment communal and regional divjde.See the height of the regional divide when those in Kashmir demanded revocation of the land diversion order and those in the Jammu region favouring rest oration of land to the shrine Board for construction of temporary structures for the benefit and convenience of pilgrims.See the tempers rising when separatists keep on demanding curtailing the duration of the Amarnath pilgrimage from two months to 15 days.The demand for yatra period curtailment evokes sharp reaction from the political,religious and social organisations in the Jammu region.A situation has reached when on occasions traders and oil tankers Association in Jammu have threatened to block supply of essential commodities to Kashmir.It took place during 2008 land row and it took place in recent days. The vested interests in both the regions are in the look out for opportunities when they would be able to indulge in pin pricks against each other.Since Kashmiris are adept in making a mountain out of a molehill they have been blaming the people in the Jammu region for blocking supply of oil to the valley when actually drivers of oil tankers refused to ply their vehicles to Kashmir after some of their colleagues were attacked by the protesters. People in the Jammu region have already become supersensitive to any provocation from the valley because over the years they have come to realise that they have received stepmotherly or a raw deal from the successive state Governments.On occasions they have not spared even the previous central Govern-ments. Their grouse is not unfounded because of the poor share they have received in Government servics,in devolution of funds for development projects and in political empowerment.Political leaders belonging to the Jammu region feel cheated over the way that the region,despite its more area and population, having lesser Assembly seats than the Kashmir valley.In Kashmir the total number of Assemby seats are 46 against 37 in the Jammu region when experts argue in favour of either an equal share or more seats for the Jammu region than the valley. The demand has not been allowed to be fulfilled because of the machinations, as the Jammuites call it, by the Kashmir centric ruling politicians.No doubt over the years people in the Jammu region have demonstrated their urge for peace and communal amity but this urge can break if the provocations from the Kashmir valley keep on multiplying.Over the years people in Kashmir have been allowed to realise that they are superior to those living in the Jammu region because of
the policy of appeasement of the Kashmiris adopted by the successive state and the central Governments.Well they are not wrong.They get whatever they demand.They get bigger share in professional colleges in the state than those from the Jammu region.Kashmiris get bigger share in Government jobs than the Jammuites.
The Government needs to take in hand corrective measures which could reverse the five-decade long discrimination to the Jammuites.
The state and the central Governments have been thinking of rehabilitating militants,including those who had crossed over Pakistan and occupied Kashmir for arms training. But the same Governments have refused to take any step for giving citizenship rights to several thousand refugees from Pakistan and occupied Kashmir who are settled in Jammu for the last 60 years.The successive state Governments have had no qualms in amending the state constitutions if it was needed for protecting the interests of people in the
Kashmir valley.It is not prepared to carry out any amendment to the state constitution which was required for permanent rehabilitation of Pak refugees and for setting up fresh delimitation commission.It is so because the Kashmiri centric ruling leaders have been opposed to delimitation of Assembly segments and to the grant of citizenship rights to the Pak refugees.Time has come for the state and the central Governments to take careful steps so that the current regional divide did not assume serious dimension. |
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