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| Time for Congress to take on Omar Abdullah and oppose his autonomy demand | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Sept 10: The Congress has its strong support-base in Jammu province, notwithstanding the fact that it could register a win in only 13 constituencies in Jammu province in the 2008 Assembly elections. The reason is that the Jammu-based Congress leaders and the Congress election strategists in New Delhi have always fought elections in the Jammu province on the nationalist and Jammu planks. That is the reason the BJP, which presents itself to the people as a pro-Jammu and pro-nation formation, has most of the time suffered humiliating defeats.
That the Congress has all through contested elections in Jammu province on the nationalist and Jammu plank could be seen from its 1977 election manifesto. It could also be seen from its 2002 and 2008 election manifestos. All these manifestos were not only nation-centric but also Jammu-centric. For example, its 2002 election manifesto - apart from several other things - held out five categorical commitments to the people of Jammu province - Chief Minister from Jammu if Congress voted to power, implementation of Wazir Commission report and creation of more districts in the province, establishment of regional council, delimitation of Assembly constituencies and end of discriminatory policies. The Congress party didn't talk of autonomy. It talked about the national integrity. The Congress won 15 seats and the BJP just one seat (Nagrota) and that, too, by a very slender margin of 60-odd votes.
Similarly, the 2008 election manifesto of the Congress party also held out almost similar commitments. For example, it assured the people of Jammu province that the Congress party, if voted to power, would amend the state constitution in order to federalize the state polity and ensure justice to the people of Jammu province. The 2008 election manifesto also didn't talk about autonomy. The Congress captured 13 seats, notwithstanding its controversial role during the Amarnath land agitation days between June 28 and August 1, 2008. The BJP won eleven seats, three more than it had captured in 1996, despite the fact that there was total polarization in Jammu province. In 1996, the BJP had won eight seats. Had the Congress party went to the electorate with the autonomy plank, the latter would have rejected it outright because the people of Jammu province hate and abhor the idea of the state getting autonomy of the sort the National Conference has been demanding since decades.
This only shows that the Congress has its strong support-base in the Jammu province and that the Congress has by and large identified itself with the Jammu sentiment. However, there are reasons to believe that the Congress constituency in Jammu province is shrinking at a very rapid pace. The reason is that the Jammu-based Congress ministers and leaders are not taking on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who has unleashed a no-holds-barred campaign in favour of an autonomous Jammu and Kashmir; in favour of militants, surrendered or otherwise; in favour of the stone-throwers brigade and unruly elements in Kashmir; and in favour of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the paramilitary forces.
The people of Jammu province appear quite unhappy with the Congress. They feel, and very rightly, that the Jammu-based Congress Ministers and leaders are overlooking their sentiments and playing the role of second fiddle. Their grievances against the Jammu-based Congress ministers, legislators and leaders are many. Two of them are that they have failed to obtain justice for Jammu and that have given extraordinary powers to the Chief Minister the result of which has been that he has been indulging in undesirable activities and outraging their nationalist sentiment.
The Congress should not annoy its Jammu constituency because weakening of the Congress in Jammu province is not in the larger national interest. Instead, it should expand its constituency and it can expand it by following a courageous policy. Nothing would be more desirable for it than that it should completely identify itself with the people of Jammu province by opposing tooth and nail the demand for autonomy and by telling the party high command in Delhi that those who are demanding autonomy are actually demanding independence from India or that they seeking to create a republic within the republic. In fact, the Jammu-based Congress leaders and ministers must tell their high command that bottom-line of the Kashmir-based leaders is secession and this is utterly acceptable.
The Congress has on several occasions defeated the ulterior game plans of the Kashmiri leaders, including Sheikh Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah, and saved Kashmir for India. Time has again come for the Congress party to play historic role by taking on and defeating the ulterior game plan of Omar Abdullah and others of his ilk. This is the need of the time. This is a national requirement. |
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