news details |
|
|
| Kudos to Cong veteran Mangat, CM must be from Jammu | | News ANALYSIS | | Early Times Report
jammu, Sept 24: Mangat Ram Sharma is a Congress veteran. He might not have helped many people; he might have helped his own men, but he seldom speaks non-sense. He might not have supported the Amarnath land cause in the manner he should have, but ultimately he jumped on to the bandwagon of those struggling for the restoration of the Baltal land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). He might have misguided Ghulam Nabi Azad on the issue of Amarnath land, but ultimately he made common cause with the struggling people of Jammu and defended the Amarnath land cause.
Leave aside Mangat Ram Sharma's certain acts of omission and commission. He is undoubtedly a man of conviction. He has the guts to take on those with whom he disagrees. He has the necessary strength to say things on the face of his opponents. When he was Deputy Chief Minister, he took on Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed; he took on Finance and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beig. He took cudgels with them on the floor of the floor of the assembly and on a number of occasions and these are not secrets.
More importantly, Mangat Ram Sharma appears to be committed to the cause of the discriminated against people of Jammu province. He is for their political empowerment. Only a few weeks ago, he publicly said that the NC should not be allowed to rule the state for more than three years and that after Omar Abdullah completes his three-year term in office, the Congress should occupy the office of Chief Minister. He virtually said that the next Chief Minister should be from Jammu. He said so in Samba and that, too, in the presence of JKPCC chief Saif-ud-Din Soz and a number of Congress ministers, legislators and workers and cadres. His were not the off-the-cuff remarks. What he said he said out of his conviction and on behalf of the Congress workers in Jammu province, who have been at the receiving end ever since Omar Abdullah took over as Chief Minister. And, what he said evoked sharp reaction from the power-hungry NC. Reflecting on the Mangat Ram Sharma's demand, Omar Abdullah said "he shall complete the full-term of six years." A couple of Delhi-based Congress leaders also expressed their unhappiness over what Sharma said.
That Sharma is committed to what he said at Samba became clear on Thursday, when he again reiterated his stand that Omar Abdullah must go after completing three years in office and that the next Chief Minister must be from Jammu province. He made this inspiring and very reasonable statement at Chenani while addressing the Congress rally.
It is significant to note that Sharma made this unambiguous statement in the presence of the JKPCC president, who was the main speaker in the rally. He said: "Jammu and Kashmir should have a Chief Minister from Jammu region, as the state mostly had leaders from Kashmir occupying the top posts. The aspirations of the people of would be met if there is a Chief Minister from Jammu, which has more geographical area than Kashmir Valley…Since Soz Sahib is the convener of Alliance Coordination Committee, I request him to put forward this demand." It is also important to note that the JKPCC chief did not reject his demand. His response was: "He is not in a position to rebut the demand of his senior colleague, but the issue should be left to the party high command. I would never support nor reject his demand. This is for the party high command to take a decision."
Sharma needs to be congratulated by one and all in Jammu for his bold stand on the issue. He deserves kudos not only from the Congress workers in Jammu, who have suffered a lot during all these 18 months at the hands of the arrogant and unaccommodating NC leadership, but from all the people, cutting across political lines and irrespective of their religious denomination. Why should the office of Chief Minister be made the sole preserve of Kashmiri leaders, who insult, taunt and humiliate the people of Jammu province, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs included, and accord a preferential treatment to Kashmir in all matters and at all levels? The people of Jammu province are not slaves. They are part and parcel of the Indian society and they deserve all those rights and privileges that are available to their fellow citizens in other parts of the country. There has to be rotational Chief Minister-ship. The Congress and the NC are the two coalition partners and both deserve equal treatment. Even otherwise, the NC needs to be shown the door for reasons not difficult to understand.
There is no doubt that the Mangat Ram Sharma's demand represents the Jammu sentiment. The people of Jammu province constitute the Congress' core constituency in the state. They didn't vote for the Congress in 2008 for getting a Chief Minister from Kashmir, who would make common cause with Kashmiri separatists and communalists and jeopardize the interests of Jammu as well as nation. They voted for the Congress because they believed, and rightly, that a vote for the Congress would mean Chief Minister from Jammu and promotion of the paramount national interests.
The Congress high command must take cognizance of the Sharma's most reasonable demand and declare that Jammu province will get the office of Chief Minister on January 5, 2011. Not to consider the demand put forth by Sharma, which is the demand of the people of Jammu province, would be to annoy its core constituency and help those fighting against the Indian State and demanding independence under the guise of greater autonomy. Political empowerment of Jammu is not only in the interest of the Congress but also in the larger interest of the country. There has to be the rule by a national party in the state. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
