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| Plight of Jammu Muslims as bad as Hindus, Sikhs | | Must blame Kashmiri rulers for utter neglect | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Sep 22: The plight of the Muslims of Jammu is highly pathetic. They, like the Hindus and Sikhs in this province, represent that segment of society that has never received its legitimate due share in the state’s political and economic processes. In fact, their life, like the life of other communities inhabiting the ignored Jammu province, is not one of political and economic aspirations, notwithstanding the fact that they belong to the majority community in the state that has been ruling Jammu and Kashmir since 1947. The Kashmir-based leaders have always exploited them for garnering votes, but when it comes to catering to their even basic needs they dismiss them as unworthy of exercising those rights that are available to the people of Kashmir. The Muslims of Jammu are no more than a vote-bank.
Just visit the areas inhabited by the Muslims in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi and Udhampur districts and you will see for yourself the miserable conditions in which they are living, leave alone a few urban areas where some developmental activities have been undertaken, as also leave aside a few Muslims who are well-entrenched and who are close to the Kashmiri rulers. These areas lack even today basic civic amenities. The roads are in a dilapidated condition. In fact, there exists no road connectivity. Power supply is inadequate. The healthcare and educational facilities are in a shambles. Their share in the service sector is just negligible. The government discriminates against these areas at the time of allocation of funds. The mortality rate in these areas is also higher as compared to other areas of the state. On the other hand, the literacy rate is quite low. These areas could have developed as hill stations as the same are highly beautiful, charming and salubrious as Kashmir, but, no, the Kashmir’s ruling elite ignored these areas because it would have caused financial loss to the people inhabiting the Kashmir Valley. Had the ruling elite developed these areas, the economic life of the people there would have been much, much better.
Not just this, the poor, neglected and extremely backward Muslims of these areas are, instead of being considered as part and parcel of the state society, are being exploited by the mafia, by the rackets having connections at right places and with politicians and police. The Kashmiri rulers, who tour these areas quite frequently to apparently identify themselves with the Muslims, do make promises, but do nothing to fulfill them. The Kashmiri separatists also tour these areas to establish their foothold there, but they too, like the Kashmiri rulers, talk about Kashmir. The Jammu Muslims suffer because they do share the perceptions of the Kashmiri leadership; because they are nationalists to the core; because there exists historical antagonism between them and the Kashmiri Muslim leadership.
Ironically, there are certain elements within the Muslim community in Jammu province who, instead of blaming the Kashmiri rulers for the neglect of these areas, blame the Jammu leadership of which they themselves are an integral part. While doing so, they conveniently forget that the plight of the other communities in the Jammu province is as miserable as that of the Muslim community and that it is the Kashmir’s ruling elite that enjoys unbridled powers and takes decisions. These elements have, undoubtedly, contributed to the political, economic and social degeneration of the Muslim community in Jammu and harmed the overall interests of the Jammu province.
It is time for the Muslim leadership in Jammu to look all these facts in the face, join hands with other Jammu-based leaders and work together for the development of Jammu province and regenerate the life of all the people in this province. The Muslims of Jammu province, like other sections of the Jammu society, have suffered enormous losses at the hands of the Kashmiri ruling elite. This is hard reality and sooner the Muslim leadership of Jammu recognizes it the better.
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