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| Opposition to Dogra certificates is communally motivated | | | Yash Bhasin | 4/12/2011 10:22:20 PM |
| Unnerveness shown and hue and cry raised by the Kashmiri separatists, with the tacit as well as open support of some so called leaders of main stream parties over the Government move to issue Dogra certificates to the people of Jammu, is poised to extenuate the already existing cleavage between Jammu region and Kashmir valley. The Kashmiri separatists, with communal mind set, however, are all out to give the issue a communal coloring by trying to make it a Hindu-Muslim question. Their game plan has been to create feelings of apprehended deprivation of their interests among the Muslims in Jammu, notably in Muslim Majority areas of Peer Panchal and Chenab valley. Misinterpreting and misrepresenting of the intensions of the Government in deciding to issue Dogra certificates to all the desirous people living in any part of Jammu region, irrespective of their religion ,language and ethnic identity, raising the wolf cry of conspiracy to convert the Muslim Majority character of the state into a minority as well as eroding the distinct identity of some ethnic groups among Muslims in Jammu, they are creating a sense of insecurity and fear psychosis among the Muslims in Jammu.
The strong opposition to the Government move to recognize Dogra identity, which is synonyms with the common identity of inhabitants of Jammu region, from Lakhanpur to Banihal and to Kishatwar, by the Kashmiri separatists, rousing public passions and an agitational atmosphere in the valley has the potential to revive the Jammu verses Kashmir stand off that was witnessed in the Summer of 2008 over Amar Nath Yatra land row. Realizing that in 2008 the Muslims in Jammu had stood solidly behind their Hindu brethren aggrieved over the cancellation of land allotment to SASB for creating infrastructural facilities for the Hindu pilgrims to Baba Amar Nath, coming from all over the country in Kashmir, the communal minded separatists and some so called main stream politicians have started whipping up the communal hysteria over the issue by showing feigned concern about the threat to the ethnic identity of the Muslim groups in Jammu, with all of them being classifieds as Dogras. It poses Litmus test for the nationalists and secular minded people of Jammu who identify themselves with the regional aspirations of the people in Jammu region as a whole, whether they succeed in thwarting the game plan of Kashmiri separatists and communalists by allying the fears of Muslims of Jammu and winning their goodwill and support in the coming stand off between the people of Jammu region and Kashmiri separatists.
Since the Muslim of Jammu region too seek recruitment in army and central para military forces. The issuing of Dogra certificate to them, providing concessions in physical standards, will benefit them as well. In their wisdom they are hardly going to buy the argument given by the Kashmiri separatists that their common identity with Hindus of Jammu as Dogras will in any way interfere in their religious identity.
While separatists of all hue and color have joined hands to oppose the Government decision to issue Dogra certificates to the people of Jammu, who apply for the same, the so called Kashmir centric main stream politicians are taking a defensive line. Instead of the communally motivated resistance movement against the step instead of taking them head on by exposing their nefarious designs. The State Government has already diluted the step by announcing that Dogra certificates will be issued to only those who want to seek recruitment in the army or central para military forces. The Revenue Minster Raman Bhalla has announced that similar Kashmiri certificate can be issued to the people of Kashmir. Lately it is reported that the State Government has decided to approach the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to bring all the people of the state under the purview of the order. But the separatists are not satisfied and the hard liner Sayeed Geelani has announced that nothing short of revocation of the order will be acceptable to them. He has already given call for general strike in Kashmir against this step of the Government, taken with all the good intensions.
This has put the Government in binding, which is in a state of being between the devil and the deep sea. If it surrenders before the pressure of the separatists and revokes the order in this behalf, the same is bound to have a back lash in Jammu, with several pro- Jammu organizations and groups threatening to launch a strong agitation on the pattern of the one fought by Jammu people as one man against the cancellation of land allotment to SASB in 2008.
The amendment to the order on Dogra certificate by including all groups in J&K makes the mockery of the real intension of the order and defeats its very purpose. Dogras are short statured as compared to many other socio-ethnic groups in the country, including Kashmiris. Being a martial community from ages, they prefer joining army or para military forces. Comparatively short statured Dogra soldiers have shown their velour in various wars. It is in this light that the decision to issue Dogra certificates to the people of Jammu was taken. It includes Muslims of Jammu as well, including those belonging to Muslim majority areas of Poonch-Rajouri and Chenab valley belt. Like Hindu Dogras Muslims of Jmamu region including those from Muslim majority areas, have in the past shown their bravery as soldiers.
In the recent past many concessions in extending packages of incentives to Kashmiris exclusively either in the revival of tourism industry and trade in general or employment in various sectors have been extended from which the people of Jammu are deprived. But a simple concession granted to the people of Jammu, to partially compensate them for their deprivation and neglect in the past, is not being tolerated by the Kashmiri politicians who have raised the wolf cry of a conspiracy against them. The argument advanced to oppose the issuing of Dogra certificates to the people of Jammu is the same as was advanced in 2008 against the transfer of land to SASB for creating facilities of Amar Nath pilgrims. The wolf cry of a conspiracy to change the Muslim majority character of Kashmir by settling Hindus from outside the State on the land allotted to SASB was advanced then, besides threat to environmental pollution. This time to Hysteria is built creating scare of threat to Muslim majority character of Kashmir in particular and the state as whole in general. The gullible people of Kashmir were taken for ride and mislead by the communal elements, religious and anti-India elements. The same argument is being advanced now in support of their opposition to issuing of Dogra certificates. It is alleged that there is a conspiracy to settle Hindu Dogras from neighboring Himachal Pradesh in Jammu, thus converting the Muslim majority character of the State into Hindu majority.
Are Kashmiris so ignorant and unwise to believe in an impossible to be made possible? At a height of 13000 feet at Baltal which remains snow bound for eight months of the year and from where even nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals shift to plains in winter, who would come to settle there? Then so long as the provision of permanent certificate as mandatory for owning any movable property in J&K is there, how will people from rest of country permanently settle in J&K.?
The only conclusion that can be drawn is that Kashmiri politicians particularly the separatists are out and out anti-Jammu people including the Muslims in this region.
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