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| Media is the watchdog, it can't be selective & biased | | Discrimination: Jammu VS Kashmir | | Neha
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, July 8: What was the attitude of the Kashmir-based media to the findings, complaints and grievances of Swami Raj Sharma and Sonam Dawa? It said the State Finance Commission had "punctured the discrimination claims of some quarters in Jammu. The State Finance Commission report has shown Jammu ahead of Kashmir in the fields of primary education and animal husbandry while the valley retains upper hand in tourism."
The Kashmir-based media also said: "Surprisingly, a member of the commission from Jammu (Read Sharma) has cited figures from an independent source, contradicting the official figures, to justify 'discrimination' being meted out to Jammu region. State Finance Commission members from Jammu and Ladakh have been lobbying hard for inclusion of their demand of separate regional planning boards in the report. However, the demand was turned down by the rest of SFC members citing legal reasons" (read Mehmood-ur-Rehmand and Nissar Ali).
Besides, the Kashmir-based media said: "However, two of its members, Swami Raj Sharma from Jammu and Sonam Dawa from Ladakh, out rightly rejected the 'no discrimination claim' of SFC head Dr Mehmood-ur-Rehman and other members, including noted economist, Nisar Ali (read only Nissar Ali from Kashmir.) The duo also complained that they were not consulted in the final report."
Not just this, the Kashmir-based media further said; "Sources privy to State Finance Commission (read Rehman and Ali) disclosed…that a volume of the report has 127 pages alone on 'discrimination within the regions or districts' of the state. The report categorically states that Jammu region is far ahead than Kashmir in primary education and animal husbandry. More money has been pumped into Jammu region under these two sectors against Kashmir…The report has also advocated equal distribution of backwardness, which of course is a major benefit to people of Jammu region…The members of SFC have studied the developmental potential of all the 22 districts of the state and accordingly advocated administrative measures to ensure equitable development…Since Kashmir is considered as a major tourist hub, it has received enough funds under this sector and is ahead of Jammu. This is natural. Jammu doesn't have any place like Gulmarg or Pahalgam…"
The Kashmir-based media didn't stop here. It went on to say, "Sharma and Dawa have been pitching for separate regional planning boards in order to enjoy priority funding, something which is against the law of the land. It quoted the chairman of the SFC to make its point. "I (probably Mehmood-ur-Rehman) object to it. I gave six solid reasons that it was against the constitution. If this has to be done, the constitution has to be amended…Demand for regional planning boards was also going against the single-line administration system introduced by National Conference founder, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. At present the fund distribution system is done under state sector and district budgets. Though the concerns expressed by the Jammu and Ladakh members of SFC have been incorporated in the report, but not without a note by the commission head: 'We don't approve it.' According to sources, Sharma and Dawa wanted continuation of the Commission to enjoy 'luxurious life style and hi-tech gadgetry' and since their suggestion was not accepted, they gave a dissenting note."
Is this the way the media functions? It is the fundamental duty of the fourth state to present things as they are. It is free to give its own comments, but it just can't suppress facts. The manner in which the Kashmir-based media reacted to the findings of Sharma and Dawa does prove that it and all the Kashmiri-leaders, without any exception, are one as far as their negative attitude to the discriminated against Jammu province and Ladakh region is concerned. Similarly, the extent of the bias of the Kashmir-based media could be gauged from the fact that while Sharma and Dawa reflected on discrimination with Jammu in nine vital sectors, including Agriculture and Allied Departments, Health and Medical Education, Irrigation, Flood Control and PHE, Rural Development and Allied Departments and Roads and Buildings, the former depended on the biased State Finance Commission report and asserted that Jammu was ahead of Kashmir in the fields of primary education and animal husbandry while the valley retained upper hand in tourism.
Everything is self-revealing. The discrimination with Jammu province is real and glaring. It is indeed unfortunate that a section of the Kashmir-based media continues to distort facts and misleads people even today, thus negating the cardinal principles of journalism. (Concluded) |
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