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| Politics, Panthers-style: Fast for Telangana, what about Agenda 2011? | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, July 8 : On July 7, Chairman of Panthers Party Bhim Singh, along with a few of his supporters, observed fast for a day at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, in support of the people of Telangana and expressed solidarity with their "legitimate and constitutional" demand for the creation of Telangana State. In addition, the Panthers Party decided to organize a "solidarity march from Delhi to Hyderabad in case Telangana is not declared State within 30 days." The Panthers Party also decided to go in for a one day fast at Jantar Mantar on August 1, the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The activities undertaken by the Panthers Party to make common cause with the agitating people of Telanga region in Andhra Pradesh (AP) are appreciable. Telangana region needs to given the status of statehood. The people of the region have been demanding separate state since more than four decades and their demand is as justifiable as it is constitutional and legitimate.
However, what has surprised the people of Jammu region all the more is its fullest possible support to the Telangana cause and its non-serious approach towards the Agenda 2011 which the Panthers Party adopted in January this year with great pomp and show. Notwithstanding the Panthers Party's splendid contribution to the national cause in 1981 and 2011, the Panthers Party's leadership has failed to come up to the expectations of the people of Jammu province as far as the implementation of the Agenda 2011 is concerned. In 1981, the Panthers Party had, it may be recalled, approached the Supreme Court of India and had obtained stay on the operation of the draconian 1981 Resettlement Act and on July I this year, the Panthers Party knocked at the doors of the Supreme Court against the rehabilitation policy the state government, in collaboration with the union government, worked out overlooking its dangerous ramifications for the unity and integrity of India. The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court would decide the case as and when listed for hearing.
The Agenda 2011 envisages separate assembly and separate chief minister for Jammu province. In other words, the Agenda 2011 seeks separation from Kashmir and an instrument that would empower the people of Jammu province to shape and control fully their political and economic future within India and under the Indian Constitution. This is what the neglected people of Jammu province want.
When the Panthers Party adopted the Agenda 2011, it was hoped that the party would leave no tone unturned to achieve the stated goal. But the hope today stands belied. Apart from holding a few demonstrations at a few places in Jammu province and a three-day-long tour of the border areas in support of its demand for separate assembly and separate chief minister, the Panthers Party has not undertaken any other activity to achieve the stated objective.
It is this lackluster approach or casual approach that has disappointed the people of Jammu province with some of them saying that the Panthers Party that could otherwise capture the political space of the unpopular Congress and disgraced BJP has only squandered the opportunity by virtually abandoning its Agenda 2011. One may not agree with this extreme view, but one can certainly agree that the Panthers Party has not taken up the issue of Jammu's empowerment in the manner it should have taken. Occasional outbursts are not the solution. What is needed is a full-scale campaign. The Panthers Party is capable of doing that. Let's see what the Panthers Party ultimately does to achieve the goal. But one thing is quite clear: The people of Jammu province do see a ray of hope in this Party, notwithstanding the political blunder it committed by voting for the PDP in the April 13, 2011 Legislative Council elections. |
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