Jammu is burning for last two months. Every political party is trying his best to get out of this situation and make a clear path for victory in upcoming assembly election. Center is watching all this as a physically and mentally challenged creature of god (rather Allah!). The so called powerful persons and administrators of Indian democratic systems are showing their impotency. One fundamental question arises why at all such a scenario come in first place which led to the vioent display of oppressed Jammu citizens' anger and frustration.
People of Jammu has suffered a lot in last 60 years due to all pro-Pakistan and separatists movement in Kashmir. They remained calm on most of the occasions when larger chunks of development amount were spent on the smaller population of Kashmir. They did not display their anger on migration of Kashmiri Pandits. After 60 years of independence Jammu region is one of the underdeveloped regions of India. This is largely due to the absence of governence and terrorism and Kashmir. Jammu suffered for such a long time because none of thir mistakes. They kept quiet, all because they always felt like an Indian and just because they wanted Kashmir to be the part of India at any cost, they never complaint about the partial treatment.
Now just look at Kashmir and the Kashmiris (I don't know what each of the Kashmiri feels, but what their representatives feel is vary clear). India spent billions of dollar on kashmir's development and security. The per capita central support to J&K around Rs. 9754 Kashmir and Rs. 876 Bihar. Ten times better support and this figure doesn't include additional billions of dollar spent on defense. Point here to be noted is that out of this support most of the money is spent on Kashmir and Jammu junta find themselves at the receiving end. In 2004, the Prime Minister announced special package of $5 Billion for the development of state. We are spending our taxpayers money freely without thinking about anything else. For the sake of development of Kashmir we are depriving another states of funds. The states which contributes larger amount to tax collection are getting lower support than Kashmir which hardly contributes anything to the tax collection. We are still carrying the burden of Article 370 (thanks to appeasement policy) due to which Kashmir is not an another state despite being part of India. Our constitution and acts are not applicable (with the exception of Foreign policy, Defense and communication).
In my opinion the provision of article 370 in the constitution was the biggest blunder. Till now Kashmiris don't feel to be part of India. Even when separatists movement was at low the article 370 never gave them a sense of belongingness to India.
Coming to the current hue and cry over land transfer, we need to look the issue closely. The reasons given by the hardliners in opposition to the transfer of 40 Hectares of land to SASB.
The All-Parties Hurriyat Conference spread three canards: First, the transfer amounted to alienation of 'Kashmiri land'; second, it would lead to intrusion of 'Hindu culture' in Muslim Kashmir; and, third, it would cause ecological damage.
In a so called secular nation and the people who always shouted the "aawaz of Kashmiriyat" are now opposing a move based on communal grounds. Even after 60 years they are still feeling that Kashmir should be separate from rest of the India. And lastly, the firing and terrorist activities going on for so long has done no harm to the ecology of Kashmir that land transfer deal will do. Let me try to understand the rationality of their arguments on the communal basis. In our secular democratic country, exchequer spents about Rs. 300 Crores for the welfare of "Haz Yaatra" of 14% minority (of course 1-2 % are not minorities. After all 1-2 % don't constitute the vote banks.Christians, Sikhs, Bhudhists...who are they?). Government try their best to provide airfare subsidy, opens special terminal at airports, sends teams of medical staffs and so on. Nobody has any objections on that. Whay at all a secular state provides any kind of support in a religious activity. A country where illiteracy, infant mortality, malnutrition to name a few still remains a major problem, is spending such a huge amount on religious activities. When the same government tried to help the pilgrims belonging to the about 82% of the population these Kashmiris started feeling the pinch. How one can be so insane. Form any comaprison these two supports are unmatched.
These Kashmiri leaders have always keep India warning about their willingness to merger with Pakistan just because the state got the basic supports form the center always on a preferential basis. We have done enough. What have we got in the return? Always a sense of hostility, their affection for Pakistan. We ahve faced the separatist movements in a number of states. Punjab, Nagaland, Mizoram and many more. We didn't provide any special status to these states and finally all these states are back to normal life and part of Indian democratic system. We have already done enough to appeas Kashmir and the Kashmiris. Just stop this appeasement right now. Let them do whatever they want. Stop the central grant and let them realize there is something called Economics and politics can't fill the hungry stomach!! This is high time when we must take some bold move rather than just pacifuing the situtaion for the time being!
But, I am not very hopeful. Every party will ook at the situation from the angle of upcoming state assembly elections and more importantly upcoming parliamentary elections. Anyways, I sincerely appeal to every poltical party please rise above narrow election politics and stop this Kashmir appeasement right now!
People of Jammu has suffered a lot in last 60 years due to all pro-Pakistan and separatists movement in Kashmir. They remained calm on most of the occasions when larger chunks of development amount were spent on the smaller population of Kashmir. They did not display their anger on migration of Kashmiri Pandits. After 60 years of independence Jammu region is one of the underdeveloped regions of India. This is largely due to the absence of governence and terrorism and Kashmir. Jammu suffered for such a long time because none of thir mistakes. They kept quiet, all because they always felt like an Indian and just because they wanted Kashmir to be the part of India at any cost, they never complaint about the partial treatment.
Now just look at Kashmir and the Kashmiris (I don't know what each of the Kashmiri feels, but what their representatives feel is vary clear). India spent billions of dollar on kashmir's development and security. The per capita central support to J&K around Rs. 9754 Kashmir and Rs. 876 Bihar. Ten times better support and this figure doesn't include additional billions of dollar spent on defense. Point here to be noted is that out of this support most of the money is spent on Kashmir and Jammu junta find themselves at the receiving end. In 2004, the Prime Minister announced special package of $5 Billion for the development of state. We are spending our taxpayers money freely without thinking about anything else. For the sake of development of Kashmir we are depriving another states of funds. The states which contributes larger amount to tax collection are getting lower support than Kashmir which hardly contributes anything to the tax collection. We are still carrying the burden of Article 370 (thanks to appeasement policy) due to which Kashmir is not an another state despite being part of India. Our constitution and acts are not applicable (with the exception of Foreign policy, Defense and communication).
In my opinion the provision of article 370 in the constitution was the biggest blunder. Till now Kashmiris don't feel to be part of India. Even when separatists movement was at low the article 370 never gave them a sense of belongingness to India.
Coming to the current hue and cry over land transfer, we need to look the issue closely. The reasons given by the hardliners in opposition to the transfer of 40 Hectares of land to SASB.
The All-Parties Hurriyat Conference spread three canards: First, the transfer amounted to alienation of 'Kashmiri land'; second, it would lead to intrusion of 'Hindu culture' in Muslim Kashmir; and, third, it would cause ecological damage.
In a so called secular nation and the people who always shouted the "aawaz of Kashmiriyat" are now opposing a move based on communal grounds. Even after 60 years they are still feeling that Kashmir should be separate from rest of the India. And lastly, the firing and terrorist activities going on for so long has done no harm to the ecology of Kashmir that land transfer deal will do. Let me try to understand the rationality of their arguments on the communal basis. In our secular democratic country, exchequer spents about Rs. 300 Crores for the welfare of "Haz Yaatra" of 14% minority (of course 1-2 % are not minorities. After all 1-2 % don't constitute the vote banks.Christians, Sikhs, Bhudhists...who are they?). Government try their best to provide airfare subsidy, opens special terminal at airports, sends teams of medical staffs and so on. Nobody has any objections on that. Whay at all a secular state provides any kind of support in a religious activity. A country where illiteracy, infant mortality, malnutrition to name a few still remains a major problem, is spending such a huge amount on religious activities. When the same government tried to help the pilgrims belonging to the about 82% of the population these Kashmiris started feeling the pinch. How one can be so insane. Form any comaprison these two supports are unmatched.
These Kashmiri leaders have always keep India warning about their willingness to merger with Pakistan just because the state got the basic supports form the center always on a preferential basis. We have done enough. What have we got in the return? Always a sense of hostility, their affection for Pakistan. We ahve faced the separatist movements in a number of states. Punjab, Nagaland, Mizoram and many more. We didn't provide any special status to these states and finally all these states are back to normal life and part of Indian democratic system. We have already done enough to appeas Kashmir and the Kashmiris. Just stop this appeasement right now. Let them do whatever they want. Stop the central grant and let them realize there is something called Economics and politics can't fill the hungry stomach!! This is high time when we must take some bold move rather than just pacifuing the situtaion for the time being!
But, I am not very hopeful. Every party will ook at the situation from the angle of upcoming state assembly elections and more importantly upcoming parliamentary elections. Anyways, I sincerely appeal to every poltical party please rise above narrow election politics and stop this Kashmir appeasement right now!
No comments:
Post a Comment