The budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature commenced on February 28. Ever since then, all the ministers and legislators hailing from Kashmir and all the legislators hailing from Jammu, barring those belonging to the Congress party, including those enjoying the status of minister, have been clashing in the House. They have been taking on each other on developmental issues as well as ideological issues.
In fact, the past 26 days or so have witnessed these ministers and legislators taking on each other and trying their level best to identify themselves with the constituencies they represent, as also to make their stand public on the floor of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council on India and the Indian Constitution and the Dogra rulers and the nature of the administration they had provided between 1846 and 1947.
Those hailing from Kashmir have left none in any doubt that they want to have a limited relationship with the rest of the country. Some of them have even questioned the very accession of the state to India and accused New Delhi of maltreating the people of Kashmir and eroding their identity. Some of them have used very harsh language against the Dogra rulers and described them "zalimana" and accused them of adopting discriminatory policies towards the Kashmiri Muslims. They have, in addition, defended all the official decisions which have accorded a preferential treatment to Kashmir. These Ministers and legislators have got the maximum possible support from those Jammu-based legislators who belong to the Kashmir-based parties.
As for the legislators hailing from Jammu, barring those belonging to the Congress, they, too, have worked in unison till date. They have sought to put across their point of view and have left none in any doubt that they are religiously committed to India and that they are also committed to obtaining for the people Jammu province what they legitimately deserve. They have taken up the issues of delimitation, 73rd Amendment and Panchayati Raj, discrimination with Jammu, Central University, in fact, each and every issue that concerns the people of this province and the Indian nation as a whole. They have demonstrated within the House and outside it a number of times and they have walked out of the House umpteen times to register their emphatic opposition to the official policy towards Jammu. In fact, they have been as vocal as the Kashmir-based ministers and legislators. And it has perhaps happened for the first time. The fact that the legislators belonging the BJP, the Panthers Party (PP) and the Jammu State Morcha (JSM) have been working together forgetting their differences augurs well for the people of Jammu province as well as for the growth of democracy in the state.
The fact of the matter is that the legislators belonging to all the political formations, barring those belonging to the Congress, have demonstrated what they stand for. None of them has even once minced words. They have been candid.
The legislators belonging to the Congress party, especially those who hail from Jammu province, including ministers, have, on the other hand, kept absolutely mum. They have seldom opened their mouths. They have left everything to be decided between the Kashmir-based ministers and legislators and the BJP, the PP and the JSM legislators. They have not thought it proper to clear their stand on the demand seeking appointment of delimitation commission and an end to the discriminatory policies being evolved and ruthlessly implemented by the Kashmir-centric leadership. Nor have they thought it prudent to take on those from Kashmir who poured venom on the Dogra rulers and questioned the accession of the state to India.
Not just this, they have also not even once questioned the policies being pursued by their alliance partner (NC) - policies that are being roundly criticized in Jammu province on various counts. They have not uttered a single word even when the provocation was grave. The case in point is the blistering attack on Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress party. It is hardly necessary to name that man who condemned and Congress, not once but umpteen times after January 5, 2009. Everyone knows who that legislator is. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Jammu-based Congress ministers and other Congress legislators have become non-existent for all practical purposes.
Why are they playing a passive role? What is their compulsion? The kind of the role they are playing has raised these and several other similar questions. Even the Congress workers have failed to understand what has gone wrong with the Jammu-based Congress ministers and legislators. They are feeling aghast and perturbed. The situation has climaxed to the point that virtually no Congressman visits the party headquarters in Jammu. This is a serious situation. The Congress leadership has to take note of it and act. Any failure on its part to activate its ministers and legislators will simply help its political opponents capture the political space the Congress at present occupies.
In fact, the past 26 days or so have witnessed these ministers and legislators taking on each other and trying their level best to identify themselves with the constituencies they represent, as also to make their stand public on the floor of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council on India and the Indian Constitution and the Dogra rulers and the nature of the administration they had provided between 1846 and 1947.
Those hailing from Kashmir have left none in any doubt that they want to have a limited relationship with the rest of the country. Some of them have even questioned the very accession of the state to India and accused New Delhi of maltreating the people of Kashmir and eroding their identity. Some of them have used very harsh language against the Dogra rulers and described them "zalimana" and accused them of adopting discriminatory policies towards the Kashmiri Muslims. They have, in addition, defended all the official decisions which have accorded a preferential treatment to Kashmir. These Ministers and legislators have got the maximum possible support from those Jammu-based legislators who belong to the Kashmir-based parties.
As for the legislators hailing from Jammu, barring those belonging to the Congress, they, too, have worked in unison till date. They have sought to put across their point of view and have left none in any doubt that they are religiously committed to India and that they are also committed to obtaining for the people Jammu province what they legitimately deserve. They have taken up the issues of delimitation, 73rd Amendment and Panchayati Raj, discrimination with Jammu, Central University, in fact, each and every issue that concerns the people of this province and the Indian nation as a whole. They have demonstrated within the House and outside it a number of times and they have walked out of the House umpteen times to register their emphatic opposition to the official policy towards Jammu. In fact, they have been as vocal as the Kashmir-based ministers and legislators. And it has perhaps happened for the first time. The fact that the legislators belonging the BJP, the Panthers Party (PP) and the Jammu State Morcha (JSM) have been working together forgetting their differences augurs well for the people of Jammu province as well as for the growth of democracy in the state.
The fact of the matter is that the legislators belonging to all the political formations, barring those belonging to the Congress, have demonstrated what they stand for. None of them has even once minced words. They have been candid.
The legislators belonging to the Congress party, especially those who hail from Jammu province, including ministers, have, on the other hand, kept absolutely mum. They have seldom opened their mouths. They have left everything to be decided between the Kashmir-based ministers and legislators and the BJP, the PP and the JSM legislators. They have not thought it proper to clear their stand on the demand seeking appointment of delimitation commission and an end to the discriminatory policies being evolved and ruthlessly implemented by the Kashmir-centric leadership. Nor have they thought it prudent to take on those from Kashmir who poured venom on the Dogra rulers and questioned the accession of the state to India.
Not just this, they have also not even once questioned the policies being pursued by their alliance partner (NC) - policies that are being roundly criticized in Jammu province on various counts. They have not uttered a single word even when the provocation was grave. The case in point is the blistering attack on Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress party. It is hardly necessary to name that man who condemned and Congress, not once but umpteen times after January 5, 2009. Everyone knows who that legislator is. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Jammu-based Congress ministers and other Congress legislators have become non-existent for all practical purposes.
Why are they playing a passive role? What is their compulsion? The kind of the role they are playing has raised these and several other similar questions. Even the Congress workers have failed to understand what has gone wrong with the Jammu-based Congress ministers and legislators. They are feeling aghast and perturbed. The situation has climaxed to the point that virtually no Congressman visits the party headquarters in Jammu. This is a serious situation. The Congress leadership has to take note of it and act. Any failure on its part to activate its ministers and legislators will simply help its political opponents capture the political space the Congress at present occupies.
|
|
|
|
Get Free Email Updates Daily! |
Follow us! 
|
0 comments:
Post a Comment