JAMMU: Here is a point to ponder! How much Jammu has done for itself? There are varied answers, but the most worrying feature is that there is a lack of concerted effort to amplify the issues in a formal fashion. Jammu has been a witness to many agitations, rallies and seminars were the issues were raised. These things happened in fits and starts. Today, when the world is flooded with different viewpoints and focus areas, Jammu doesn’t figure as much as it should have been, because the effort is individual -centric.
It is time that think tanks and study cemtres should be set up in universities and other institutions to highlight contribution of its people in the nation-building and containing and curbing Pakistan sponsored terrorism in the whole of Jammu and Kashmir with supreme sacrifices. These are scattered facts. At times these have been compiled with selective suitability without bringing Jammu to core. The whole aspect of Jammu is summarized and submerged into J&K study related centers and institutions. This relegates the whole importance of the region and its contribution to the footnotes, which is quite unfortunate and a dark chapter of discrimination.
OUTLOOK
Jammu alone can reverse this trend. It needs to set up think tanks and study centers, focused exclusively on Jammu. When this is stated, it encompasses the whole of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and by extension the rest of the country. It also includes the territories of Jammu and Kashmir under the illegal occupation of China and Pakistan. This logic can be understood from the historical perspective – Ladakh was brought under Dogra rule by Jammu’s heroes led by Gen. Zorawar Singh and same holds true for the boundaries of the erstwhile state, parts of which are now under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. These are just few glimpses that highlight why there should be deeper and strategic-oriented think tanks.
There are loud noises about the discrimination with Jammu. The discrimination over the decades has been presented as a critical case of neglect of the people of the region for two reasons; the place was not given its due in the political decision-making and economic development, resulting in suppression its aspirations; and the region also suffered because of the lack of attention toward it. Putting it bluntly, the region was considered as a frill to Kashmir, the Valley that was incorporated into Dogra rule which had boundaries up to Tibet to make what was known as erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Under the Modi government that began its tenure about 11 years ago, Jammu was propelled into the national discourse. Its importance was made known to the country. This also remains a fact that Kashmir continued to hold place of primacy in this narration too. The violence in the Valley traced to Pakistan and the machinations of the neighbouring country and separatists caught attention of the nation. That also drew the international attention and commentary. For this reason, the Government of India paid greater attention to the Valley to neutralize terrorism and its ecosystem. That was a national necessity and priority to do the course-correction for the international community.
At this point in time when everyone has pinned high hopes on the Modi government for getting more power to the people of the place, which, he in fact, has been pursuing since May 2014 when Narendra Modi took over as PM, there is need for Jammu to become resurgent and resilient. The leadership of all hues does talk about the issues of Jammu. This is good .But lack of a political consensus on issues and the priority areas have been a big letdown. There is fragmentation on the political narrative despite the wide agreement that the place needs better recognition. This hurts Jammu. Political parties, regional and national, divided by their ideologies have never coordinated the things in a fashion that could have brought dividends and assured the new generation of the surety of their future.
All along there has been focus on the political parties and their ideologically-driven narratives. The civil society did emerge from time to time to raise the issues, but again the approach was very, very selective with no single umbrella defining them. Jammu’s media too has advanced the cause of Jammu and some of the conscientious social activists too have contributed a lot in bringing the like-minded people of the region together.
The current geopolitical needs and the situation in South Asian region places a task before Jammu’s social activists and all those who wish well for the region and its people to set up institutional framework of think tank, which involves all in the collective effort, as the past experiences of doing things in half-hearted manner have not served region’s interests and cause. This call has to be taken now. Tomorrow will be too late.