Mahadeep Singh Jamwal
President’s/Governor’s rule is a black mark on the state’s autonomy. It completely neglects the people’s aspirations on the grounds of national interests. This is against democratic values. The State Legislative Assembly is dissolved or suspended during such rule, which again is absurd. But at the same time we see that political anarchy stops for a while. Procrastination reduces to meaningful levels and people/voters get another chance to correct mistakes and elect right people, if elections are held. Although the provisions have been miss-used by the politicians for their vested interests, but when we track down the history of J&K, we find whenever the state has been brought under Governor Rule, it has flourished and the development of that period seems on ground. The reduction in corruption also being felt but during popular governments, there always remains crises, chaos, rampant corruption, favoritism, discrimination and scandals only in addition to rise in militancy/terrorists activities.
The J&K is the State having special status in all the States of the Indian Union. It occupied an exceedingly important position in the political geography of undivided India. It is bounded on North by Chinese and the Russian Turkistan, and on the East by Tibet, while on the South and West of it, lay Punjab and North West Frontiers of India. The State was earlier under the rule of Hindus and Muslims. It came under the rule of Mughals under Emperor Akbar. After the period of Afghan rule from 1756, it was annexed to the Sikh Kingdom of the Punjab in 1819. On 16th March 1846, the Jammu and Kashmir came into being as a single political and geographical entity following ‘Treaty of Amritsar’. The Jammu and Kashmir State has three distinct Divisions, culturally and physiographical i.e. Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
The history about Jammu speaks of its control under Maurya, Kushan, Kushanshahs and Gupta; The Shahi Dynasty ruled it from 670 CE to the early 11th century, when Shahi were destroyed by the Ghaznavids. The area witnessed changes of control following invasions by Mughals and Sikhs, before finally falling under the control of the British. The ‘Dev’ Dynasty Ruled Jammu for about 984 years before being under direct Rule of Sikh Rulers and then under Dogra rulers.
The history about Kashmir speaks that from medieval times, Kashmir has been an important centre for the development of Buddist-Hinduist syncretism. Shah Miri Dynasty ruled from 1339 until 1342 and for the next five centuries, Muslim monarch ruled Kashmir, including the Mughals from 1526 until 1751, and the Afghans from 1747 until 1820. In 1819, the Kashmir Valley passed to the Sikh Empire under Ranjit Singh before being annexed by British in 1846 and then passing on to the Dogra rulers.
The history about Ladakh speaks that nearly 900 years, from the middle of the 10th century, Ladakh was an independent Kingdom, its Ruling Dynasties descending from the Kings of old Tibet. This region attracted covetous attention of Gulab Singh, the Ruler of Jammu in the 19th century and he deputed his General Zorawar Singh to invade Ladakh in 1834 AD. There followed a decade of war and turmoil, which ended with the emergence of the British, as the paramount Power in North India. Ladakh together with neighboring province of Baltistan was incorporated into the newly created state of Jammu & Kashmir.
Since the India became independent, J&K state remained boiling pot owing to territorial conflict between India & Pakistan. The subsequent accession was also exploited by insiders of Kashmir on the issue of plebiscite. The vested interests in Kashmir became soft peddlers of the enemy country and various organizations were funded to the fullest to keep the J&K in vibrations by orchestrating militant attacks, terrorist activities, managing civil orders, kidnapping, looting and all. Thus the state of J&K was made to suffer on both fronts from outside by thrusting three wars on it by Pakistan and by managing terrorists/militant attacks whereas inside the state the situation was is so created by insider minds in valley twisted by the various outfits, that every other day law & order situation was is created in the state that it always remain shattered by crises and chaos. At the international level to settle the territorial conflicts, it is the government of India making all efforts to settle the issue, although it has achieved zero result in this direction, whereas with regard to the internal disturbances the state government with the assistance of Government at the center has making all efforts. What if we churn the efforts of all the governments whether that of government in the center or at the state, we can easily conclude that whatever policies or plans mooted by the governments were just only an appeasement by dolling out crores of rupees in the valley on pretext of development but actually it was a sop to swindle away by the rulers although it just provided temporarily relief but not permanent solution. The inflow of abundant money in the state unchecked expenses of it made this state second highest corrupt state in the national index of corruption in the country. Many elections in the state brought popular governments in the state but owing to compulsions of their existence, we find that they remained sympathisers of the vested interests in one way or the other for their survival and they were toothless to hold on the vested interests creating trouble in the state. The maximum inclination of rulers/leaders towards Kashmir (including rulers/leaders from Jammu too) a great void has become visible and the hearts of both regions in practical do not accept each other except for customary relations. The state is at the brink of disintegration with the policies of the governments based on vote bank and discrimination with Jammu, on all fronts of oneness, depriving Jammu and Ladakh of its due share in employment, development, tourism, education and in all fields. Migration of one particular community from valley, migration of particular section of society from rural areas, injustice with refugees, discrimination even on deaths by any way requiring government compensation etc is going to be disaster for the state. The dead wood political fraternity from Jammu is mostly responsible for it.
(To be continued)