Col Shiv Choudhary (Retd)
Once envisioned as a model settlement reflecting the pride, discipline, and shared ethos of India’s defence community, Sainik Colony in Jammu today is drifting dangerously away from its founding ideals. What was meant to be a self-sustaining, well-organized township for serving and retired military personnel now reflects internal decay; not just infrastructural, but moral and communal. The tragedy lies not in the absence of plans or resources, but in a collective erosion of willpower, cooperation, and civic responsibility. At the heart of this decline is a troubling paradox: a colony built for those who once lived by discipline now struggles under the weight of entitlement and apathy. The very residents who should have been its stewards have, in many ways, become passive spectators or active contributors to its unravelling.
The original blueprint of Sainik Colony included spacious homes, wide roads, parks, a school, healthcare space, and commercial zones; hallmarks of a thriving residential ecosystem. But that vision now suffers under a growing culture of blame, incorrect actions and inaction. Residents demand services but show little interest in supporting or participating in the systems that deliver them. Meetings go unattended, volunteerism is rare, and civic engagement has been reduced to complaints and WhatsApp forwards. The management committee elected by the residents themselves is treated less like a representative body and more like a scapegoat for everything that doesn’t work. While people hurl accusations freely, few step forward with real solutions, ideas, or effort are the need..
The spirit of cooperation has been replaced by confrontation. The courtroom has become the default venue for resolving even minor disputes. Endless legal cases are pending in various courts, many related to encroachments, illegal constructions, faulty allotments, habitual defiance of rules, and other property conflicts. Disputes that could be easily resolved through dialogue and compromise are dragged into prolonged litigation. Stay orders are used not as a last resort but as weapons to stall development. These legal proceedings, instead of serving justice, often delay progress and foster deep resentment. No court can enforce mutual respect or community spirit. That must come from within.
Signs of decline are all around. Land occupied by houses since 1973 faces challenges of ownership. A school once intended as a beacon of academic excellence lies in neglect. Land earmarked for a hospital is either misused or lies vacant. A major shopping complex remains stalled under litigation. Parks are barren, poorly maintained, or illegally occupied. Infrastructure suffers not just from budget constraints but from a fundamental lack of ownership, civic discipline, and community culture. When public spaces become nobody’s responsibility, they quickly become everyone’s burden.
Cleanliness, a basic measure of any functioning society, is another casualty. Despite active and low-cost garbage collection, residents still dump waste in empty plots, road corners, and public spaces. Construction debris is left to rot for years. Shockingly, open defecation still continues. Those who raise objections are mocked or ignored. Campaigns like “Clean, Green, and Fresh” fail-not due to poor planning but due to a complete absence of participation. Cleanliness is not a slogan; it’s a daily habit and a shared commitment. Yet, many hide behind the argument that paying taxes absolves them of any further responsibility. This is a highly flawed and damaging belief.
Security is a growing concern, yet there is widespread resistance to even basic safety measures. With multiple open entry points, a transient tenant population, and unverified domestic help, anxiety is rising especially among seniors and families with children. CCTV installations and patrolling are the need of every house, but few residents are willing for them. What’s worse is the reluctance to even verify tenants, report suspicious activity, or check unknown persons loitering in the area. The cost of basic security is endlessly debated; the cost of ignoring it is quietly endured by all.
Traffic and parking have become daily sources of frustration. Vehicles are parked randomly and road space is clogged with two-wheelers. Suggestions for order are ridiculed. Rule-followers are mocked while violators are excused or even celebrated. This chaos is not due to a lack of space, but a lack of discipline and collective thinking. Even compassion has been mismanaged. Stray animals roam freely, and often fed in public areas without planning. There is no sterilization program, no feeding zones, and no coordinated action from the authorities. The result is a risk of accidents, hygiene risks, damage to plants.
Financial contribution is perhaps the clearest indicator of the mindset within the colony. Despite the lowest maintenance charges among organized colonies in India, nearly 80% of residents default. Ironically, many of these defaulters are the first to complain about potholes, unlit streets, drainage issues, or leaking pipes. Maintenance fees are not charity; they fund staff salaries, utilities, infrastructure upkeep, and legal support. Without these funds, nothing can operate. The question isn’t “what is the committee doing?” but “why is the community refusing to invest in its own well-being?”
A toxic culture has recently emerged where new committee members are branded as corrupt, dictatorial, illiterate, divisive, or unworthy, often by those whose only aim is to occupy office for property-related interests. While every elected body must be held accountable, expecting miracles from an unsupported committee is both unrealistic and unjust. The committee is not the enemy. The real issue is the rising culture of entitlement without participation, and of criticism without contribution. Many residents refuse to remove illegal extensions, won’t park responsibly, won’t verify tenants, won’t clear debris outside their homes, or attend meetings. Sadly they remain loud in their condemnation of everything and everyone.
A small but vocal group of vested interests is the real estate speculators, politically driven disruptors, and opportunists. They flourish on such a fertile ground of mistrust. Their tactic is clear: discredit the committee, divide the community, paralyze progress, and eventually create a leadership vacuum they can exploit. And in a largely silent colony, their voices echo loudest. Misinformation, whisper campaigns, and social media manipulation are tools in their arsenal. They discourage genuine initiatives, mock positive actions, and actively suppress constructive communication. Their influence must be recognized, challenged, and firmly rejected; not with counter-conflict but with clarity, transparency, and collective resolve.
The problems facing Sainik Colony are deep, but not irreversible. What’s needed isn’t massive budgets or sweeping reforms, it’s a change in mindset. Rebuilding this colony begins not with cement, gates or hits on social media, but with values: individual discipline, cooperation, mutual support, respect for rules, and shared responsibility. Every resident must stop thinking like a consumer and start behaving like a stakeholder. Progress won’t come from court orders, social media battles, loud protests or anti management propaganda; it will come from quiet, consistent, everyday action, paying dues, attending meetings, following rules, verifying tenants, participating in cleanliness drives, and above all treating this colony like a home worth preserving.
Imagine, even for a moment, if the management office ceases to exist tomorrow. Who would address complaints? Who would represent collective interests in court or government offices? Who would coordinate repairs and maintenance, pursue power and water-related grievances, organize cleanups, or resolve disputes? The answer is clear: chaos would prevail. And that’s exactly the scenario some disruptive forces are hoping for. But that future is not inevitable. A management committee alone cannot solve the problem. A renewed and clear commitment from all residents can.
The real question isn’t “What is the colony becoming?” but rather “What am I doing to improve it?” Because the future of Sainik Colony will not be defined by slogans, gamesor scheming against elected body, but by collective actions. Real change starts not with the next election, but with the next decision to care, to contribute, to clean, to cooperate, and to commit.
Present management committee is firmly on track and would maintain direction and drive for betterment of entire colony irrespective of any disruption and distractions.
The residents, collectively and surely can only transform this colony. Indeed, the transformation is inevitable.
(The writer is a motivational speaker and a change-maker).