Dr Nutan K Resutra
This is a very popular scene from the epic movie Sholay; when Gabbar Singh asks: Ab tera kya hoga Kalia? Kalia saya: Sardar, maine aap ka namak khaya hai. Comes the reply: Toh ab goli kha. To me, there is a remarkable similarity between this scene and the case for Jammu as a separate State.
I request my learned readers to kindly bear with me when I say we the Jammuties are now tired, rather exhausted. We are tired of shouting again and again and again and again each time when discrimination takes place against Jammu. Sometimes, this shouting becomes agitation also which in turn makes governments- both at the Centre and the State- unwillingly listen to us and placate us. As a result, Jammu also gets something that it had been deserving, but constantly being denied so far. For, that had already been assigned to Kashmir. The intensity of agitation determines whether we get our due share or not; but it seems invariably, agitation or an unrest among people has to be there to get due for Jammu. And this discrimination is not something that has happened in recent past decade or twenty years; it has been happening since the time the reign of Maharaja Hari Singh came to an end and we became so- called Independent India!
Friends, I will not go too far back into those days. I will only concentrate on some recent incidents. Discriminatory Budget Allocations for various projects, Kashmir verses Jammu, now have become only a news item in print media and do not raise an eye brow. Let us not talk about selection of students of a particular religion in Shrine Board University; but surely look into the selections for Football Team and the Cricket Team. As far as the Shrine Board Medical College is concerned; the matter stands resolved by withdrawing permission granted to the SMVDMC. But here I sincerely wonder: are the Hindus really – please excuse me for using the word- so dumb in intelligence that out of fifty, not even ten have the matching I Q of those who had been sent to this College? Well, this can be better answered by the agencies who made those selections, and not by me.
Similar situation seems to be resented when selections for football team is made. Through -out the Jammu Province, is there not a single football player who can compete to come even at the twentieth position? Are we the Jammu -walas so sluggish in playing football? And in the case of Cricket Team, we do not account for even five good players? Then why not to forget cricket and start playing gulli-danda only if our children cannot get chance to shine in the gentleman’s game. Frankly, it is being portrayed that one and all in Jammu can neither play, nor compete in academics with our respected fellow citizens of the Valley. Because we are still the Second -Class citizens! To me, merely forming of Committees to enquire into the matter is just not the solution.
I am again recalled of an episode from yet another movie when in some other context Amitabh Bacchan remarks: “No means No!”And I say: Enough is Enogh.Aub Bus!” Right from the famous Bum Bum- Bholey or Amarnath Land Agitation to striving for AIIMS to Central University to SMVDMC to Cricket Team to Football Team, the people of Jammu have to cry hoarse to make governments listen. And they listen reluctantly, ultimately considering Jammu demand. I wonder: is this the only course left that we keep on forming Sangharsh Samities and protest?
And now another issue is simmering to become yet another base for a new agitation. It had been in the grapevine that National Law University will be established in Jammu. Suddenly, about a month and a half back, the Chief Minister announced that the said National Law University will be set up in Kashmir! And now various organisations including the Bar Association are up in arms against the announcement of the CM and have threatened a major agitation including chakka jam and complete bandh. We may be in for witnessing another conflict of issues between the two regions. Interestingly, I see a very positive development in all these incidents. The demand for a separate Jammu State is now after all becoming a reality. The think -tank of the authorities- that -be must have realised that the agitation concerning the Shrine Board Medical College is now going the Jammu State way; and hence a prompt decision, right or wrong, was taken and permission by NMC withdrawn: lest the inevitable happens.
All kudos to Shri Sham Lal Sharma ji, the Hon’ble MLA from the BJP who has dared to raise this demand once again. He had also raised the same concerns when he was in INC in 2010 for which the then High Command had been too displeased with him; but he held his grounds. To me, he is at the moment the beacon light to strive for a separate Jammu State- although we all realise this is a Herculean Task.
Let us think with a cool and calm mind. Dividing the present UT into two as Jammu State and Kashmir State will be ultimately beneficial for all. Everyone knows that the leadership of Kashmir does not get full support from their counterparts, and the vice-versa. And under given political arrangement, it is also not possible that a person from Jammu (please read Hindu) can ever become the Chief Minister of the State! The division of the State into two will satisfy all. Kashmir has a great potential of tourism, handicrafts and local products. With a full-fledged State, it will surely prosper giving an envious touch to the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir that is yearning to join with India; besidescountering the general perception created among them by vested interest that Jammu people are their parasites, once and for all. As is being claimed by our many Central Senior leaders, POK will itself become part of India without any war. Again, in that situation, One separate Kashmir State will suit the purpose of everyone.
On similar terms, Jammu will also prosperwith its own political setup and multiple opportunities for people. Nature has been too kind in bestowing upon Jammu its bounties; with tourist circuits and religious attractions calling for religious-tourism opportunities, providing much needed boost to the hospitality sector of Jammu. The feeling of being betrayed among younger generation and scary unemployment among them will be much taken care of.
But then all this is not too simple, I know that. It is now the ripe time that Sham Lal Sharma Ji, Prof. Hari Om, General G.S. Jamwal, Prof. Virender Gupta and their kind come out in the open vociferously, providing much needed momentum to this yearning desire of whole of Jammu. We, not may, but surely will have to make sacrifices too in making this dream come true for the coming generations. To quote an example, three hundred plus people were martyred in Haridwar when Uttrakhand was to come into existence.
Many of my friends ask me: Is this possible to have a separate Jammu State? And I smile and reply:Modi hai to mumkinhai !