Shiv Kumar Padha
There was a short moral story ‘Vain Stag’ in our sixth class English text book which read, a stag saw its image in the clear water while it was drinking water in the steam. The stag felt proud when it saw crown like branches of horns on its head but at the same time it felt small and ashamed looking at its thin and shabby legs. Suddenly a hunter spotted the deer and chased it. The deer ran very fast on its thin legs but its horns got struck in a bush and was caught by the hunter. The deer realised that the legs which it hated helped escaping from the hunter but the horns which it admired landed it in trouble. Many poets, thinkers have written much in the praise of Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir) like ‘if there is paradise on earth it is here in Kashmir… Bapu Gandhi saw a ray of light only in Kasmir, for many, Kashmir is Switzerland of India. Many lyricists wrote songs on the beauty of Kashmir like ‘ HAR CHEHRA YAHAN CHAND HAR ZARRA SITARA YEH VADIYE KASHMIR HAI ZANNAT KA NAZARA. In spite of the commendations
and the rich gifts from the bountiful nature, Jammu and Kashmir State has brought for its subjects, chaos, unemployment, favoritism, corruption, discrimination, violence and all that detrimental for the peace, tranquility, sovereignty and integrity of the country in general and Jammu and Kashmir State in particular. Ever since independence Jammu and Kashmir has failed to deliver peace, prosperity, facilities, justice, employment and equitable share in the development of the three regions of the State. Jammu and Kashmir is a consumer state with zero contribution to the national exchequer and the receptor of the maximum central assistance, maximum part of which is utilised in providing security and protection to the separatists, the masterminds of terrorism in the Valley, providing amenities and employment to the stone pelters and for the rehabilitation of the terrorists returning back from Pakistan with families and reconstructing the school and hospital buildings torched by the terrorists.
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has never come up to the expectations of the people especially in the political vision, education, health and industrialisation sectors, employment and power generation, connectivity, irrigation, providing potable water to the people and equitable and sustainable development of all regions. Demographically there are 64 per cent Hindus, 24 per cent muslims and 2 per cent Sikhs and other communities in the State. Geographically Jammu Division is spread over26,293 sq. kmts. with a population of,( according to the 2011 census), 53,50811. The decision of National Conference leadership in 1951 delimited the constituencies arbitrarily. This decision resulted into more constituencies for Kashmir than Jammu and Ladakh. This division paved the way for Chief Minister from Kashmir. The Chief Ministers from Kashmir Division were always inclined towards the development of Kashmir at the cost of Jammu and Ladakh Division which represent 44 per cent of total population of the State. Owing to the Kashmir centric government in the State there is widespread discrimination with other divisions of the State in terms of employment, infrastructure, funds, agriculture, education, health tourism sectors and in many other aspects. In spite of tall claims of the political parties there is a vast regional imbalance seen within the State.
As compared to other states of the country there is negligible number of professional, medical, engineering institutions, universities and the management institutes which are quite in-adequate for the growing number of aspirant youth of the State. There is mushrooming of the degree colleges in almost every block of the State but their standard is too low to be compared with the middle school in respect of infrastructure, faculty and equipment. Due to the dearth of educational facilities and the employment opportunities in the State thousands of the jobseekers and aspirants of higher education are compelled to leave the State and their aged parents at home in despair. In order to live with their families many families from Jammu and Ladakh regions are compelled to move out resulting in mass scale exodus of Dogra families. This is all due to the decisions taken by the Kashmir centric rulers. Kashmir region has always been getting lion’s share in the matter of employment, distribution of funds or development. There are 90 per cent employees from Kashmir division in the civil secretariate. Out of 12 corporations with their headquarters at Srinagar all the employees belong to Kashmir. The number of unemployed in Jammu region is double of the prevalent in Kashmir. Apart from regular and transparent employment there are political and backdoor employment of the blue eyed, sycophants and the stooges.
In the name of industrialisation there is only corruption industry in the State which is flourishing under the patronage of the bureaucrats and ministers. The Jammu and kashmir is ranked number one among the corrupt states of the country. The bureaucratic and political corruption is at the peak these days where the bureaucrats and the political leaders in the echelons of power are brazenly minting money more than their predecessors in the previous governments. There are still areas of the State which have not seen the light of the bulb and the roads in the 21 st. centaury. The giant buildings of the hospitals in the State constructed under the centrally sponsored schemes are like great boast with little roast because all these hospitals in the State are functioning without doctors, allied medical staff, medicines, equipment, potable waters and life saving drugs. Many poor patients die before death in the absence of proper treatment.
There is no network of irrigation canals as a result every item from cereals, vegetables to the items of higher order are imported from the neighboring states. Article 370 of the Indian Constitution is proving an obstacle in the progress at par with other states of the country. The Article 370 and 35-a of the Indian Constitution empowers the State Government to allow or disallow the investment of any kind from the NRIs, Indian industrialist houses and the MNCs which deprive the gullible people of State from the opportunities of employment.
The rise of insurgency, turmoil and terrorism converted the whole Kashmir Division into hell and made it unworthy for the peace loving citizens to live there in. The genocide in Kashmir let loose a reign of terror which resulted into the merciless, inhuman and the brutal killing and skinning of the Kashmiri Pandits in 1993, mass killing of Sikhs in Chitisingpora and the mass scale migration of the entire population of non muslims created vacuum in the State. The appeasement and rewarding of the dreaded terrorists, stone pelters and the separatists by the government has brought the intentions of the Coalition Government of the State under scanner. Attending the funeral processions of the slain terrorists and declaring them as martyr by the leaders of Kashmir based political parties, discouraging and condemning the Indian Army, killing mercilessly the nationalist Kashmiri Police and police officers in the presence of these leaders tantamount to the brazen act of sedition and treachery. The political and separatist leaders of the Valley who steer and spearhead the terrorist activities in the Valley, instigate the youth to take up arms, finance the movement, are the real culprits and masterminds of terrorist activities in the Valley who are proving more dangerous than the master minds sitting in the Pakistan.
The question arises, after all, why anyone should appreciate a State;
1. Where the predators and the armed terrorists roam fearlessly in the streets while the law abiding citizens are compelled to remain indoors.
2. Where no one is secure even in the temples and mosques. In the market places, in schools and public places.
3. Where the national army is targeted and ambushed everyday and the nationalist police and army officers are killed and lynched in public by the hooligans.
4. Where the stone pelters are rewarded and the FIR is registered against the army officers, saviours of humanity.
5. Where hurling of ISI and Pakistan flags in the presence of the army and police has become the order of the day.
6. Where the National Flag is torched and disrespected.
7. Where the valley based masterminds enjoy Z type security on the government expenses and the common man is left on the mercy of God.
8. Where the bus stands, railway stations and the airports are on the target of the subversive forces.
9. Where school and hospital buildings are gutted by the terrorists everyday.
10. Where the justice of the government tilts in favour of the anti national forces.
11. Where the development of the peaceful regions of the State has come to halt.
The BJP clan from Jammu, partner in the Coalition Government in the State, cannot escape from the charges of hands in glove with PDP the ruling partner, in making the environment volatile in the State.
The cursed thin legs of the deer are like the patriot citizens of Jammu region who are the real strength and power of the State whereas the branched and beautiful horns which always put the deer in troubles can be compared with Kashmir and Kashmiriat which has got on the nerves of every nationalist Indian.