Equitable development of two regions of UTs of J&K & Ladakh given more push after August 2019

Identities of Bharat are now better seen in ‘Kanayakumari to Ladakh’ that has large LOC and IB

Daya Sagar

The Princely state of J&K was the largest Indian state (2,22,236* sq km or 2.2 Lakh sq Km or 0.22 Million sq Km area )under the colonial rule of “British Indian Empire” that formally acceded to independent Indian Dominion in October 1947only after Pakistan “engineered” armed attack on the state that was then ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh Though after the accession Indian forces were there to defend the territory but since by then Pakistani regulars in the guise of ‘raiders’ had gained some grounds before ceasefire was declared in the interest of peace in the region hoping that United Nations organisation would make Pakistan to vacate the occupied area without any further loss life. .
During the British times J&K was more known as Kashmir ( why, can be discussed separately) and even after J&K becoming an integral part of independent Democratic Republic of India the areas / people / affairs of J&K have been, more addressed as ‘Kashmir and their aspirations as Kashmiri aspirations by the political leaderships and governments ( both local and Union level ). Whereas the then ( 1947) Princely state was spread over three distinct regions of Ladakh – 73.81% area, Jammu – 16.27 % area & Kashmir ( Valley) – 9.92% area regions and even after October 1947, excluding the areas occupied by Pakistan, the Ladakh Region was the Largest in area -96701 sq km , though very thinly populated, Jammu Region – 26293 sq km was 2nd largest and Kashmir Valley was the smallest region – 15948 sq km. But still even socio – economically weaker areas / people of Kashmir valley too did not receive fair treatments( what to talk of rarely addressed other two regions) and common masses were kept more engaged in regional /communal controversies by the ‘ruling elite’. To be brief common man of all three regions has remained in disadvantage socially and economically, but more to disadvantage outside valley since bulk of distantly placed areas / people belong to regions outside valley. Outside world also knew J&K only as ” Kashmir ” and has been seeing the issues related to people of J&K more only as what was being said by local Kashmir valley mainstream leaderships , some separatist elements in Kashmir valley and specifically what opinions / myths that were generated from Pakistan soil in the Name of Kashmir ‘issue’ where as there was no Kashmir issue though there could surely be some region specific issues in J&K. But the vision has started showing some ‘revision’ after 7 decades oof independence , more particularly after 2019 August.
People have been suffering of bad nomenclatures and misrepresentations for nearly 7 decades till the State of J&K was reorganised into two UTs under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 NO. 34 OF 2019 ( received assent of President of India on 9th August 2019 ) in the Seventieth Year of the Republic of India with which surely a ‘message’ has gone to the people ‘outside’ that the real dimensions of Bharat Varsh are from Ladakh to Kanayakumari. (although some people of J&K are emotionally hurt for having been reduced from a State to UTs).
People of Ladakh region live in very cold & very poorly connected zones and almost remain cut off for about six months. The students and the sick had to spend fortunes for higher education and health cover. It has been now after 7 decades of Independence that The Ministry of Home Affairs (Government of India) has even accorded approval in December 2021 for establishment of even multidisciplinary Forensic Science Laboratory in Ladakh ,GOI has initiated setting up Sindhu Central university in Ladakh in addition to Ladakh University ( started in 2019) and also a Medical College, works/ plans accelerated in UT of Ladakh for laying of power transmission lines under PM’s Development Package so as to phase out DG sets, approved taking up 20 MW solar project at Phyang for continuous power supply to villages under D.D. Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, and so..
For the purposes of clarities it has been for the first time explicitly laid down in 2019 for general information that the territories of Leh District of UT of Ladakh constitute – “Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilas, Tribal territory and ‘Leh and Ladakh’ except present territory of Kargil” and maps have also been issued in November 2019 very clearly showing the areas occupied by Pakistan and China as Indian territories. Earlier also suggestions had been made to also show the areas occupied by Pakistan /China in the Jurisdictions of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir/ Divisional Commissioner Jammu/ Deputy Commissioner Leh/ Kargil, hope that too will be done soon.
All these years in general discussions Pakistan occupied areas been referred as POK but now after 2015 officially / politically the Pakistan Occupied areas as mentioned as Pakistan Occupied areas of “J&K'” i.e POJK with has surely weakened the expressions of those who have receiving attention of own side world in the name of ‘Kashmir issue” since the real dimensions of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir have been placed before one and all more pointedly only after 2019.
Not only that, even internally, the process of equitable development of two regions of UT of J&K and the areas in UT of Ladakh is being given more fair push after August 2019 which could be well seen from some of the welfare and promotional actions taken by Government of India under President rule in UT of J&K and UT of Ladakh. For instance process for providing a representative of nearness in time/ distance in the Legislative Assembly to people of UT of J&K to the people belonging to distance / bad areas had been initiated in 2020 only instead of earlier slated for after 2031 where under ‘open’ injustice done to under privileged areas/ people over last 7 decades has been surely reduced to some extent (if not totally) with delimitation order of 2022.