‘Govt hell-bent to implement idea of greater Kashmir’
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Questioning the terminology used by the Department of Higher Education in Government order No. 453 HE of 2017 dated August 3, 2017 to quell the voice of Jammu people seeking introduction of Dogri subject in Degree Colleges, Harsh Dev Singh, JKNPP Chairman and former Education Minister, expressed his apprehensions about the real intentions of the Coalition Government. Pointing towards the use of word “reserved” in the aforesaid order, Singh said that it did not carry any meaning until and unless these “reserved” posts were converted to Dogri.
He said that even legally no benefit could accrue by merely using the words “reserved” without formally assigning and converting these posts into Dogri.
He also said that it was not merely a matter of satisfaction of people of Jammu region but even the legal formalities would remain incomplete and inconclusive without conversion of the said reserved 49 posts into Dogri.
Describing the August 3 order as a mere window dressing for the gullible, Harsh castigated the BJP leaders in particulars whose half hearted and apathetic approach towards Jammu had pushed the Dogras to terminal decline. He said that despite BJP being an equal partner in the government, the people of Jammu were being given one shocker after the other. He said that BJP leadership needed to explain to the Jammu people as to whether they did not understand the difference between “reserved” and “converted” or else it is a part of their sinister strategy to keep their Kashmir masters in good humour.
Further questioning the BJP-PDP move of introducing Kashmir language in Jammu based colleges, Singh wondered as to whose demand was being addressed by the ruling alliance. He said that creation of 49 posts for 46 degree colleges of Jammu region and its start from Poonch District in DC Surankot defied logic and rationale and could only be seen as attempt to implement Dixon Plan in the State of J and K. He said that with hardly any students and with none in Jammu seeking introduction of Kashmiri language, the PDP dominated government had further embarked upon its agenda of its much proclaimed slogan of Greater Kashmir with puppet ministers of BJP acting as mute spectators and mere ornamental pieces in the Mehbooba led government.
Agreeing for the sake of arguments that the incumbent government wanted to introduce vernacular language in degree colleges, Singh argued as to why and how the Dogri and Punjabi languages continued be ignored by the government forcing the people to come to the streets.
He said that while all languages needed to be respected and honoured, the 49 new posts of Kashmiri need to be assigned to Kashmir and Jammu region educational institutions be provided with their own vernacular languages and subjects. He said that JKNPP believed in secular credentials and would not allow the exploitation of people on communal and linguistic lines for vested political interests.
