There are many angles through which Omar Abdullah’s return to chair of Chief Minister are being looked at, and one of the prisms was how would he entertain Jammu in decision -making. This particular issue had cropped up due to two reasons – BJP won 29 seats from Jammu’s Hindu dominated areas. Secondly, there were apprehensions that Kashmir-centric dispensation would keep Jammu off its place in the government or will not give due representation in the government. For the time being, Omar Abdullah has lived up to his word that they will carry Jammu region along as much as they would the Kashmir Valley. He has inducted Surinder Choudhary, who emerged as a giant killer by defeating BJP President Ravinder Raina in Nowshera constituency, as Deputy Chief Minister; and two others Javed Rana and Satish Sharma as ministers. This looks good because the Kashmir Valley, too, has been given three ministerial berths, including Chief Minister and two others being Sakina Ittoo and Javed Dar.
As the days will pass by, the stand of the Omar Abdullah government towards the Jammu region will become clearer. His attitude and approach towards issues of the Jammu region will determine the outreach he is willing to make. There is no way of prejudging things at this stage as he is overburdened by tons of challenges
On his part, the Chief Minister should understand the real perspective of balancing relations between the two regions. A striking fact is that the Kashmir division gave the National Conference a majority of seats that enabled him to form and lead the government . His party’s tally increased with independents aligning with it. NC’s ally Congress was the worst performer in Jammu region where it could win only one seat; five others came from the Valley where it was piggy-riding the alliance partner. . Once upon a time Congress held a remarkable position in the region. Historically, it was the most favoured party until 2014 when BJP dealt a body blow to the party. It could not recover in 2024. This should make the party introspect. All the time, it cannot depend upon the Gandhi family to sail it through. That experiment has also failed in J&K and Haryana.
Jammu’s issues need to be spelled out. Besides sharing the common problems like unemployment, and lack of connectivity, power and water crisis, this region has an accumulated anger over the discrimination meted out to it by successive governments. This region was taken for granted, and its aspirations were suppressed. It was deemed as a poor cousin of Kashmir even by the national parties, particularly the Congress. This attitude has not changed.
This region needs a sense of equality. The equality is not to be measured by the equal number of ministerial berths for Jammu as that of Kashmir. It needs equal share in all spheres– jobs, opportunities and development. The neglect that the region suffered since 1947 needs to be compensated. For example, tourist destinations need to be developed and publicized like the tourist resorts in Kashmir.The infrastructure is virtually non-existent in its tourist places. A look at the tourism huts and Dak Bungalows at Patnitop, Kud, Batote, Sanasar, Mansar and Bhaderwah exposes all the claims of the governments that they have devoted equal attention and investment in Jammu region’s tourist spots. Same holds true for its industries.
Jammu is also suffering from the bypass culture. Developments of new highways and ring roads are welcome, but where does it leave Jammu economically also demands answers. The education system, beyond the private schools, is crumbling. At many places, government schools are without proper buildings and other facilities. Jammu is more mountainous and remote than other parts of the UT. Quite often Jammu’s definition is drawn from its plains .It is just a selected view. Jammu is much larger in terms of geography, culture, language and areas. In a real sense, Jammu is mini-India.
That all the sufferings of Jammu accumulated over the decades cannot be overturned overnight. Omar Abdullah’s government has no magic wand to change things so soon. But two things can be done without any delay – a fact-based survey of the problems of the people in the region and ways suggested how to address these .Second, the civil society should be consulted to seek opinion and suggestions, making the region come out of its difficulties . That, however, cannot be done unless the region sets up a credible leadership and institutions.
