BLUNT BUTCHER
JAMMU: National Conference has supported hoisting of Jammu and Kashmir flag by an independent lawmaker in Srinagar, saying there is nothing wrong in it. But the party, that ruled better part of the past over four decades, never ever showed such kind of eagerness to denounce those burning tricolour in full public gaze, almost every alternate day.
The ruling PDP and the opposition NC are scoring points over one another against Sainik Colony in Srinagar that would have rehabilitated their own people from the Valley and none else from outside the State but the two parties, which have been swapping places after elections since 2002 have no objection to the similar colony in the Jammu periphery.
The two parties don’t want to spare an inch of land, either in Baltal or Pahalgam, for raising temporary facilities for Shri Amarnath bound pilgrims but they don’t even mention about over thousands of Kanals of forest land under use of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board because the holy shrine is based in the Jammu region.
Don’t PDP and NC consider Jammu as part of the State?
If so, then why should Jammu care for those who have subjugated its people since Independence or accession of Jammu and Kashmir with dominion of India? Jammu leaders might be playing second-fiddle to their Kashmiri masters, irrespective of their party affiliations but that doesn’t mean the people of this proud region can be enslaved forever. True that they have taken to their stride discrimination in every respect-be that jobs or development or socio-political empowerment but they have never compromised on the integrity and sovereignty of the nation because of being patriotic from core of their hearts. Therefore, whenever any attempt is made to trample Indian symbols in Kashmir, Jammuites feel the pain in immense measure.
The State Flag has never been undermined; it has all along been given the respect it deserves. Even the proponents of Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan are now proudly moving around under the shadow of two flags to remain in power.
However, the circumstance under which the State Flag has been hoisted in Srinagar is a provocation to patriotic people of the State who have been desperately witnessing Indian pride being mutilated every Friday in the Valley streets. There can be no debate over the supremacy of the national flag and no patriotic Indian can tolerate undermining of its sanctity.
Never ever has anyone been booked for the sacrilegious act and punished for the crime which forms offence under Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. As per the Act, whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect to or brings into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. Can PDP or NC quote a single instance when offenders were charged and put to judicial trial with adequate prosecution backup?
The State Flag Day row had begun in 2013 when a former bureaucrat had filed a petition before Jammu and Kashmir High Court seeking directions to constitutional authorities on hoisting the State Flag and celebrating J&K Republic Day. Ironically, that point of time, the PDP had found the proposition as interesting, saying it had added a new dimension to the discussions on Kashmir. “The debate is rooted in the urge for the identity within the union and it represents the public sentiment,” a PDP spokesman had stated.
Now that the PDP is in the government, it has opted silence over the issue. And, the NC, being in opposition, has welcomed the independent lawmaker’s action. Interestingly, in 2013, the NC had stated, “If the state flag is separately hoisted and if the state celebrates its own republic day, it will lead to secession. The fact of the matter is that confrontation must be avoided.”
How conveniently Kashmiri politicians are changing the fences? They behave like chameleons. When required, they pretend to be super-patriots and when pushed to wall, they go a step forward to secessionists in undermining the integrity of the nation.
