Some people do question why terrorism-affected areas outside Kashmir Valley not taken that seriously?

May be ‘they’ have not received in past due representation in administration, polity & legislature

DAYA SAGAR

In case one asks about militancy/terrorism affected areas and the people of J&K most of the people outside J&K will name the Kashmir valley areas and people belonging to Kashmir valley where as the distant & remotely placed areas & people of J&K outside Kashmir too have remained affected by militancy right since 1990 where even the local J&K majority community people have suffered economic & physical losses and there have also been a number of selective killings by militants of the local minority community members as well.
Only difference has been that the areas outside Kashmir Valley had been and have remained administratively, educationally, politically and economically far less “affluent”, less exposed and less represented even after 1947. So many of them when suffered losses due to ‘Pakistan’ sponsored infiltration & militancy after 1990 too had migrated to outside / safer areas but neither their communities had voice & adequate representation outside J&K nor did they receive / could manage that much voice support worth attracting effective attention of media , ‘socio-political’ groups and hence many of them were compelled for returning to their native places due to economic compulsions where education of their children , conduct of Agri/ horticulture operations and mental peace continuously remained under stresses.
A committee of Ahmadabad based Trust, “Justice on Trial” headed by former Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Justice (Retd) V. S. Kokje had visited the militancy affected areas outside Kashmir Valley ( Jammu Region) in 1st week of June 2010 to enquire into the militancy related issues and problems of the people {One group consisting of the Chairman, Justice (Retd.) V. S. Kokje, Dr. Yogesh Patel and Sukhpreet Kaur toured terrorism affected areas of district Rajouri, Poonch & Reasi of Jammu region. The other group consisting of G. S. Gill, Dr. Deen Mohammad Otha, Maya Bohra and Kanhaiyalal Joshi toured terrorism affected areas of district Ramban, Doda & Kishtwar of Jammu region ) . The Committee Chairman Justice (Retd) V. S. Kokje along with Justice (retd) S M SoniPresident of the Justice for Trial had met on 29th March 2011 the J&K Governor N. N. Vohra, at Raj Bhawan in Jammu and submitted a copy of the report( Enquiry Into The situation of terrorism -affected people of Jammu region of the State of Jammu & Kashmir ) on their findings & recommendations. Justice Kokje had also informed the media that copies of the Report will also be presented to the Chief Minister, Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly and the President of India . Justice (retd) S M Soni was reported to have said that number of Human Right violations have taken place in these militancy affected areas but were not highlighted by any Government or Private agencies adding that Government should treat migrants ‘there’ at par with other migrants of the State and prepare policies regarding economic, employment and also launch special recruitment drive in the Government departments for them. In the evening of new year day of 2023 there was a deadly firing by militants on the residents of 3-4 houses of villagers in village Dangri less than 10 km from of Rajouri District HQ where in 3 persons were killed on spot &6 injured and two of the injured expired while under treatment . Raising more questions on the handling of militancy in distant areas was IED explosion in the forenoon of 2nd Jan 2023 near same houses, in the same village, killing two cousin sisters, taking toll of loss of life to 6 and injuring many.
The villagers are said to have been made targets by ‘militants’ after finding out their religious identity by and were from among the POJK 1947 displaced families settled there. The killings were bound to create high alarms when they were described as selective killings and ‘militants’ having been able to also plant an IED after firing which exploded on 2nd Jan. Many of the ‘people’ have described this attack more referring it as killing minority Hindu community in those areas. But very less talks have been there asking how could the militants plant the explosives after the gun attack that exploded next day forenoon in same area and the militant attack being of foreign agency sponsorship which killed Hindu of the areas aiming more to make the Hindu feel that Muslim militants are killing particularly Hindu which could result resentments against local Muslims worth creating communal conflicts amongst people of J&K there by weakening the ‘energies’ of the social & administrative reactions against the designs of militants. Such incidents were not new in areas like Rajouri District but people have all these years defeated the objectives of Pakistan sponsored militants.The new year day 2023 dastard attack by Pakistani sponsored militants in Dangri village is not a new story for locals in and around Rajouri District of J&K. It was on 19 February 1999 that in Village Bal Jarallan just 4 to 5 KM ahead of Dangri, The Bal Jarallan massacre had taken place when terrorists had entered a marriage hall and sprayed bullets on the guests waiting for ‘Barat’ killing seven persons belonging to the local minority community and injuring another 7.
Some may question why the militancy affected areas and people outside Kashmir valley not appear to have been taken that seriously as had also been remarked by Justice Kokje ( retd) headed enquiry committee of ‘Justice for Trial , a trust, in 2011. A brief and direct answer to my mind could be that The distant and backward areas of J&K ‘State ‘and inhabits’ there have remained overlooked ( let us not say neglected / discriminated ) even after India becoming a Democratic Republic (Oct 1947). It has not been a simple overlooking, the distant backward areas and people belonging to such areas have been denied fair / due representation in administration, polity & in legislature, most of which are outside Kashmir valley in districts like Rajouri, Poonch, ,Reasi, Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar, Kathua , Ramban and comparatively very less in Kashmir Valley.
To be continued
(The author is Sr Journalist, social activist and analyst J&K affairs [email protected])