Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 22: Hailing the preliminary recommendations of the Delimitation Commission, proposing addition of six seats in the Legislative Assembly for the Jammu region and one for the Kashmir Valley besides reservation for Scheduled Tribes apart from Scheduled Castes as a path breaking initiative and defining moment for the political empowerment of marginalised segments of J&K, BJP leader and former legislator Devender Singh Rana today said equal participation, irrespective of regional, religious and the ethnic affiliations, in decision making holds key to transforming the destiny of this part of the great nation.
“The much awaited report has rekindled a ray of hope among all those who have suffered the ignominy of exploitation and discrimination due to unjust political manveouring over the decades as governance remained hegemony of chosen few”, the BJP leader said while interacting with cross section of the people, who called on him to share their sense of satisfaction over the recommendations.
He said the Delimitation Commission Draft report based on the basic tenants the delimitation – population, geography, topography, area, physical features, contiguity, convenience of administrative units and facilities of easy communication and approachability of public convenience is the way forward for the political empowerment of the people of J&K. He said the Draft to an extent addresses the genuine grievances of the people of Jammu region as well who have a sense of deprivation and discrimination which was upheld by the Gajendragadkar Commission, Sikri Commission and Wazir Commission, but never corrected.
Rana said the proposed recommendations are in fact the course correction of the past political intrigues that have actually denied and deprived the majority of the people across the Union Territory in general and the Jammu region in particular, of their right of being equal partners in the democratic process and governance mechanism. Instead of welcoming the just and logical recommendations, those opposing it are actually exposing their ‘sense of political loss’ which they assumed as their entitlement and birth right. He said democracy unfolding itself in its true form is uncomfortable for some, who see their monopoly getting threatened with common man—marginalized people of Jammu region, Gujjars, Dogras, Paharis of all the faiths—tasting the dividends of democracy for the first time in real sense of term, he said and slammed their brazen and shameless hue and cry over the issue.
“In their pursuit of retaining political hegemony, the self-styled champions of Jammu and Kashmir are stooping to lowest depths by indulging in promoting sectarian discord”, Rana said and warned that this is going to boomerang with marginalised segments giving them a befitting reply. He asked them to read the writing on the wall as the people of Jammu and Kashmir are understanding their dubious tactics, which they perpetrated over the decades.
The BJP leader asked those opposing the recommendations as to what reservations and objections they had if the weaker sections, Scheduled Tribes and the Scheduled Castes, get politically empowered and become masters of their own destiny. He said the governance at the cost of subjecting marginalized sections of the people as subservient is against democratic ethos of the country. He cautioned the exposed leaders to desist from provoking the people, as the common man in Kashmir and Jammu are now well versed with their dubious politicking.
Rana congratulated the stakeholders and said that real victory will be only when the common people of Jammu and Kashmir, irrespective of region and religion, get politically empowered and rewarded.
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