‘It was a special status to dynastic parties’
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Aug 9: With abrogation of special status of the State of J&K a long wait to get justice has come to an end for the hapless West Pak refugees, people belonging to Schedule Tribe community and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) including Balmiki Samaj of the State who were subjected to injustice and indiscrimination under the garb of Articles 370 and 35 -A in the erstwhile border State of J&K.
The joy of people of all these communities knew no bounds as their long drawn struggle at last bore fruit.
“We had struggled for last 72 years since our displacement from West Pakistan in 1947 for grant of citizenship rights”, said Sub Maj (retd) Jaswant Singh a West Pak refugees living in Nandpur area of Samba district.
“We can’t still imagine that we got citizenship rights in J&K, he said, adding he has no words to praise the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister, Amit Shah who have come as messiah for the oppressed and suppressed people of the country”, he added.
Sub Maj, Jaswant Singh said “earlier Governments at the Centre failed to do justice with us and we were feeling discriminated when the people of other communities in our Mohalla were going to exercise their right to franchise in Assembly as well as Panchayat elections,. Even we had no right to contest the local Panchayat elections nor could purchase land and our wards were not allowed to apply for a State Government job,. We even had no right to get ration card. But thank God this all discrimination will end now” he added.
The joy of West Pak refugees, president Labha Ram Gandhi who was leading their struggle knew no bounds. “It was a dream come true for us”, he said. India got freedom in 1947 but the West Pak refugees became slaves of post independence rulers of J&K and got liberation on August 5 this year through the hands of Narendra Modi”, he added in a chocked voice with joy.
With the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 -A a new ray of hope has been created for our next generation as they will no longer feel discriminated in this State and will get equal opportunities for progress and development., he added.
Accusing traditional parties from Kashmir of exploiting the people on the name of special status of the State for their vote bank politics over the years, Tribal Muslims of Jammu region don’t find any fault with the abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A and said instead it will usher in an era of development and prosperity in all the three regions of the Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
The Tribal Muslim youth are also optimistic that the abrogation of controversial articles will open the vistas of their progress and prosperity in the erstwhile State.
Blaming the traditional political parties of Valley
for exploiting people on the name of Article 370 and 35 -A to remain in power and enjoy all comforts of life for themselves and their families Gul Mohammed of Kheri said that with the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 – big industrial houses and public sector enterprises will come to the State and thereby ample job opportunities will be created for the local youth. This will lead to an era of progress and prosperity as every body will get a job to earn his livelihood, he added.
He said the traditional politicians of the State under the garb of the special status looted the State exchequer and amassed huge money. Even some of them have made J&K Bank their personal property and they absorbed their kith and kin in it besides giving loans worth rupees hundreds of crores to their relatives and friends.
Some politicians who ruled the State in past are involved in other scams and they all have been exposed before the masses of J&K, he added.
These leaders had a vested interest in continuation of special status to the J&K while common man had no benefit of the same, said Sajjad Khan of Arnia, in Samba district. They amassed huge wealth, constructed mansions for themselves in metropolitan cities of India and also have partnerships with big business houses. So these people have a vested interest in continuation of special status to the State to maintain their monopoly, he said.
“We had expectations that common man will be benefitted out of this special status but all happened contrary to our expectations”, he added.
He said “it is now hoped that J&K will progress like other parts of the country when there is no problem to people in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Gurgoan, Pune and other big cities including Delhi which have become corporate hubs what problem will be to people of Jammu and Kashmir regions if big industrial houses and Corporate Sector comes to the State.
Thinking on this analogy Ch Haroon, Gujjar Bakerwal State Advisory Board Member expressed the hope that with the abrogation of controversial articles the Guajjars and Bakerwals will at least get the reservations in State Assembly which they have been deprived of till date by the leaders of the political parties who ruled the State over the years. He termed the abrogation of Article 370 a bold decision of Modi Government to give justice to oppressed and suppressed people of Jammu, Kashmir and Lakakh regions. He said these politicians stand exposed now and there will be no takers to their catchy slogans in future. The decision is in the favour of the people of entire erstwhile J&K State and not only to one region or community, he added.
With this decision 24 lakh Gujjars and Bakerwals in the State will be benefitted, he said.
Maintaining that Muslim community members of the State will be benefited by the revolutionary decision of Modi Government, Dr Tahir a senior BJP leader of ST Morcha Cell, its spokesman and a social activist said that all people of J&K including members of Muslim community will be benefitted by the decision. He said these were Kashmir based parties who exploited the people on the issue for years together. He said these leaders were exploiting and blackmailing past Union Governments on the name of special status to the States and threatening that situation will deteriorate if any interference is made with it. But Modi Government being very strong took a bold stand and taught a lesson to these Valley based politicians by launching NIA and CBI raids and exposed them for their corrupt practices.
He said a new ray of hope has now emerged in the State and Narendra Modi showed that he possesses 56 inch Chati (chest).
He said already an era of development has started in the State with many developmental projects launched by Modi Government and it will now get more boost in coming days.
Terming the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 -A, a great decision, Sakina Bano member Ministry of Minority Affairs Government of India said that “ we waited for 72 long years for this decision to lead an independent life in the State”. She said there will be now transparency in the utilization of Central funds and every region will get its due share.
Earlier the funds were going to the coffers of dynastic parties she added. She said Narendra Modi is working sincerely for the development of the J&K and with his bold decision the avenues of employment for the youth will increase in the State and no region will feel the hegemony of other region over it, she added.
The abrogation of Article 370 has also created a new hope among the OBCs in the State who over the years were deprived of 27 percent reservation benefits granted to them under Mandal Commission report. All India Backward Classes Union, which has been struggling since 1992 for the implementation of the recommendations of Mandal Commission is now hopeful that they will get justice with the abrogation of special status to J&K, said Prof Kali Dass, general secretary of the Union. Same is case with Balmiki Samaj who too were deprived of the job avenues and other rights under the garb of special status by State Government though they were brought here during Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed’s rule when Safai Karamcharis went on strike in Jammu to clean the city. But later were denied the rights by the Government.
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