K B Jandial
Unprecedented successful Friday Jammu bandh of Jammu Chambers of Commerce and Industry against allotment of AIIMS to Kashmir reflects the surging resentment against the PDP-BJP alliance Govt. The reason is the growing perception that BJP “sacrificing” Jammu’s interests. Perception is very important in politics which overshadows achievements massive mandate notwithstanding.
Dy. CM Nirmal Singh reacted to it by saying that AIIMS won’t be “snatched” from Kashmir to give it to Jammu as BJP believes J&K as one entity. Moreover, AIIMS is given to the State and not to any region. He also accused NC and Congress for fomenting regional divide on this issue. It provided quick opportunity to Congress & NC to ‘reconnect’ with the people on the issue of discrimination to Jammu which used to be BJP’s main plank of regional politics. Many local BJP leaders are also upset over this anti-Jammu decision and reported utterances and some have even registered their strong protest with the high command.
Nirmal Singh’s observations are befitting to the position he holds in the Govt. but the timing is wrong. Silence would have been more appropriate. It is, of course, not wise to shift a sanctioned project from one region to pacify the other.
After all, BJP is now in the serious business of governance and not in opposition to flare up emotive issues. Some statements do obliquely reflect that BJP is in for a big makeover from its pro- Hindu and pro-Jammu image but it would be suicidal to erode its popular base which is feeling huge let-down even before the alliance overcomes two months’ pangs of its birth.
In the wake of heightened AIIMS controversy, a political blame game has started with leaders making reference to the foundation stone laid by Sushma Sawaraj at GMC Jammu 11years ago. BJP leaders including Ministers have started confusing the issue as a face saving strategy. Some claimed that AIIMS was announced for Jammu in 2004 and why decision was allowed to be changed while others point out history of regional disparities in the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare in the state, with clarion call for continuous struggle for AIIMS. No one is telling the true story even though some are seeking probe in changing 2004 decision.
Surprisingly, Jammu’s interests in respect of AIIMS were “sacrificed” by the “wise” men of BJP who negotiated and drafted the “historic” Agenda for Alliance (AFA). In its Clause 37 (e) under the sub heading Developmental Agenda, BJP conceded AIIMS for the Valley. It is recorded “Setting up a super specialty, AIIMS in the valley”. It is interesting that in some of the copies of the AFA circulated among the media this portion stood edited out. Now, all senior BJP leaders are duty bound to defend this “historic” decision as AFA is bible for them.
AIIMS story starts from the announcement of Atal Behari Vajpayee in his I-Day address from the ramparts of Lal Quilla to establish AIIMS in six States. J&K’s name was not there. The then Finance Minister followed the announcement in his Vote-on-Account speech in Lok Sabha on Feb.3, 2004. He said, “Specialty hospitals in the private sector remain beyond the reach of many of our citizens. The Prime Minister had, therefore, last Independence Day, announced the establishing of six hospitals, in the Government sector, on the pattern of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). This ‘Pradhanmantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana’ envisages six new AIIMS like hospitals, one each in the States of Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, and Uttaranchal. Hon’ble Members are doubtless aware that no additional hospital on the pattern of AIIMS has been set up by any Government, since 1956. I would also like to mention that under this Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, one medical college each in the six States of Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal will also be upgraded to the level of AIIMS”. It is clear that J&K was not given AIIMS but one GMC was to be upgraded, by way of creation of super specialties to the level of AIIMS.
After coming to power in April 2004, the UPA delayed the scheme and did not earmark any funds in 2004-05 budget for the AIIMS campuses proposed by the NDA. However, PMSSY was included in 2005-06 budget and formally launched in March 2006. It aimed at correcting the imbalances in the affordable healthcare facilities in the different parts of the country in general, and augmenting facilities for quality medical education in the under-served States in particular. Six AIIMS-like institutions were to be set up at Patna(Bihar), Raipur (Chattisgarh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Jodhpur (Rajasthan) and Rishikesh Uttaranchal) at a cost of Rs 840 crore per institution. Later, Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh) and Raiganj (West Bengal) were also added. These States were identified on the basis of various socio-economic indicators like human development index, literacy rate, population below poverty line and per capital income and health indicators like population to bed ratio, prevalence rate of serious communicable diseases, infant mortality rate etc.
Against six announced by NDA , the UPA sanctioned 13 Government Medical Colleges, two in J&K, for extensive upgradation by creating super specialties at the cost of Rs. 120 crore. It added six medical colleges in second phase and four in the third. The AIIMS Act of 1956 was amended in 2012 to include eight new AIIMS.
In his budget speech on28th February Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced six more AIIMS campuses, one each in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Assam and Bihar states. While Jammu’s name was not mentioned in the speech, an impression was created at that time that it is for Jammu. If Bihar gets second AIIMS, why not J&K?
Notwithstanding BJP “bartering” away AIIMS to the Valley, the decision is patently wrong, not because of regional consideration or Jammu sentiments but on pure logics. Why an institution is created at a place where similar institution already exists (SKIMS at Soura). Two similar institutions would be located in the valley and none in Jammu. Does it not belie all logics? Jammu region and adjoining areas of Punjab and HP would have been hugely benefitted by way of specialized medicare facilities through AIIMS. Except for Jammu acquiring a name for higher technical educational centre, IIT and IMM give no benefit to people in real sense as admission to these national institutions is on the basis of national level admission process with no special concession to local youth but AIIMS would have given huge difference in terms of health care facilities. It is BJP’s misadventure.
One good thing that BJP has done is to become more secular than other “accredited” secular political outfits. BJP is the only party which gave representation to all communities in the recent elections to both the houses of Legislature- Muslim, Gujjars, SC, Sikh, KP, Buddhist and of course, Hindus in large numbers. BJP made two Muslims- Abdul Gani Kohli and Sajjad Lone, as Ministers. This makeover is reflected in the party’s approach towards other matters as well.
Both parties have made u-turn on controversial issues and need some leg space to face the critics with confidence in their regions of influence. They had to articulate with sound reasons their stands and actions and prepare ground for general acceptance of the decisions. While PDP is doing it BJP is shying away from it.
As a shrewd political mind, Mufti set the ball rolling on PDP agenda from the day one, controversies notwithstanding. Be it placating separatists and pro- Pak elements in Kashmir to the release of political workers or giving “huge” space to separatists by allowing their rally after long time even though pro- azadi and pro-Pak sentiments were brazenly displayed that emboldened anti India elements to spread violence which led to unfortunate killings. Mufti soon realized that some elements are real hard nuts, no matter how much political space is given to them. After all, their objectives run counter to that of Mufti and BJP. The rightful place for few of them is jail if violence had to be prevented. Slapping of PSA on Masarat Alam is a case to quote.
Transfer of NHPC projects to J&K state is the agenda of PDP and NC. NHPC, an important national institution, was hounded by the earlier NC-Congress dispensation also for “looting” the state precious resource. Jammu perceives it as a well calculated strategy to target symbols of India in Kashmir. NHPC cannot be painted as “East India Company”. One has to look at it as harbinger of economic integration. BJP and Jammu by and large, were never supportive of the demand which is a legal issue rather than an issue of Kashmir verses India. As BJP has agreed to in AFA, Nirmal Singh is chasing the matter with Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Energy.
What about BJP or Jammu agenda? People perceived BJP leaders silence as endorsement of pro-Kashmir agenda. None of the BJP’s agenda, public commitments or its declared policies has been seen to be on the centre stage or even flagged for debate. Article 370 is put in cold storage and West Pakistan refugees’ issue is yet to be articulated. Rehabilitation of displaced KPs has been marred by unjustified separatists’ outcry. It took nearly two months to BJP to make course correction in its representation in the cabinet by upgrading two MOS to the Cabinet Ministers. Still BJP does not have equal representation in cabinet, the only forum in the Govt. to take decisions. BJP is still three less cabinet ministers as compared to PDP. The elements responsible for issuing circular on State flag etc to embarrass BJP minister were not identified, much less to punish them, angry reaction of Dy. CM at that time notwithstanding. All these create perception about the strength of the coalition partner. BJP leaders are reportedly contented with BJP coming to power by “breaking a jinx” which they call a historic event. It does not prove to be historic event for Jammu.
It is high time that BJP wakes up and takes course correction to prevent deepening disenchantment of its home constituency.
(feedback: kbjandial@gmail.com)
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