Simmering resentment

Rajan Gandhi
With Nowshera, Sunderbani, Kalakote agitating over the issue of ADC’s, farmers over the issue of compensation for Ring Road, Hiranagar with Section 144 imposed and Jammu students feeling cheated over the issue of UIET, it seems BJP has got trapped itself on the wrong side of the game right now. The party, which won 25 of Jammu’s 37 seats in 2014 by promising to look into the interests of the province neglected by successive Governments, is being accused of giving up everything it stood for. This whole undercurrent was going on for quite some time but BJP’s tactics of brazening it out has backfired. The way Deputy CM Nirmal Singh was heckled by Dogra activists while he was addressing a function marking the birthday of the State’s last Dogra Monarch, Hari Singh, on September 23rd 2017, the writing was clearly written  on the wall but BJP just tried to turn the face to look at other side. On the same day, lawyers in Jammu observed a holiday and organized celebrations honouring Maharaja Hari Singh. During Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Jammu, every delegation from Jammu region led to an outpour of grievances by public about the party’s functioning and the lack of development in the province. High Court Bar association also met him and demanded the abrogation of Article 35A but Home Minister’s diplomatic statements that nothing will be done against aspiration of people of Kashmir when in Kashmir and the matter is sub judice and whatever the Supreme Court decides is final, when in Jammu has just not gone well with the people of Jammu.
Another grievance of public is that BJP has not moved on the delimitation of constituencies. Jammu has 37 seats in the State’s 87-member Assembly, nine fewer than the Kashmir valley, which in view of public of Jammu is a sign of the Valley’s domination. It will take a lot of time for the numbers to change as an amendment to the Indian Constitution in 2002, adopted by the State legislature, has frozen the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats until the first census after 2026 in 2031 when a fresh census will be done. While the number of seats is likely to stay the same, region-wise adjustments can be made but the BJP has not taken up the matter at all. The Jammu region has major grievances that they expected the party with a difference will address their issues once in power but BJP which formed the Government with PDP purely on developmental agenda has allegedly put its core agenda like Article 370,35-A,one constitution-one flag  in cold storage right now. Most of the projects like AIIMS are still in the hibernation mode though sanctioned almost three years ago and why the State Government instead of initiating due process of law to evict few people illegally occupying some portion of the land identified for AIIMS is conducting negotiations with them is anybody’s guess. This single project for which people of Jammu again came on the road as the project was transferred to Kashmir after alliance with PDP and now this undue delay is like rubbing salt on the wounds. Same is the story of other projects like bunkers on the LoC and IB as even after in power for more than four years nothing on ground has been achieved on this front. The Centre has delivered on its promises of retaliating to ceasefire violations by Pakistan and ramping up anti-terror operations but repeated attacks on army camps and Pakistan’s continuous ceasefire violations have made the life of border people miserable. With no one to look upon they are right now a rogue missile which can fire in any direction and resentment in the whole border area is quite visible. Similarly issue of the West Pakistan Refugees has been put on hold despite repeated assurances during the elections. Though WPR are denied their due rights but on the other hand Rohingyas have been continuously sheltered by the administration and no step has been taken to repatriate them to their country and BJP’s silence on the issue is adding resentment with each passing day.
Such is the situation right now that NC MLA shouted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans openly in the Assembly and ultimately after much delay finally Honorable Speaker has issued a privilege notice to the erring MLA. The high morale of the anti nationalist lobby can be gauged from the fact that in SSRB paper for Patwaris PoK has been referred as Azad Kashmir. With almost all the cases of stone pelters withdrawn but no amnesty to 2008 Amarnath agitation cases; BJP cannot give any justification to all these issues. Be it allocation of funds, share in Government jobs and now takeover of UIET college by State Government it seems BJP is on the wrong side every time what matters to Jammu. Though temporary truce has been arranged due to visit of Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, for Jammu University convocation, but the letter issued clearly states that arrangement is for current session only and RUSA benefits have been withdrawn for the college and this despite the fact that MoS for PMO has got this college sanctioned under RUSA and even has to come out openly in support of students with a press conference. With only 8 ministers in Cabinet against 11 of PDP and discrimination in appointments of even VCs for various corporations, it seems BJP’s boat has been capsized in water by the party on the other side. While the common perception in Jammu is that the BJP has surrendered its agenda to PDP, many people in the Valley believe it is the other way round.  It seems the people of both the regions are unhappy. BJP won the last election in Jammu because of the vision of PM Narendra Modi as people had blind faith in PM Modi and they voted for him irrespective of who the candidate was. But once in power, ministers along with MLA’s have forgotten all the promises and inaugurating boutiques, gyms and repairs of drains and lanes seems to be the only work left in their respective constituencies.
On the other hand, where there is a will there is a way has been ably demonstrated by IGP Traffic J&K who single handedly with his ground level achievement within a short span of two weeks has exposed the rest of the administration. Public is ready to start an agitation in support of IGP Traffic who is seizing their vehicles or issuing challans  to  them for every small violation  and if same public is not ready to listen to BJP then there is something serious which the party has missed out . BJP must try to introspect what has gone wrong in three years as the very people who handed them 25 out of 37 MLA’s have turned against them .The recent RSS and BJP MLA’s meet has tried to analyze the situation and BJP ministers have met CM for early resolution of various issues of Jammu including ADC and 2008 FIR and with meetings of our CM with PM and HM regarding agenda of alliance, one hopes everything settles down in right perspective. With opposition enjoying the whole situation sitting on the fence as they very well know that even a small trigger will result in a massive agitation against alliance and resultant Governor Rule will accelerate all Central as well as local development projects and credit for all this will go to BJP, which obviously they don’t want. Though, there is still time for State Assembly elections but with 2019 elections approaching fast, local BJP has felt the heat of the simmering resentment of the public and now they must pull up their socks and get into firefighting mode before it is too late to win back the confidence of the public. Safeguard the interests of their vote bank is the only option for BJP.
“Actions of politicians are the best interpretations of their thoughts.”
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