Karanvir Gupta
35 years ago, Jammu chose to remain silent in the national interest and willingly shared space and resources with the fellow brethren post the gory exodus of our Kashmiri Hindus. Not even once did Jammu cry foul or in exasperation as they saw their social milieu being diluted. We knew the need of the hour. But it is also no myth that 15 years ago, People of Jammu started finding their homes outside Jammu fearing the very same exodus. There was an undercurrent of infiltrators grabbing the prime real estate on all the exit points of Jammu. Overnight, there were mosques at the prime spots in the city, peers at the places where no human existed at all. The land, homes, and flats were being bought by Muslims with the intent of replicating the 90s but in Jammu this time. Thanks to BJP that came in power and saved us our homes.
But the relief was just temporary. The suppression of People of Jammu continues to happen; if not at the behest of our “neighbourhood-friendly” political parties but at the hands of the insolent administration and administrative policies post Abrogation of Article 370 and J&K becoming a UT. The list is endless, the suppression is for real and the pain is unprecedented. Let’s take a look at what’s choking Jammu and the Dogras.
To begin with, the core objective of abrogation of Article 370 was to make Kashmir part of the mainstream India and Indian constitution so that no two sets of rules governed a sovereign part of the country within the country itself. This was done with the hope that this will allow outsiders to buy real-estate, run business and amicably merge with the populace. Sadly so, while this was intended more for Kashmir, it ended up hurting the cultural milieu and social thread of Dogra land more than anyone else. While the outsiders were threatened or just killed in Kashmir, Jammu became a sweet spot for all these outsiders to find homes, acquire State Domicile, run and operate businesses leading to further shrinking our space and harming our cultural ethos. This has also led to more and more business opportunities being snatched away from the people of Jammu. The entire liquor shops contracts being given to folks outside Jammu is just one instance in place.
Talking about the business opportunities for a place like Jammu that thrives on wholesale, warehouse and retail business – Jammu has been very beautifully and unfortunately bypassed from the entire map of J&K. Thanks to the 6 lane highway project and construction of the flyovers that slit through our throats (and stomachs) giving commuters, tourists a direct route to Katra, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and hence Kashmir. What this means for the businessman of Jammu is – even lesser business in the times to come. We have always been fooled and cajoled in the name of development. But the question that really needs to be asked is – Is this development for Jammu and its Dogras? What snatches away opportunities from a land and its people, is that even development?
Another biggest sham in the name of development is the tag of “Smart City” Jammu has been bestowed with. It has shook Jammu at the core of its natural existence without even the need for it. There has been enough said and people have resented and are still doing so. From Tawi River Front project to deforestation of Raika forest (the lungs of Jammu) – this development is directly harming the quintessential existence of Jammu, the land of Dogras and the City of Temples. In a landmass that is serene and beautiful in its natural form, you are investing in projects such as Jamboo Zoo and Waste to Wonder parks. You are creating something that is neither suited to the demographics or topography of a place, nor the interests of the locals or tourists as well. Has anyone bothered to even ask, if these projects benefit us? Do we even need these projects in the first place? Rather you have ended up destroying what is sacrosanct to our existence – our natural resources. I am appalled more than anything else to see that such development projects were passed in the first place – without knowing and understanding Jammu and its people.
The hassles and harassment of the People of Jammu don’t stop there. The public is stopped from parking cars on the roads without giving them a place to park their vehicles. Challans are being cut, cars being towed. Most of the parking areas, anywhere in Jammu, have contractors from outside Jammu. Tolls after tolls are being erected despite much detest and protests. Driving licences were not being issued for months till a few weeks ago. The Golf Course remains to operate with its limited set of members and seems to be struck with the age-old “file not moving” syndrome. Senior Citizens from our homes are asked and expected to go to the secretariat for their physical verification. The very people who built Jammu are being humiliated in such a horrible fashion. And what are being given in return – ergonomically inconvenient speed breakers to slow us down forever literally and metaphorically.
And then we see the BJP Sankalp on the election manifesto that speaks about everyone but for People of Jammu. Someone really needs to go tell Modi Ji that he might be told a very fanciful story about Jammu and Dogras but the ground reality is far from his ideals and thoughts. The People of Jammu are struggling to voice their opinion. The People of Jammu are battling their own existence. We are disheartened to see our motherland being destroyed ruthlessly in front of us. We are being betrayed time and again in the name of false promises and a poor on-ground administration.
Guess what? I am not the only one complaining about how Jammu is being treated and mishandled by the current administration. The entire Jammu is choking and screaming to be saved, but the screams are being fallen onto deaf ears.
If all of this was not enough to bother Dogras and the Dogra Land, I only feel disgusted by the increase in the number of terrorist activities, attacks and crime in Jammu province in the last couple of months. The place that has always maintained a cordial and friendly neighbourhood and surroundings is suddenly being bombarded with terrorist attacks. This raises a lot of questions about the security lapses and inefficiency of the ruling administration in protecting the sovereignty and integrity of the place.
Have you ever asked, “Why does Jammu continue to meet a fate that is so anti-Jammu?” Because we have been fooled into believing what is always told. Because we are swayed by false promises and short-term goals. Because we have never been able to produce a Vision for our City of Temples – Jammu. Because we have leaders who are busy with ribbon-cutting ceremonies and feel delighted with a mere photo-op. Because we do not have genuine representatives who can take our pain and challenges and communicate it well with the right intention to where it must be told. We do not have a true representation that can solidify the idea of Jammu and its existence at the centre. And also because we the Dogras have always placed others above us.
But it’s time. Jaago Jammu Jaago. It’s time to give your blood a boil once again. It’s time to recreate 2008. Let us tell everyone that every time you will wish to destabilise Jammu, the silent kshatriya within us goes alive in full fervour. Let the world know when Jammu revolts, the entire India shakes. It has happened in the past and the time has come to stand for what belongs to us and is truly ours. Our Jammu needs to be saved from external as well as internal forces that are robbing Jammu of its glory, pride and existence. The saddest part in the anals of history of the future will be if tomorrow the Duggar land, the City of temples, stands defeated because of lack of unity among its own people.
I write this with a heavy heart and a scarred soul but my question to each one of you today is, “Will we ever get a leader who will stand up to our ethos and values and save the Dogra land in its natural beauty and behemoth? Or Will Jammu be silenced forever?”
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