Speak Jammu, Speak

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2008
Straight Facts
When Shobha Yatra was taken out in Jammu I wondered as to what has prompted the Jammuites to paticipate in the Krishan Janamashtami Shobha Yatra in such huge numbers? It was perhaps due to indomitable spirit of the Jammuites that made them to convert the occasion of Shobha yatra as an endorsement of the Shri Amar Nath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti Programme. As regards Janamashtami Celebrations I must salute the spirit of the Jammuites who celebrated the Janamashtami rather with renewed enthusiasm against all odds.

I always considered the phrase “ India is a vibrating democracy” as a cliché but the current situation in J&K has made me to change me my opinion. This because you don’t have any other explanation to justify the way the separatist leaders from Kashmir were provided a platform by most of the channels to spew venom against India and openly call for merger with Pakistan and Azadi from India. Some of my friends were furious at that but I had to calm them down with the argument that there averments bring before the entire country as well as the world the inherent contradictions and lack of argument in their statements. At a point when Pakistan is struggling to find a Government the very talk of being a Pakistani on Indian soil seems ridiculous. I am convinced that the kind of freedom that the Kashmiri Separatists are enjoying in India will be a far fetched dream in Pakistan. Think of Nawab Bugti and Lal Masjid leaders in the past and situation in FATA and SWAT etc. at present which provides the answer which is there for one and all to see for themselves.

Ms. Mehbooba Mufti, President, Peoples Democratic Party of Jammu and Kashmir is a privileged person in more than one way. She enjoys the privilige of being the Member of Indian Parliament, darling of Sonia Gandhi and a liability for Manmohan Singh who won the Floor test in Indian Parliament with the support of her one vote among others. Had this not been the case she could not have been allowed to spit fire the way she has been doing for the last couple of days. A close scrutiny of her statements will reveal that she is trying to show one upmanship over the Separatist leaders in Kashmir. The arguments advanced by her are just ridiculous. Now one could make out as to why she continued chanting “main kaya bolloon” while participating in the debate on confidence vote in the Parliament. She did not want to commit herself to any specifics as it may have landed her in a soup later on.

Look at the clumsiness of the arguments advanced by her. She says that the protestors demanding Azadi from Indian State and chanting Pakistan Zindabad, Hindusthan Murdabad, Meri Jaan Pakistan and “Yahan kaya chalega - Nizam-e-Mustafa” were marching towards Muzaffarabad peacefully and that the Indian State had no right to stop them by using minimum necessary force. Any person who knows even very little about the apple crop in Srinagar knows that most of the apple varities are still on the trees and will take quite sometime before being plucked but she raised the bogey of the fruit rotting in Kashmir. She has the temerity to equate the two agitations across the tunnel ignoring the very fact that in Jammu it is a fight spearheaded by the nationalist forces whereas in Kashmir it is being spearheaded by the separatist forces. She wants the Indian State to abdicate its responsibility of protecting the sovereignty of the Indian State and allow the writ of the separatists to run in Kashmir.

Mehbooba Mufti had said on a channel the other day that whenever there is a terrror strike in the country these days, only the Muslims are rounded up. Can Mehbooba tell the nation if any Muslim was rounded up in Sri Lanka for terrorist activities? How many Muslims were rounded up in Punjab when militancy was at its peak in Punjab? Why Muslims are being rounded up and killed in Pakistan as a measure to combat militancy there? Mehbooba needs to tell the nation as to why Parwez Musharraf had to attack the Lal Masjid and whether there was any Hindu involved in that exercise? When around the globe terrorist modules are working in the name of Islam then obviously the Security Forces have to look for the prime suspects in the community which is nursing a grudge against the State, be they Hindu or Muslim. And if the needle of suspicion points towards Muslims then there is no way the Security Forces could shun performing their legitimate duty. The recent arrests of the SIMI activists are a pointer to this end.

It may also be said that when Omar Abdullah says that while referring to “Our Land” he was referring to land belonging to only the State Subjects of the State and not to Kashmiris alone, he being a President of one of the main political parties of the J&K State need to understand that when everyone in Kashmir was stating that the land in question belongs to “Kashmiris”, his statement was obviosusly bound to be read in that context.

The matter of the fact is that Kashmiri Leaders have always considered the people of Jammu as second fiddle and are at present unable to reconcile to the idea of awakening of the Jammuites after a long lull. They now need to explain to the nation reasons for having taken no actions or at best the selective actions on the reports of the Gajendra Gadkar Commision and Wazir Commission etc.

orkut - Messages

orkut - Messages

The truth of the Order

Govt.of Jammu and Kashmir had issued an order for the diversion of Forest Land to the Shri Amar Nath Shrine Board strictly on the condition that this will be utilized for raising temporary structures for the convenience of the Yatries. How come the Kashmiri Leaders construed that it will be used for raising Israel like complexes?

Here are the original texts of the Allotment as well as Cancellation Orders. Please peruse and draw conclusion for yourself :
Land Allotment and Cancellation Order

Government of Jammu & Kashmir
Civil Secretariat Forest Department
Subject: Diversion of 39.88ha of forest land to Shri Amarnathji
Shrine Board at Baltal and Domail for raising Buildings/Structures in Sindh Forest Division.
Reference: Cabinet Decision No. 947 dated: 20-05-2008
GOVERNMENT ORDER NO: 184- FST of 2008
D A T E D: 26-05-2008
Sanction is accorded to the diversion of forest land measuring 39.88 ha., falling under compartment No 63a Sindh in Block Kullan, Range Sindh, Sindh Forest Division, for raising pre-fabricated structures only for camping purpose of pilgrims without going in for construction of permanent structures at Baltal and Domail by Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board on the following terms and conditions
1. The proprietary status of forest land shall remain unchanged.
2. The forest land so diverted shall be utilised only for the purpose for which it has been diverted. It shall not be transferred to any other agency without approval of the Forest Department.
3. The forest land so diverted shall not be mortgaged, reassigned or subleased by user agency in any manner what so ever to any other agency.
4. The User Agency shall pay Net Present Value of the forest land to the tune of
Rs 2, 31,30,400/- (Rs Two crore, thirty-one lacs , thirty thousand four hundred only) as calculated by the concerned DFO as per Hon’ble Supreme Court Order dated 30-10-2002 in IA No 566 in Writ Petition (civil) No 202 of 1995 TN Godavarman Thirumalpad V/S Union of India.
5. The User Agency shall pay Rs. 19,94,000/- (Rs Nineteen lacs, ninety-four thousand only) on account of Compensatory Afforestation in be carried over 79.76 ha.
6. The user agency shall take foolproof measures on modern scientific lines to ensure that water of nearby Sindh Nallah does not get polluted.
7. Any damage done to the forest by the user agency or its employees and contractors or people employed by them, shall be charged from the user agency at the rate of ten times the standard rate of 1992.
8. The forest land so diverted shall return to the Forest Department, free of any encumbrances, when it is no longer required by the User Agency.
9. The user agency shall construct compete retaining breast walls on the both sides of the road /railway line/ earth work/ tunnelling etc. and take other necessary steps so as to minimize soil erosion /land slips. In this regard the user agency shall seek technical guidance from Director, Soil Conservation Department, J&K .
10. The user agency shall also pay any other amount which will become payable as per orders of Hon’ble Supreme Court or Government/ Forest Department, J&K.
11. The user agency shall be responsible to get requisite clearance under any other relevant law in vogue.
12. The user agency shall submit an undertaking that in case of any upward revision of rates of Net Present Value, the user agency will pay amount of differential Net Present Value.
13. The possession of Forest land diverted for non-forestry purpose under the orders of the competent authority should not be handed over to the user agency till all payment due against Compensation of trees. NPV Compensation of land Compensatory Afforestation costs etc., are not deposited with Chief Accounts Officer in the office of the PCCB. Before handing over the possession of the forest land it should be further ensured that there are no outstanding dues with the said user Agency in respect of the cases sanctioned in the past.
14. The user agency shall take all possible environmental safe-guards in consultation with the State Pollution Control Board prior to erection of the pre-fabricated structures and their use by the pilgrims to ensure that no damage is caused to the ecology of the area.
The proposal stands cleared/approved by the Advisory Committee in its 39th meeting held under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary on 12th July, 2007.
By order of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sd/-
Principal Secretary to Government,
Forest Department.

NO:- FST/Land/41/2007 Dated:- 26-05-2008
Copy to the: 1 to 8
(Various Department and Officers)
(M.A. Hamdani)
Under Secretary to Government,
Forest Department.
Government of Jammu & Kashmir
Civil Secretariat Forest Department
Subject: Non Agenda item: Diversion of 39.88 ha., of forest land Shri Amarnathji
Shrine Board at Baltal and Domail for raising Building/Structures in Sindh Forest Division.
Reference: Cabinet Decision No. 107/09 dated: 01-07-2008
Government Order No: 291- Fst of 2008
Dated: 01.07.2008
Government Order No: 184-FST of 2008 dated: 26-05-2008 vide which 39.88 ha of forest land was diverted to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board at Baltal and Domail is hereby cancelled.
By order of the Government of Jammu &Kashmir.
Commissioner/Secretary to Government
Forest Department

No: Fst/land/41/2007 Dated: 01.07.2008

Copy to the:
1…to 12
(Various Departments and Officers)

This is how Kashmiris pay to their well wishers

Shri Balraj Puri is a veteran journalist and a seasoned champion of civil liberties. He stood by the side of Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah alongwith Mridula Sarabhai in those turbulant times and had all along been pleading the cause of human rights of the Kashmiris. But in the end he had to cry foul and ask a few questions to his Kashmiri friends :

(From Greater Kashmir, Srinagar on August 14, 2008)

Do I deserve sweeping condemnation?
COUNTERPOINT
BY BALRAJ PURI
I was pained by the way Firdous Sayed, whom I have treated like my son, tried to malign my secular image in his article in Greater Kashmir 9 August . I welcome criticism of my views but sweeping condemnation of my comments on the current situation in Jammu and my motives is simply not done. I need not recount the role I have played in the last over 66 years of my public life in combating communal forces, without caring for not only abuses and threats that were hurled on me but also grave risks to my life, form blobby days of 1947 till recently. Not only in Jammu region but also rushed to contribute my mite to stop communal assaults on Muslims at places like Meerut and Aligarh. But I can not use the type of language, Firdous has used against me, in offering my explanation. Coming to the present trouble in Jammu, I immediately issued a statement on behalf of 16 eminent personalities, warning against consequences of an attack on Muslims. It was followed by another meetings of representatives of 20 organizations, reiterating the same warning and also an appeal not to treat Kashmiri Muslims as enemies but as friends. Another meeting of prominent citizens, which unfortunately clashed with a similar meeting called by the governor, but still was attended by 70 persons, where we also strongly opposed blockade of Kashmir. About 200 persons enlisted their names for a peace march in Jammu city next day which had to be abandoned on account of curfew since then. I spoke to the Prime Minister and leader of the opposition and cited specific instances of attacks on Muslims and blockade of Kashmir. These efforts were not in vain. The president of the state unit of the BJP condemned any attack on Muslims. The national president of the party had a meeting with Muslim leaders of Jammu and appreciated their role. Meanwhile the so called secular organizations like the Congress joined the fray. All of them, including the BJP, Sangarsh Samiti, Bar Association and traders organizations opposed the blockade. The government and army authorities have announced that blockade had failed. Whenever any attack takes place on Muslims or Srinagar bound truck drivers, I get immediate report and take up the matter with authorities and the leaders of the agitation. On my persuasion , some of them visited a Gujar Basti, where some huts were set on fire in the initial days of the agitation and apologized to the community. In some cases they were accompanied by Muslim leaders. There are regular meetings between the leaders of the two communities. In many places joint protests of both communities—against what they call continued discrimination against Jammu region—have also taken place. It is gross over simplification to describe the current turmoil in the two regions as entirely motivated by religions sentiments. Accumulated regional tensions also contributed to current turmoil. It should be possible to devise constitutional and institutional arrangements to reconcile regional aspirations. The plain fact is that the movement has gone out of the control of its leaders as it has been joined by many organizations and anti-social elements (what else I should have called them)who joined the demonstrations and committed some excesses. But immediate condemnation by all responsible leaders did have a salutary effect. I am in regular touch with what is happening in Rajouri, Poonch and Bhaderwah. Those who are leading efforts for maintaining harmony are my close esteemed colleagues. All the three towns have mixed population and separate protest demonstrations did tend to create tension. Instead of blanket condemnation of an entire community , effort should be made to isolate anti-social elements therein. Moreover, instead of engaging in blaming game, we should not absolve the government for its bungling in first creating turmoil in Kashmir and in mishandling the situation in Jammu thereafter. As far as disillusionment in Kashmiris is concerned, I have pleaded their case and suffered for their cause no less than any Kashmiri leader. I do not seek any appreciation for what I did for Kashmir and am doing in the current situation in Jammu. I have done it for my satisfaction. I might have some limitations but the way I have been maligned and ridiculed by Firdous only shows how wide is the gap between us.

(Balraj Puri is Director Institute of Jammu and Kashmir affairs)

Exerpts from Greater Kashmir dated 09-08-2008
In this melee the pants of Charaks, Mangats, Harsh Dev’s and numerous others are down, but it is not politicians alone who are caught red handed, wearing “Khaki Knickers’ of RSS beneath their pants. So called intellectuals and media personalities are also in the mad rush to get them registered as the champions of ‘Hindu cause.’ But what pains the most is one-sided and inaccurate reporting of the events from a well known writer like Balraj Puri, who has been singing the paeans of secularism for whole of his life. Balraj Puri in Hindustan Times (6/8/08) writes— “Anti-social elements who took no time in joining the agitation, have attacked Muslims at many places and communal clashes have taken place in Muslim-majority areas”. Wah, Mr.Puri one should learn art of distortion from you. While huge crowds of thousands who burned police posts, lynched police personnel, attacked mosques, set to blaze Gujjar dwellings. And have effectively carried out economic blockade of Valley, Doda, Poonch and Rajoori for a fortnight now, is handiwork of some “Anti-social elements” and not by the protestors on the whole. Minor protests of Muslims in Rajoori and Bhaderwah against the Police failure to rein in Hindu rioters, is termed as “communal clashes” in Muslim-majority areas. It is a strange logic. Hooliganism by the majority has been turned into “Anti-social elements joining the agitation” in a vain bid to paint a notion of “few.’ And protest by few is turned into a major clash. Otherwise wherein J&K a communal unrest has taken place in a Muslim majority area? The incidents of past one month have shaken badly the confidence of Kashmiri Muslims. The economic blockade and siege of Muslims in and around Jammu city has removed the mist of ambiguity. For a common Kashmiri the reality of secularism is today bare and open

Exploding the myth

I have been wondering over the past few days as to what makes Jammuites non-entity in the eyes of the Govt. of India? They have been agitating for more than 50 days now at a stretch, atleast 8 people have sacrificed their life for the cause of Shrine Board land and lacs of people have courted arrest but the Govt. of India is unmoved? Why, because it considers Kashmir more important than the Jammu. As a matter of fact this agitation has taken the shape of a MASS MOVEMENT and is out of the control of the BJP. For arguement sake, even if one concedes that the agitation is being spearheaded by BJP, is it not incumbant upon the GOI to find a solution of this protracting agitation? The ostrich like approach of Govt. of India is making things difficult for it to find a solution to the vexed problem with every passing day. As I have been telling my friends, GOI has failed to provide a stitch in time, therefore, it may have to provide more than the provervial nine stitches.
I have been reading News Papers from Kashmir regularly. They have a grouse that whereas in Kashmir protestors are dealt with a bullet, the protestors in Jammu are handled with kid glove. Nothing can be far from truth than this statement. Why do they forget that it was the Indian Army that fired on the protestors on the highway passing through Kathua district. In this firing one man lost his life and scores sustained bullet injuries. One must not forget that inspit of this the Ladies from the valiant Dogra Land tied Rakhi on the forearms of their FAUJI brothren as well as the Policemen. Here lies the difference between the Patriotic people and the secessionists. A time has come to read the writing on the wall and to stop a few thousand people from taking hostage to the entire population of Kashmir. It is the class of well fed Kashmiri leadership which is exploiting the common Kashmiri in the name of Islam.
Further, why the Kashmir media as well as Kashmiri leaders fail to appreciate the point that whereas in Jammu the agitators are carrying National Flag with pride and are Chanting the slogans of " Bharat Mata Ki Jai", in Kashmir they are carrying National Flag of Pakistan and are chanting slogans like "Bhukha nanga Hindusthan, Jeeve Jeeve Pakistan" and "We are Pakistani and Pakistan is our Jaan". Who can forget the presence of Gun in Kashmir. What is wrong in it if the security forces are scared of their lives and act in precaution? No civilised society in the world will treat the patriots and the traitors alike.
Omar Abdullah now says that by stating the term "our" in the parliament he meant "People of Jammu & Kashmir". I donot consider Mr. Omar Abdullah to be so naive as to not to appreciate the fact that in Kashmir, anybody and everybody opposing the land transfer order had been saying that "This land belongs to Kashmiris and that they will not give it to Shrine Board". His statement that it is our land and we will not give an inch of it had to be read in the popular refrain of the Kashmir. I am sorry to say that it is not a time to befool the Jammuites like this. One of my very dear friend was calling from Kashmir today
and said that it was said in Kashmir that the land in question is to be utilised for making permanant settlements of Indian Armed Forces. Can anything be far from truth than this? A cursory glance of the allotment order will reveal that all these stories were fabricated to secure secessinist agenda. I am amazed at the speed with which everybody is blaming former Governor, Lt. Gen. S.K. Sinha for this trouble in J&K ignoring the dirty politics played by Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP in this case.
Mehbooba Mufti says that what is wrong in it if we want to march to Muzaffarabad? Mehbooba is an M.P. and must know that you can not go to a foreign and sovereign country, however friendly and sympathetic it may be to You, in this manner. Proper procedured have to be followed in this behalf. The Nation would have felt proud of Mehbooba Mufti if she had taken a large number of her party workers and laid seize of the P.M. or the President of India to secure free passage of goods to Srinagar. But, how could she do it? She had to incite passions in Kashmir against India and secure a point over the Hurriyat and National Conference. A time has now come to call a spade a spade. Congress should and must stop paying the price of One Vote each cast in its favour by PDP and the NC. and act as fast in the National interest as it can to save Jammu from going the Kashmir way.

Face the Truth : Jammu Aspirations

I always wonder as to why are we afraid of facing the Truth. It may be because of the fear in our childhood that make us tell a lie to save ourselves from severe thrashing at the hands of our elders. In my entire childhood, I have not seen anyone who may have appreciated one speaking the truth out of conviction. But in the life of the Countries a time comes when Facing the Truth is the best option. Now, looking at the present agitation going on in Jammu, I believe facing the truth at the very onset would have saved the State from unprecedented loss of life and economy.

Had Ghulam Nabi Azad realized the truth that he should not bank on the so called secular credentials of the Valley Centric parties, he would not have ignited the fire which has engulfed the whole State. Umar Abdullah states with pride in the Parliament of India that He is a Muslim and Indian but when it comes to Land for Amarnath S.B., he becomes Kashmiri only. The truth is that Azad was trained to teach P.G. Classes and not in High School. It is one thing to run a Central Ministry but it is quite another thing to run CMship of a State like J&K. Were that he was able to face the ground realities instead of lofty ideals, things would have been different. He must ask himself that if, as he says that the present Agitation is being spearheaded by BJP, then why his close aid Th. G.S. Charak and ex-MLA Sham Lal Sharma have joined the Sangharsh Samiti? Why Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Jains have joined the Samiti? How long can you ask Jammu People to keep their mouth shut in the name of National Interest?

The matter of the fact is that the Agitation for the restoration of the Land to SASB, has taken the shape of a mass movement and now it will not be possible for the Samiti ( spearheading the Agitation) also to abandon the Agitation without transfer of the Land. I know of the Areas where there was no presence of BJP or the so called hindu organisations, but there the agitation is more severe and complete as compared to the Jammu City.

One wonders as to why did it not occur to the Centre to address this agitation for more than a month untill the Kashmir started crying foul. The reason is that right from Azad to ordinary Jammuite no one could imagine that this agitation will acquire such magnitude and proportions and shall last so long and spread to every nook and corner of the Jammu region, and the resolute people of Jammu will be prepared to sacrifice anything for the cause of Shrine Board Land. It may not be out of place to indicate here that 'Land' has now become a symbol of Govt. of India's weakness towards the hardliners of Kashmir. The Govt. of India failed to guage the mood of Jammu People as it had always been concerned with the mood of Kashmir People. As a Hindi Poet has said, I qoute, " Bhalo Bhalo Kahi Chhandiye, Khote gruh Jap Daan". But now Ache Gruh have also woken up from deep slumber and are demanding long overdue justice.

Mr. Mufti as well as the Central Govt. have been claiming improvement in the ground situation in the Valley. But one wonders as to what kind of peace they had been harping upon? A peace that evaporates so quickly just on one issue that had nothing to do with the everyday life of ordinary Kashmiri. An issue which was blown out of proportions on false pretexts. One must give careful thought to the very fact that why India has failed to win Kashmiris and if it has won them then why this winning is so fragile?

One fails to understand that where were these people who today are more than willing to give sermons to Jammu People to understand the niceties of the issue and maintain peace and communal harmony. Barring stray skirmishes, there are hardly any incidents having communal overtones in the Jammu region, during the ongoing Agitation. Then where is the justification for Yasin Malik to sit on Hunger Strike?

A time has come for all of us to face the truth and find out a lasting solution to the aspirations of Jammu People as well, because Ladakh and Kargil have already got the Autonomous Hill Councils no doubt after long stuggle.