Discrimination with Sub-Regions !
Raman Sharma
I am a proud Jammuite and shall
always remain so, there is also no
denial that people of Jammu are liberal, tolerant and do not confine themselves
to prejudices but at the same we cannot deny the very fact that certain vested
interests especially immoral political
leaders mislead people here to grab votes,
instigate and exploit the innocent people of Jammu.
As these leaders lack any vision,
ground or any concrete idea and positive political ideology to offer therefore they find it appropriate to divide
the people on regional lines and keep grinding their own axe. They always play
Jammu -Card in State Politics to prove their worth and pose themselves as the
champions of the cause of Jammu.
Many such politicians have successfully built an
impression that Jammu is area that falls in old city but the fact of the matter
is that Jammu is neither geographical area within municipal Limits
comprising 71 Wards governed by Jammu
Municipal Corporation nor it is the name of just a district ‘Jammu’ but it is collective nomenclature of ‘Jammu’
division comprising 10 districts including Doda, Kathua, Jammu, Udhampur,
Rajouri, Ramban, Reasi, Samba, Kishtwar and Poonch. Total population of these 10 districts is over
53 Lac and that of Jammu district is 1526406, which is around 29 percent of
total population of ‘Jammu’ division and rest of 71 % population reside in
other remaining 9 districts.
The total population residing in 71 wards of
Jammu city is just 576198, which is 30
percent of the total population of Jammu district and just 10 percent of total
population of ‘Jammu’ division. The reason for giving above numerical figure is
to put some records straight as far as politics in Jammu and Kashmir is
concerned or most specifically the politics in the name of ‘Jammu’ is
concerned.
The political parties having
influence in the region or the self
acclaimed champions of Jammu’s cause always beat the drum of discrimination with
‘Jammu’ but for them ‘Jammu’ means only wards under the Jurisdiction of JMC.
These political leaders and
so called saviours of Jammu’s interest never take the issues of other sub
regions of Jammu seriously, for example for the past few years there have been
thousands of road accidents in hilly districts like Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban,
during the period 2009 to March-2015 there have been over 2400 road accidents in which 823 persons
lost their lives and 3700 others injured but seldom we heard any serious
concern expressed by these Political parties and leaders though their ritual condolence
messages remain confined up to press notes.
There have never been a
sincere effort by the Jammu leadership to improve road connectivity in these
areas and to build proper health infrastructure in these sub regions so that
the people there need not to remain depend upon Government Medical College
Bakshi Nagar, Jammu.
There have been a decades
old demand from the people and legal
fraternity hailing from twin district of Rajouri-Poonch and also from areas
falling erstwhile Doda district for setting up a bench of the Jammu and Kashmir
High Court there so that the litigants do not suffer and the lawyers can file
their appeals and writs in the local bench, at present a number of petitioners
who lose their cases in the subordinate courts do not challenge the verdict in
the High Court as it is not easy for the poor litigants to travel so long and
then also pay the fees of their counsel. The parties in both criminal as well as in
civil suits fail to even knock the doors of the higher judiciary. Jammu’s
leaders must be answerable to these poor litigants whose dear ones remain behind
the bars or who are unable to contest the illegal occupation of their property
by some land encroacher how to get justice from higher judiciary in absence of
any bench of the High Court.
How one can forget that even
some Jammu leaders instead of being jubilant; agitated even on re-opening of historic Mughal Road connecting Rajouri-Poonch
with Kashmir otherwise the poor people from these areas had to firstly
visit Jammu and then go to valley
unnecessarily putting a financial and time consuming burden on them. This road
is now being used as an alternative highway connecting Jammu with Kashmir. Now,
slowly Mugal road is also somehow helping in the economy of these twin
districts and the people from these districts got an alternative market in
Valley for buying and selling the products besides increasing scope of
employability. If the Jammu’s leadership had shown some sincerity earlier and
opened this route few decades ago then these remote sub regions would have also
excelled.
Comparing the number of
government educational institutes in district Jammu with rest of the 9
districts would also be helpful to
understand the behaviour of Jammu leadership with these sub-regions who deserve
their due share and of course must have sufficient number of degree colleges,
higher secondary schools, High Schools and middle/primary schools in blocks and
tehsils.
Policing: In Jammu district
and more specifically for different Mohallas falling in 3 assembly segments of
Jammu in each lane and Kucha there is a Police Station or Police Post but no
one needs to tell that there are many areas in other 9 districts where to cover
areas of more than 25 to 50 Kms, only one police Station or Police post is
established with deputation of a very few policemen. In district Jammu alone there
are more than 25 Police Stations which is obviously more than the total number of police stations
in 3 districts like Kathua, Samba and Udhampur.
Anyhow it is never too late
but even today the sub-regions are not
being heard, the poor health facilities in the remaining districts, other than
Jammu district are pitiable. On the name of district and sub district hospitals
these sub-regions do have walls and roofs but
almost negligible number of specialised doctors like surgeons,
neuro-surgeons, heart specialists, paediatric specialist, physiatrist, gynaecologist or even dental
surgeons. The mother-infant mortality rate in these regions can also reveal the kind of health facilities
offered there. The patients even with otherwise non serious diseases also fall
prey of lack of infrastructure and succumb to their illness. The doctors:
population ratio is below the national
average but these serious issues are buried beneath the carpet. It is
deplorable that many of these health institutes in 9 districts do not have working ambulances.
In operation theatres in absence of electricity, the surgical operations cannot
be done because electric generators are
not provided there. In short it is perhaps
only blessings of God or good luck of 71 percent population of Jammu
living in these 9 districts that despite complete negligence and step motherly
treatment they are surviving.
Now
once again the self acclaimed champions, this time not in a political dress
code but with the same motive are in streets of Jammu again beating the drum of
discrimination with their ‘Jammu’ on the name of non-setting up of AIIMS, All
India Institute of Medical Sciences in their Jammu. This agitation behind the
curtain is fully supported and patronaged by the same Congress leaders who enjoyed power
with PDP and National Conference for over 12 years and who were shown exit door
by the people of Jammu for their utter failure in delivering it to the people.
Many of these former minister seen in this AIIMS agitation are facing serious
charges of corruption and grabbing government land. The substance of non-setting up of AIIMS
in Jammu is being orchestrated and
projected as an ego and prestige issue of entire Jammu region. These champions
who are now leading the pride war of their Jammu want support of every
sub-region but they are not whispering even to set up any new health institute
in some other district of Jammu.
These
champions who are issuing agitation and Jammu band calendar should tell the
people of these remaining 9 districts that why not setting up at least one
Medical College in these districts. Jammu has no right to treat the other sub
regions as its colony.. There are many other important issues other than AIIMS
on which pressure could have been made on the state government for delivery of
services in other parts of the region but the entire focus has been shifted to
establish AIIMS. Sooner Jammu leaders
realise this facts that there is an anger simmering amongst the people of these sub-regions and the day is not far away when they would
seek an independent identity not subjective to Jammu. Establishment of AIIMS in
Jammu is a desire but our other sub-regions truly deserve better health
facilities. About Raman Sharma: he is an RTI Activists and resident of Old City Jammu, can be reached [a]
jktiact@gmail.com .Mobile 9796811012.
published in Rising Kashmir on 6th August, 2015.
http://www.risingkashmir.com/article/the-jammu-beyond-the-municipal-limits/
Also published in Journey Line on 12th Aug,2015 and in Kashmir Times on 14/Aug/2015
 |
KASHMIR TIMES, 14/ AUG/2015 |
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