Wednesday, July 2, 2008

SHRI AMARNATJI SHRINE BOARD (SASB) LAND ROW: HAS THE STATE GOVERNMENT BUCKLED UNDER THE SESSIONIST PRESSURE IN KASHMIR?

A Political scenario which has unfolded in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the last ten days has fanned the sentiments of people in the state and has transcended across the nation.
Failure of the state Govt to foresee the repercussions of land diversion in the first place is unacceptable and has brought the precarious political situation not only in the state but in the whole country.
Leaders of the ruling congress party are singing the same tunes as the separatist groups in the valley by calling the upsurge as an "Awami Tehrik"------- A Public movement. Notably this is the first time for last two decades that star studded green flags have been hoisted in protest against the Govt. at the public places in the valley. Protesters shouting anti Indian, Pro freedom slogans were flashed on national media channels. Is this what they call an "Awami Tehrik? Is Kashmiri awam really against Govt. of India?
In his recent interview to BBC Hindi Prof. Saifuddin Soz, Union minister for water resources and a senior congress party leader has unequivocally proclaimed that movement in the valley was an awami tehrik and no anti national element was involved in it.
Failure in the governance and myopic decision making process has been overshadowed by putting blame on previous governor of the state which is just an act of whitewash. Transfer of land to the SASB was not done overnight but it took ample three and a half years after it got clearance from the state forest and law depts. and approval from Deputy Chief Minister . Passed through a prescribed set of bureaucratic and political processes the decision got the final approval in the state cabinet on 18th May 2008 and inexplicably so called awami tehrik which involved a bunch of anti Indian, Pro-freedom secessionist groups outstripped the governance of the state?
All this has casted a grave concerns and has given rise to various open ended questions like,
1.Has the ruling Congress led govt. paved a path for communal forces not only in the state but in the whole country?
2.Failure in the governance has resulted into communal disharmony among peace loving masses in the state? Who owes the responsibility?
3.Has the state Govt buckled under pressure from so called tehrik or is it due to political and electoral compulsions of the Government?

I conclude with these open ended questions and welcome comments of the esteemed readers.

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