Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Nov, 01
In specially convened meeting of its Core Group the 115 years old Dogra Sadar Sabha (DSS) welcomed the first Lieutenant Governor of J&K Union Territory (UT) Shri Girish Chandra Murmu. The president DSS, Th. Gulchain Singh Charak and members expressed their full support and solidarity with UT Government as the oldest non-political organization and a platform for all Dogras comprising of all communities, walks of life, trades and religions. The DSS places lot of hope in Shri GC Murmu who has vast experience of handling crisis in Gujrat and his close functional proximity with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Damodar Das Modi. The meeting ended in a press conference and DSS issued a press note.
In his opening address, Former Minister, Shri Charak recalled briefly with nostalgia the turn of events over the past about two centuries of formation, expansion and glorious 100 years period of Dogra rule which casted the state of J&K on modern lines based on strong secularism, justice and national pride. He called J&K a beautiful bouquet of flowers with the three regions of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh. Members joined him in recalling how the state was sliced of Giligit Baltistan by treachery, the PoJK lost to wicked neighbor and regaining blocked by blunder of premature ceasefire giving birth to PoJK. The current reduced status of to a Union Territory is though painful but has to be reconciled under the circumstances that were getting out of hands due to terrorism and separatism sponsored by Pakistan. Members hoped that after peace and normalcy is regained and region stabilizes, the J&K will be re-accorded full statehood as indicated by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shri Amit Shah.
He highlighted various chronic and critical challenges that are facing the new form UT. He pointed out that to root out corruption in the bureaucracy, especially the middle and lower echelons of administration is first and foremost. He brought out how the Jammu region has faced deep rooted discrimination throughout the seventy years of the imbalanced political power and called for an immediate census followed by delimitation as a prelude to the legislative assembly elections. In the mean time there is an immediate necessity to function both Jammu and Kashmir Secretariats simultaneously in the two existing buildings. The feature of annual shifting was considered at a stage in history when means of communication were poor and slow. With the present day development of IT and transportation, such annual shifting is wasteful and denies close access to governance to both regions for half the year. Similarly the allocation of funds, resources and opportunities should be allocated separately to both regions to be administered under autonomous councils.
There are enormous, multiple problems facing the Jammu region and expressed that a delegation of the DSS will call on the Lt Governor after he is settled and apprise him of their vital concerns. Members pointed out that the Dogra identity of the Jammu region was being obliterated as is evident from the deliberate neglect of our heritage site, the archives, museum that was once the seat of rule for the region. There has been blatant discrimination in share of resources, development, opportunities, jobs and political empowerment. There are shortages of power, water supply, ignored tourism development and apathy and indifference towards existing tourism potential.
The government approved project of Fauji Colonies is pending for two decades on one pretext or another. The life in border areas is pathetic with Pakistani shelling, non-completion of bunker construction, rampant drug peddling, disturbed academics due to closer of schools/colleges and horrifying proportions of unemployment rendering youth to go haywire. The closure, shut downs/ curfews in Kashmir create heavy commercial losses in Jammu region who are the providers of mercantile and services like transportation. The members took strong exception to the plan of shifting the high court complex which is uncalled for against ecological considerations and wasteful. DSS recommends the courts should grow vertical & expand at existing location for which there is ample space & scope. The connectivity may be improved by additional flyovers.
Members pointed out that the instituting three Toll plazas within 120 KM in Jammu region with none in the next 200 km toward Kashmir is not the only example of discrimination and ‘K’ centric hegmony. Even the Gallantry War medal winners like Param Vir, Maha Vir, Vir Chakra exempted Tolls all over the National/State highways in the country are excluded from the exemption list displayed at the new Tolls Plaza in contravention of GoI notification. The EWS quota for upper class economically weaker section is yet to be provided to NEET 2019 aspirants. Even the seats allotted by Medical Council of India for EWS category are diverted to other categories. The medical services, condition of roads in the rural areas are pathetic. The DSS members looked forward for a new dawn in the UT and also hoped that under the Lt Governor the UT will prosper, grow, develop and may regain its lost state hood once again, as declared by GoI. We welcome the determination to revert POJK to our nation by whatever means. DSS request that the atrocity on POJK population must be highlighted and world pressure build on Pakistan to stop it
Th. Gulchain Singh said that it is a matter of happiness that in the recent past many local leaders have shown similar concerns about the Jammu region. All political parties were seen on the same page regarding the discriminatory Toll Plazas that are like Jazia on the pilgrimage tourism to shrines of Jammu region. He called upon all political, social, civil society groups to rise above the party, religious confines and get together for the cause of Jammu region to revive the pristine glory of the all community Dogra race, its art, culture, heritage, archives and save this peace loving but brave warring race from obliteration from history. DSS calls upon all Jammu institutions & parties to synergize on the commonly agreeable points of Jammu region.
The meeting was attended by Sh. Prem Sagar Gupta, Brig M. S. Jamwal, Col. Dr Virendra K. Sahi,VrC, Amanat Ali Shah, Janak Khajuria, Maj. Gen. Mrs. Sunita Kapoor (Retd) VSM, Santosh Magotra, Dr. Ganshyam Singh Charak, Neeraj Anand, Kuldeep Wahi, Gurbachan Lal, Sdr. Hakumat Singh, Sdr. Kulbir Singh, Madan Bhagat, Qadir Hussain, Dr. Mulkh Raj, Amrik Singh, Shiv Charan Singh Sambyal, Raj Kumar Sharma, Chhankar Singh, Pritam Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Satpal, Nasib Chand, Ravi Singh, Choudhary Kamal Singh, Balwant Singh, Dharam Chand, Gorakh Chand, Bharat Bhushan Talwar, Raj Kumar Sagotra and Rajinder Gupta.
