Bhalessa: Saparate Identity imperative for political empowerment of Bhalessa

By Sadaket A Malik

Bhalessa is located in northern most state of Jammu and Kashmir. It has umpteen number of roots to reach the desired destination. Full of awe aspiring mountains and having a huge potential of tourism industry here, The narrow road snaked its way through towering slopes, throwing up enormous clouds of dust. It passed by little hamlets, comprising a couple of houses built around pagoda-shaped mosques and box-like temples with sloping roofs made of corrugated iron Bhalessa is known for traditional communal hormony.

Owing to the commitment and mutual understanding of the Hindu Muslim secular heritage the nefarious designs has been wiped and local inhabitants diverted their attention towards the higher objectives. Bhalessa has a rich history. The area derived its name from its people "Bhalay Loug" (The right people with right destiny)- The people working and inhibiting without any political mileage.The two communities continue to live together in the same towns and villages in relative peace, beside the fissiparous tendencies of nefarious designs prevalent here.Bhalessa is full of meadows popularly known as Dhar like Kanthi, Soin Bhagar, Roharhi, Dagan, Bal Padri, etc. the area is mountainous, it has umpteen number of trekking routes which pass through places with unbelievable captivating scenic beauty.

The place is a comfortable base for trekkers and mountaineers, on their way to the Great Himalayas By road, bus services from Doda connect Bhalessa. The nearest railhead is 119 km away at Jammu. Tiny patches of wheat and mustard, like patchwork quilts, straddled the edge of the stream that rushed down from the snow-capped peaks in the distance with an irrepressible passion to merge into the Chenab beyond. Children played cricket on improvised pitches on patches of land left fallow or lazed around on conical haystacks.

Weather-beaten Bakkarwal men, with their hennaed beards and loosely wound turbans, led flocks of hairy mountain goats. Their children and womenfolk followed after them, driving mules laden with pots, pans and bedding their mobile homes. The perfect picture of serenity.

Bhalessa is one of the most remote and inaccessible parts of Doda. Straddling the border with Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, it has a Muslim majority, with a Hindu minority of a little more than a third of the population.The history of Bhalessa and Bhaderwah dates back to 200 B.C. When the revered Buddhist scholar Nagsena was invited to a discussion by king Mender in his palace at Sakla.Kishtwar.

In the discussions Nagsena replied all the questions of the king who then embraced Buddhism and became king Milinda. Nagsena recorded the discussion in "Millinda Panha" a Pali Treatise on the fundamental principles of Buddhist philosophy.The Islamic faith entered the region of Bhalessa as a spiritual and moral force, when Alhaj Ab. Gani sadiqi invited the people and familiarised them of the faith. The principality of Bhaderwah Bhalessa was distributed into 15 tharas or administrative units.

The total area of Bhaderwah Jagir (including Bhalessa etc) was 533 sq.miles which after amalgamation with Udhampur district in 1931 was reduced to 213 sq.miles only. The earliest mention of the place is traced from Rajatarangni around (1112-28 A.D.)On the recommendations of Private Domain Assimilation Committee, the status of Bhadarwah ended in 1930 A.D. Consequently Bhadarwah became a tehsil of Udhampur District in 1931.

After establishment of District Headquarter Doda, Bhadarwah was made a tehsil of this District including Bhalessa as a Niabet. Consequent upon reorganization of District and Tehsils, Naibat Thathri and Niabat Bhalessa of Bhadarwah Tehsil also became full fledged Tehsils in 1981. Tehsil Thathri and Tehsil Gandoh were carved out of Sub- Division Bhaderwah. District Doda had one Sub-District Ramban, two Sub-Divisions namely Kishtwar and Bhaderwah.

While Ramban and Kishtwar have been upgraded as Districts, Tehsil Bhalessa has been upgraded as Sub– Division. This way there again remain two Sub-Divisions i.e. Bhaderwah and Gandoh with three Tehsils namely Bhaderwah, Gandoh and Thathri in District Doda. As such, in any case one Sub-Division is to have two Tehsils while the other will remain Sub-Division for one Tehsil. It may be in place to mention that the distance from Thathri to Gandoh is only 30 Kms whereas distance from Thathri to Bhaderwah is around 60 Kms. Moreover, one has to first reach Khillani or Pul – Doda and then take another transport for going to Bhaderwah, causing inconvenience to the public.

The motorable road from Thathri to Gandoh is in the process of up gradation which when completed, will make road journey from Thathri to Gandoh shorter and more convenient as compared to journey to Bhaderwah. Thus, on the basis of contiguity and administrative convenience Tehsil Thathri is in closer proximity to Gandoh than Bhaderwah and it will be in the larger interests of the public of Tehsil Thathri that it is made part of new Sub-Division Gandoh.

Another demand received by the Committee during its visit to the area pertains to attachment of eleven villages of Patwar Halqas Patnazi and Jawalapur commonly known as Bunjawa with Tehsil Thathri after their detachment from Tehsil Kishtwar on the ground of proximity of the area and convenience of the people. Several projects has been taken by the government like Kahara Jai Road approved with sum of Rs. 20.78 crore under the Central Road Fund (CRF) Scheme for construction of 16 km long village road (3.75 m wide) with Retaining wall from Kahara Jai Road up to Village Jaurn. This road will connect village Kahara in Bhalessa area with Jai in Bhaderwah passing through the villages of Gugara, Malanu, Bithola, Bagdair, Halaran, Jooda and Shamdalian before entering the picturesque meadows of Jai in Bhaderwah thus opening up avenues of development for people of all these villages.

Sadaket Malik is a freelance columnist based in Bhalessa