SAYSS Movement in Jammu and the Central Team´s Visit
Anurag Gangal
August 13, 2008
The Centre´s Parliamentary All Party Team´s visit to Jammu on 09 August 2008 has failed although it has raised some hopes among the people spearheading movement for restoration of land transfer to Baba Amarnath Shrine Board (BASB). Some of the members of Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti (SAYSS) have now started evolving a more conducive climate for further talks with the Central team. As such, media have also begun expressing message of hope among masses.
Positive Approach and Promises Made:
Some among them say that the visit of the team headed by the Minister of Home Affairs is an achievement by itself. AYSS also looks forward for some more sessions of such apparently positive talks where the real issue and solution was not fully attended to. SAYSS also apprised the Home Minister of all brutalities inflicted upon peaceful protestors by the Army, Police and the State Administration. He was also clearly made aware of the economic loss that Jammu has suffered during the course of current Movement and protests. The Home Minister promised that almost all loss of men and material will be fully compensated soon.
However, the Central Delegation did not bring with it any effective message of goodwill because as a gesture of benevolence and friendliness before the visit to Jammu, they did not give any respite to people from the continued clamping of curfew, massive presence of Army and unrelenting police brutalities on peaceful protestors. Maybe due to such scenario after the visit of the Central team, SAYSS decided to further extend its protest till 20 August 2008 for the time being subject to further intensification of the Movement if their demand is not met through prospective dialogues.
Yet, it was promised that some solution agreeable to Kashmir and Jammu both will be found soon. The real demand and issue for the SAYSS is of one point only. This is to restore the earlier transfer of land to the BASB. The Central team has not assured anything on this account. Kashmiri leadership is completely and vehemently against such transfer of land to BASB. Indeed, Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah and Saif-ud-din Soz were not allowed by the SAYSS to sit in the conference room for talks with them. Even Governor and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad were also asked to go out of the conference room. These five were sent out on the grounds that they were the prime accused in the matter of revocation of land transfer to BASB. Hence, how the accused can sit as ´judges´ in this context.
Peoples Movement:
Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti (SAYSS) created in early June to fight for self respect of the people of Jammu and restoration of land transfer to Baba Amarnath Shrine Board (BASB) is a collection of about thirty-six groups, organisations and institutions of Jammu. It has the support of all communities in Jammu Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and others. Entire population of Jammu region has shown its full strength behind the SAYSS and its Movement for restoring the long discriminated against self esteem of the inhabitants of Jammu region. In this struggle, about ten people have become martyrs for the public cause and 500 others have been injured apart form nearly 600 persons still in jails.
Land Transfer Issue and PDP´s About Turn:
Their´s is not a struggle of Hindus only. It is every community´s fight against Governmental interference in religious matters of any religion even if it is merely the question of making arrangements for pilgrimage at the base camp of Amarnath Yatra at Baltal in Kashmir. Any such interference even if offered voluntarily is an anti-thesis of the philosophy and policy of secularism. The Cabinet decision of J&K Government on 26 May 2008 after three years of multi-ministerial and departmental scrutiny was taken unanimously to provide about 100 acres of land to BASB for purposes of making arrangements and creating related pre-fabricated temporary structures from June to August every year to organise Amarnath Yatra. This unanimous decision was taken with full concurrence of the Peoples Democratic Party´s (PDP) and Congress Party´s ministers in the Cabinet.
Then suddenly the PDP took an about turn on the pretext of danger to environment, demographic balance and Kashmiri culture. The PDP now asked for revocation of the unanimous Cabinet order transferring land to BASB. The Congress Government quickly agreed to PDP´s latest volt face. This led, first, to the pre-mature fall of the Congress Party´s Government in Kashmir and secondly, the emergence of massive, widespread and spontaneous mass movement and protests against the revocation of the earlier order of the Cabinet in favour of transferring the concerned land to BASB.
Communal Harmony in Jammu:
Despite aforesaid political about turns of the noted Kashmiri Muslim leadership, the Kashmiri Muslim community and Gujjars at Srinagar and Baltal to Amarnath Cave have always taken pains to shower hospitality on the pilgrims to Baba Amarnath since ages. Even when the BASB was not there, Yatra was continuing for several hundred years in the past mainly due to arrangements made by the Kashmiri Muslim community. The Amarnath Cave is known to have been discovered only by the Kashmiri Muslim community.
Even in Jammu, all communities are fighting for the cause of religious freedom and governmental non-interference in religious affairs. The Kashmiri select leadership are however spreading white lies about Jammu having become highly volatile against its Muslim population. They also say that there is economic blockade against the people of Kashmir. This is also not a reality because the Governor of J&K has also said so very clearly. In view of forty-three days long Bandh, Jammu is also facing shortage of food and other items of daily use including medicines etc.
Who is to blame ?:
PDP, National Conference (NC), Hurriyat and Congress parties are to be blamed for all this in Jammu and in Kashmir. Lately, about 12 people have been killed in Kashmir also as a result of firing by Indian Army and Police. Kashmiri Muslims are now moving towards Muzaffarabad in Pakistan in a procession for selling their daily need goods and fruits etc. PDP and Hurriyat are now instigating people in Kashmir against the SAYSS people´s movement in Jammu.
What is likely to happen now ?: A
Anything can happen under the civil war like situation in Jammu and Kashmir on the one hand and uncertain political climate in Pakistan with Musharraf also deciding to quit on 14 August the Independence Day of Pakistan.
Positive Approach and Promises Made:
Some among them say that the visit of the team headed by the Minister of Home Affairs is an achievement by itself. AYSS also looks forward for some more sessions of such apparently positive talks where the real issue and solution was not fully attended to. SAYSS also apprised the Home Minister of all brutalities inflicted upon peaceful protestors by the Army, Police and the State Administration. He was also clearly made aware of the economic loss that Jammu has suffered during the course of current Movement and protests. The Home Minister promised that almost all loss of men and material will be fully compensated soon.
However, the Central Delegation did not bring with it any effective message of goodwill because as a gesture of benevolence and friendliness before the visit to Jammu, they did not give any respite to people from the continued clamping of curfew, massive presence of Army and unrelenting police brutalities on peaceful protestors. Maybe due to such scenario after the visit of the Central team, SAYSS decided to further extend its protest till 20 August 2008 for the time being subject to further intensification of the Movement if their demand is not met through prospective dialogues.
Yet, it was promised that some solution agreeable to Kashmir and Jammu both will be found soon. The real demand and issue for the SAYSS is of one point only. This is to restore the earlier transfer of land to the BASB. The Central team has not assured anything on this account. Kashmiri leadership is completely and vehemently against such transfer of land to BASB. Indeed, Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah and Saif-ud-din Soz were not allowed by the SAYSS to sit in the conference room for talks with them. Even Governor and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad were also asked to go out of the conference room. These five were sent out on the grounds that they were the prime accused in the matter of revocation of land transfer to BASB. Hence, how the accused can sit as ´judges´ in this context.
Peoples Movement:
Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti (SAYSS) created in early June to fight for self respect of the people of Jammu and restoration of land transfer to Baba Amarnath Shrine Board (BASB) is a collection of about thirty-six groups, organisations and institutions of Jammu. It has the support of all communities in Jammu Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and others. Entire population of Jammu region has shown its full strength behind the SAYSS and its Movement for restoring the long discriminated against self esteem of the inhabitants of Jammu region. In this struggle, about ten people have become martyrs for the public cause and 500 others have been injured apart form nearly 600 persons still in jails.
Land Transfer Issue and PDP´s About Turn:
Their´s is not a struggle of Hindus only. It is every community´s fight against Governmental interference in religious matters of any religion even if it is merely the question of making arrangements for pilgrimage at the base camp of Amarnath Yatra at Baltal in Kashmir. Any such interference even if offered voluntarily is an anti-thesis of the philosophy and policy of secularism. The Cabinet decision of J&K Government on 26 May 2008 after three years of multi-ministerial and departmental scrutiny was taken unanimously to provide about 100 acres of land to BASB for purposes of making arrangements and creating related pre-fabricated temporary structures from June to August every year to organise Amarnath Yatra. This unanimous decision was taken with full concurrence of the Peoples Democratic Party´s (PDP) and Congress Party´s ministers in the Cabinet.
Then suddenly the PDP took an about turn on the pretext of danger to environment, demographic balance and Kashmiri culture. The PDP now asked for revocation of the unanimous Cabinet order transferring land to BASB. The Congress Government quickly agreed to PDP´s latest volt face. This led, first, to the pre-mature fall of the Congress Party´s Government in Kashmir and secondly, the emergence of massive, widespread and spontaneous mass movement and protests against the revocation of the earlier order of the Cabinet in favour of transferring the concerned land to BASB.
Communal Harmony in Jammu:
Despite aforesaid political about turns of the noted Kashmiri Muslim leadership, the Kashmiri Muslim community and Gujjars at Srinagar and Baltal to Amarnath Cave have always taken pains to shower hospitality on the pilgrims to Baba Amarnath since ages. Even when the BASB was not there, Yatra was continuing for several hundred years in the past mainly due to arrangements made by the Kashmiri Muslim community. The Amarnath Cave is known to have been discovered only by the Kashmiri Muslim community.
Even in Jammu, all communities are fighting for the cause of religious freedom and governmental non-interference in religious affairs. The Kashmiri select leadership are however spreading white lies about Jammu having become highly volatile against its Muslim population. They also say that there is economic blockade against the people of Kashmir. This is also not a reality because the Governor of J&K has also said so very clearly. In view of forty-three days long Bandh, Jammu is also facing shortage of food and other items of daily use including medicines etc.
Who is to blame ?:
PDP, National Conference (NC), Hurriyat and Congress parties are to be blamed for all this in Jammu and in Kashmir. Lately, about 12 people have been killed in Kashmir also as a result of firing by Indian Army and Police. Kashmiri Muslims are now moving towards Muzaffarabad in Pakistan in a procession for selling their daily need goods and fruits etc. PDP and Hurriyat are now instigating people in Kashmir against the SAYSS people´s movement in Jammu.
What is likely to happen now ?: A
Anything can happen under the civil war like situation in Jammu and Kashmir on the one hand and uncertain political climate in Pakistan with Musharraf also deciding to quit on 14 August the Independence Day of Pakistan.
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