What is happening in Jammu for the last 35 days is a mass movement by the anguished people of the state in every sense of the word. The role of political activists in this mass movement is minimal. People from nearly all walks of life including the common man, professionals like teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, School & College students, young and old and even businessmen are all on the street with the national tricolour in their hands and ready to face even bullets for their cause.

The intensity and gravity of the situation needs to be appreciated and recognized in its totality. This is a nationalist movement of and led by the common people against the meek and unjustified submission of both the Government of India and the State Government of Jammu and Kashmir towards patently subversive demands made by the separatist elements, who have always questioned the very premise that Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India.

Let us neither forget nor discount the historicity, religious, emotional and civilisational importance of the Amarnath Yatra being undertaken for the last so many hundreds of years. It is a matter of great assurance that even some Muslim families have facilitated this Yatra for the last so many years. The lingering threat of terrorism too was not able to dissuade the devotees from going in the Yatra. It is important to remember that there has always existed a broad political consensus in the country that regardless of religion or faith, the central and State governments have always made adequate arrangements and facilitated devotees while undertaking pilgrimage. The government has contributed both in terms of budgetary support as well as constructing Haj Bhawans even on government land for the Haj pilgrims. Similarly, convenience provisions have been made for other occasions such as the Kumbh Mela and Tublig jamat congregations. None of these have ever become the object of political divide or controversy because of strong consensus. The Central and the State of J&K decision in cancelling the land allotment under separatist pressure has compromised that consensus.

In the case of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), even the former Chief Minister of the State Shri Gulam Nabi Azad has gone on record today that the day the cabinet decided to transfer the land to the SASB on May 20th 2007 for erecting pre-fabricated temporary structures only for camping purposes of the pilgrims for two-three months only, there were four other cases of land transfer of forest land towards non-forest usage. Mr Azad has himself admitted that a motivated disinformation campaign was launched against only this particular transfer of land and because of this mischievous propaganda the government revoked its own decision. Therefore, the former Chief Minister has acknowledged on record that the separatist propaganda is behind the decision to revoke the transfer of land to the SASB.

This profound sense of grievance being felt by the people of Jammu needs to be addressed. The BJP supports peaceful agitation and the government will have to consider appropriate corrective measures to address this sense of grievance including engagement and dialogue.
Therefore, even more important than the All Party Meeting, which the government has probably called for tomorrow, both the Government of India and the State Government should seek to directly speak to the people who are leading this mass movement in the Jammu region and this should be done with an open mind.

(Shyam Jaju)
Headquarter-in-charge