Cheating Jammu to fatten Valley
By King C Bharati
The charge of the BJP spokesman Prof. Hari Om that the Deputy Chief Minister Pt. Mangat Ram Sharma has not only cheated Jammuites but also befooled them over the issue of the next CM from Jammu seems correct with the Deputy CM (DCM) denying the charge but admitting indirectly thus proving that there was something fishy about the whole affair.
It may be recalled that Prof. Hari Om levelled serious allegations against the DCM that he along with Ghulam Nabi Azad had recently met the party supremo Sonia Gandhi to convince her that continuing with Mufti Mohd. Sayeed as the Chief Minister for three more years was in the interest of the nation and the State.
Prof. Hari Om had alleged that all this was done by the duo in their effort to satisfy the lust of Shri Sharma to remain as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state for three more years.
Since the allegations are serious in nature as far as Jammuites are concerned, the DCM was grilled by media regarding these allegations. During a press conference, DCM claimed that all the allegations were false and fabricated, adding it was nothing but the fertile imagination of the BJP. He said both the leaders had not met Sonia in this regard. So far so good.
They said Mufti and his daughter had proved that Kashmiri rulers were more clever than Jammuites and their only interest was to keep Kashmiri domination intact while the leadership from Jammu had been kept in good humour by offering them some insignificant ministerial berths with no say.
But then the DCM created confusion by saying that since the Congress was a national party, the decisions were taken in the larger interests of the nation and by the party high command at New Delhi, adding that the State unit only followed the directives as disciplined soldiers of the party. Shri Mangat said since the national interest was supreme the party unit would abide by the decision of the party high command in this regard after the term of the present CM expired in November, indicating that all was not well within the party over the issue of the Chief Ministership.
The Deputy CM'scomments that the party unit would abide by whatever decision was taken in New Delhi prove that he has met Sonia and that Mufti is going to continue for three more years, said a senior journalist present in the meeting. Another keen watcher said Jammuites have again been cheated by their own ministers and leaders on the question of the CM from Jammu just due to the lust for power of the present set of Congress ministers, particularly the Deputy CM. Political observers feel that Kashmiri domination has come to the fore yet again with a person with 16 MLAs prevailing upon the party with 21 MLAs in the State and keeping the Chief Ministership with himself.
They said Mufti and his daughter had proved that Kashmiri rulers were more clever than Jammuites and their only interest was to keep Kashmiri domination intact while the leadership from Jammu had been kept in good humour by offering them some insignificant ministerial berths with no say in the affairs of the State.
The power of the Jammu ministers can be gauged by the fact that the writ of the Deputy CM does not run even in the hospitality and protocol kitchen where the cooks simply ignore his orders knowing that he is of no consequence. Before commencing the press conference the DCM wanted to hold a high-level meeting first and asked the kitchen staff to provide breakfast along with omelettes, etc, to the press corps till the meeting lasts. However, the kitchen staff simply ignored the orders and was not even in a mood to supply a cup of tea to journos, not to talk of the omelettes and sandwiches.
Political observers felt it was time for the Jammuites to come out on the streets and fight for their rights lest the inactive Congress leadership offers the Chief Ministership to Mufti on a platter once again. They, however, said this trend would be suicidal for the Congress in Jammu, which has already lost considerable ground except for a few people like Raman Bhalla who still enjoys huge public support. It is time Jammuites remember the words of Iqbal ?Na samjho ge to mit jaoge… tumhari dastan tak bhi na hogi dastanoo mein?. Wakeup Jammuites! lest you become refugees in your own land like Kashmiri Pandits.
