Vol. V, No. 31 Falgun 14, 2008, March 17, 1952 Four Annas – Air-/4/6 |
Communalism and Provincialism
In Services, scholarships, Rehabilitation, Everything
The impression is very widespread that the Abdullah Government is an aggressively Kashmiri Muslim Government Perhaps Shaikh Abdullah’s conscious hatred of the Dogra Ex-Maharaja is responsible for his unconscious prejudice against all Dogras i.e. people of Jammu Kashmir in crisis can ill-afford such an approach to the people’s problems.
Men outside the State have been made to believe that Kashmir is a Muslim State and that anything which displeases the Muslims would jeopardize our good relations with Kashmir. A part from its communalism, such a statement does not have the merit of even factual correctness. Kashmir’s fifteen lacs are mostly Muslims. But Jammu’s thirteen lacs are again mostly Muslims. But Jammu’s thirteen lacs are again mostly Hindus And among Ladakh’s two lacs the percentage of Muslims is lower than in any other part of bharat.
These being the facts the Hindus expect something like equality with Muslims. In territorial terms in would mean an approximate equality between Jammu and Ladakh on the one hand and Kashmir on the other, But the new trends surprise them. Their communalism and provincialism is patent.
Take for instance the composition of the cabinet. Out of six ministers only one Girdharilal –is a Hindu. He is the only representative of Jammu in the cabinet!
This discrimination cuts deep and all round, reaching down to menial ranks. The state Secretariat employs something like 350 men. O these only thirty five are Hindus. While Shaikh Sahib had thus no place for Kashmir Hindu refugees. He found space enough to accommodate 500 Chinese Muslim families in Kashmir Valley ! Without reference to New Delhi he gave naturalization rights –a central subject to these Chinese Muslims.
10,000 Hindu refugees from Bhimbar, Mirpur and Poonch have like wise been refused rehabilitation within the State. For four years they have rotted in the Yo1 Camp in East Punjab. And now the Government has ordered them to go to Bikaner and Bhopal-for rehabilitation, of course! Abdullah has no place for them.
The slightest Criticism against the Conference Government is considered treason Last May there eas a famine in Tehsil Padar, district Doda, Jammu, The tehsil Praja Parishad Secretary, Shri Sant Ram listed 8 names of famine victims in the Jammu weekly Gulab and appealed to the Government for early relief. Even though everybody knew about the famine and the police records showed as many as 100 deaths from Starvation, the Government ordered the prosecution of Sant Ram under KD Rule 29-section 505 IPC! It was only after a grueling 10-month trial that he was finally acquitted in the first week of March!
Urdu and Communists (Shri Ganga Singh of BHU Banaras) |
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