Author:
Publication: Organiser
Date: September 8, 2002
"DR Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister
of Jammu and Kashmir, has close links with Amanullah Khan, the president
of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front", alleged the renowned journalist and
Padamshree awardee Muzaffar Hussain while kicking off the election campaign
of the Jammu State Morcha (JSM) at Jammu. JSM is a newly-floated, RSS-backed
political group.
Addressing the rally, which was
considered to be one of the biggest gatherings in the recent years at Jammu,
Sh. Hussain criticised Farooq Abdullah's insatiable greed for power. Lashing
out at the Chief Minister for not caring for the welfare of the people
of the State he said Farooq Abdullah extended the support of his party
to the Central Governments of all hue and shades from time to time, and
to induct his son in the Union Ministry, he gave support to the NDA Government
and installed him as the president of the National Conference to elevate
him to the chair of Chief Minister of the State.
In his hard-hitting speech he called
upon the people to dethrone the Abdullah dynasty to get justice. He remarked,
"Leaders like Sheikh Abdullah, Farooq and Omar are responsible for the
discrimination with Jammu and Ladakh" and argued that ethnicity and cultural
ethos of Jammu and Ladakh will be protected if these regions are separated
from Kashmir valley. Referring to the discrimination towards Jammu region,
he said that the State government to 1.66 lakh persons in the State, of
them 1.50 lakh persons belong to Kashmir valley. He alleged that the development
funds were being diverted to Kashmir valley.
Giving a clarion call to get Jammu
and Ladakh rid of the yoke from Kashmiri ruler, Shri Hussain exhorted the
people to prepare themselves for the supreme sacrifices to achieve the'
target. He said, "God helps those who help themselves".
Sh Joginder Singh, former Director
of Central Bureau of Investigation, lambasted those who have been dubbing
trifurcation demand 'communal'. While defending the demand of statehood
for Jammu region he said, "Demand for the statehood of Jammu is neither
communal nor based on any religion. It is purely a regional genuine demand
to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Jammu which comprise Hindus,
Muslims, Sikhs and Christians." "Nature has divided Jammu, Kashmir and
Ladakh geographically so I do not find any logic to keep all the three
regions united", he opined.
Former CBI Director disclosed that
80 Kashmiri Muslim families have siphoned off Rs one lakh crore given by
the changing Central Governments for the betterment and uplift of the people
of the State. Taking a dig at Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah for demanding
Greater Autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, he asked, "For what Farooq wants
autonomy-for corruption, killing or bungling. central funds?"
Prof. Laxmi Kanta Chawla addressing
the rally said, "To end discrimination of Jammu people, reorganization
of J&K State is imperative." She remarked that the then Prime Minister,
Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru committed the Himalayan blunder in solving the Kashmir
issue, of which people of J&K are now facing the consequences. "If
the Kashmir problem were allowed to be solved by Sardar Patel, terrorism
would have been not taken birth with patronage of Pakistan."
Convener of the Morcha Shree Kumar
reiterated its commitment to fight for a separate Jammu State and Union
Territory status for Ladakh, saying the people of these regions continued
to be discriminated under the Kashmiri rule. He denied the allegation that
the Morcha was trying to divide Jammu and Kashmir State on religious lines
and asserted that the demand was made because the people from Jammu and
Ladakh regions were being discriminated. He alleged that Pakistani nationals
were given state subject certificates while 14,000 people had been issued
notices 'challenging their genuine state subject status. "Farooq Abdullah
Government wants Hindus to flee this State," he alleged.
The rally organised by JSM was considered
to be one of the biggest so far organised in the City of Temple in the
recent past. People from the far-flung areas of the Jammu region attended
the rally, which was dominated by the youth. A large number of Gujjars
also attended the rally, despite being the fact that some people have been
dubbing the trifurcation demand communal. Thousands of the people, who
came from the far-flung areas of Jammu region also pledged to teach a lesson
to "Jai Chands" of Jammu who for their pretty personal gains, have been
sabotaging the interest of Jammu region, despite the fact that the people
had of and on reposed faith in them.
(KSK)
