07-01-2008, 02:31 AM
Translated from Dainik Jagaran:
<b>âAmarnath Pilgrims will Now become hostageâ</b>
<i>Hindu organizations are enraged at the decision to hand over all arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra to the J&K state government after the disturbances over the decision to allot a patch of land owned by the forest department to the Shri Amarnath Yatra Shrine Board. Dainik Jagran interviews Prof. Nirmal Singh, member of the national executive committee of BJP and ex-head of the BJP state unit to understand what is happening.</i>
<b>What is the reason behind the large-scale disturbances over allotment of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board?</b>
These disturbances have been solely due to National Conference, Congress and PDP. All this is happening only because of vote bank politics. If the issue was so sensitive, why did nothing happen in 2005 when the decision to allot the land to the Board was taken originally? Now the state elections are drawing near, hence this drama has been enacted. PDP and Congress both want to draw the attention of the people away from issues such as corruption and inflation.
<b>What has been the attitude of the Central Government toward this controversy? What should be done to control the disturbances?</b>
The Central Government has been a silent spectator. The Centre wants the state government to continue to rule somehow. It is least bothered about the interests of the Hindus. The centre has maintained a criminal silence over the matter. The Congress is trying to profit from this matter, much like the monkey in the dispute between the two cats.
<b>PDP and Congress, both are competing with each other to appease the Muslims of the valley before the elections. What effect will this have on the state?</b>
This is not mere appeasement but indirect support to separatist and terrorist forces in the state. The issue that Hurriyat raised has beeen promoted massively by Congress and PDP. This issue is related to the religious sentiments of the Hindus. Through this episode the country has finally got to know the attitude of PDP and Congress toward this matter. The people of the country know very well about parties like these and are not going to be fooled any longer.
<b>Is the atmosphere in the state becoming like what it was two decades ago?</b>
Absolutely. The situation in the Valley and the rest of the state is fast turning to what it was in 1990. The situation is being projected as Hindus versus Muslims or Jammu versus Kashmir. This is worsening the situation. In this dispute, the role of the average Muslims has been praise-worthy. They are not against the allotment of land to the Amarnath Board. But some organizations do not want peace to be maintained in the state. It has happened for the first time after 1990 that in Kashmir slogans have again been raised in favour of Pakistan and independence.
<b>Was it necessary for land to be allotted to the Amarnath Board? Was there some alternative to this?</b>
Who says land has been allotted to the Board? It has only been leased to it for a mere two months. High court has clearly said in its judgement that for the benefit of the Amarnath pilgrims, pre-fabricated huts should be created on a patch of land. After two months, the land will again return to the Forest Department. So what is the dispute all about? This decision was taken after the verdict of the High Court, so there is no question of any alternative.
This is not the first time in the State that land held by the Forest Department has been assigned to someone. In Rajouri, the Baba Budshah Gulam University has been built over 5000 kanals of forest land. In fact, the houses of Farooq Abdullah and many State politicians have been built on forest land.
Some time earlier, there was a conspiracy to build a Muslim colony at Sidra over forest land but this decision had to be taken back after protests by the BJP. In Kashmir, to build the Mughal road, 20,000 trees were cut because of which 26 species of wildlife were pushed to the verge of extinction, but there were absolutely no protests from anyone. Why did so much disturbances occur only over the decision to assign a patch of land to Amarnath Board for a mere two months in a year to build pre-fabricated huts for Hindu pilgrims?
<b>How do you assess the role of the State Governor in this matter?</b>
The Governor has not taken any decision on its own. There has been complicity of the central government in this matter. The Central government has lowered the dignity of the institution of the Governor. Whatever the governor has done is totally against the feelings of the nationalists of this country.
The Governor is the chairman of the Amarnath Shrine Board. He should have understood that this is an issue related to the feelings of millions of Hindus. But he surrendered to a few individuals. BJP with other organizations will protest to the hilt the proclamation of âNizam-e-Mustafa.â Now the Amarnath pilgrims will be held hostage and, in future, there is a possibility that there may be a movement toward self-rule by the Kashmiris.
<b>Jammu has been the fortress of the RSS. But what is the reason that Jammu has always surrendered to the wishes of the Valley? Why does everything happen in the entire state according to what the Valley demands?</b>
This situation has occurred due to the wrong policies of the Congress. Today in the state assembly, there are a total of 87 seats, out of which 46 are from Kashmir and 37 from Jammu. The way Congress created political equation in the state has given rise to the predominance of Kashmir valley in the affairs of J&K. If for the first time somebody from the Jammu division has become the chief minister, this has been possible only due to the BJP.
<b>âAmarnath Pilgrims will Now become hostageâ</b>
<i>Hindu organizations are enraged at the decision to hand over all arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra to the J&K state government after the disturbances over the decision to allot a patch of land owned by the forest department to the Shri Amarnath Yatra Shrine Board. Dainik Jagran interviews Prof. Nirmal Singh, member of the national executive committee of BJP and ex-head of the BJP state unit to understand what is happening.</i>
<b>What is the reason behind the large-scale disturbances over allotment of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board?</b>
These disturbances have been solely due to National Conference, Congress and PDP. All this is happening only because of vote bank politics. If the issue was so sensitive, why did nothing happen in 2005 when the decision to allot the land to the Board was taken originally? Now the state elections are drawing near, hence this drama has been enacted. PDP and Congress both want to draw the attention of the people away from issues such as corruption and inflation.
<b>What has been the attitude of the Central Government toward this controversy? What should be done to control the disturbances?</b>
The Central Government has been a silent spectator. The Centre wants the state government to continue to rule somehow. It is least bothered about the interests of the Hindus. The centre has maintained a criminal silence over the matter. The Congress is trying to profit from this matter, much like the monkey in the dispute between the two cats.
<b>PDP and Congress, both are competing with each other to appease the Muslims of the valley before the elections. What effect will this have on the state?</b>
This is not mere appeasement but indirect support to separatist and terrorist forces in the state. The issue that Hurriyat raised has beeen promoted massively by Congress and PDP. This issue is related to the religious sentiments of the Hindus. Through this episode the country has finally got to know the attitude of PDP and Congress toward this matter. The people of the country know very well about parties like these and are not going to be fooled any longer.
<b>Is the atmosphere in the state becoming like what it was two decades ago?</b>
Absolutely. The situation in the Valley and the rest of the state is fast turning to what it was in 1990. The situation is being projected as Hindus versus Muslims or Jammu versus Kashmir. This is worsening the situation. In this dispute, the role of the average Muslims has been praise-worthy. They are not against the allotment of land to the Amarnath Board. But some organizations do not want peace to be maintained in the state. It has happened for the first time after 1990 that in Kashmir slogans have again been raised in favour of Pakistan and independence.
<b>Was it necessary for land to be allotted to the Amarnath Board? Was there some alternative to this?</b>
Who says land has been allotted to the Board? It has only been leased to it for a mere two months. High court has clearly said in its judgement that for the benefit of the Amarnath pilgrims, pre-fabricated huts should be created on a patch of land. After two months, the land will again return to the Forest Department. So what is the dispute all about? This decision was taken after the verdict of the High Court, so there is no question of any alternative.
This is not the first time in the State that land held by the Forest Department has been assigned to someone. In Rajouri, the Baba Budshah Gulam University has been built over 5000 kanals of forest land. In fact, the houses of Farooq Abdullah and many State politicians have been built on forest land.
Some time earlier, there was a conspiracy to build a Muslim colony at Sidra over forest land but this decision had to be taken back after protests by the BJP. In Kashmir, to build the Mughal road, 20,000 trees were cut because of which 26 species of wildlife were pushed to the verge of extinction, but there were absolutely no protests from anyone. Why did so much disturbances occur only over the decision to assign a patch of land to Amarnath Board for a mere two months in a year to build pre-fabricated huts for Hindu pilgrims?
<b>How do you assess the role of the State Governor in this matter?</b>
The Governor has not taken any decision on its own. There has been complicity of the central government in this matter. The Central government has lowered the dignity of the institution of the Governor. Whatever the governor has done is totally against the feelings of the nationalists of this country.
The Governor is the chairman of the Amarnath Shrine Board. He should have understood that this is an issue related to the feelings of millions of Hindus. But he surrendered to a few individuals. BJP with other organizations will protest to the hilt the proclamation of âNizam-e-Mustafa.â Now the Amarnath pilgrims will be held hostage and, in future, there is a possibility that there may be a movement toward self-rule by the Kashmiris.
<b>Jammu has been the fortress of the RSS. But what is the reason that Jammu has always surrendered to the wishes of the Valley? Why does everything happen in the entire state according to what the Valley demands?</b>
This situation has occurred due to the wrong policies of the Congress. Today in the state assembly, there are a total of 87 seats, out of which 46 are from Kashmir and 37 from Jammu. The way Congress created political equation in the state has given rise to the predominance of Kashmir valley in the affairs of J&K. If for the first time somebody from the Jammu division has become the chief minister, this has been possible only due to the BJP.