J & K unrest

The order of the Jammu and Kashmir government for transfer of 39.88 hectares of forest land to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) for construction of temporary sheds to accommodate the pilgrims led to Statewide protest and withdrawal of Peoples Democratic Party from the coalition government led by Gulam Nabi Azad of the Congress Party reducing the Azad Government to a minority. Bowing to public pressure, the J&K government has now revoked the land transfer order and also assumed full responsibility of organising the Amarnath Yatra, so long vested to the SAS Board since its creation. It was, in fact on the insistence of the then Governor of J&K, Lt Gen (rtd) SK Sinha, who acting as the Chairman of the SAS Board, pressurised the J K government to allot forest land to the Board that led to the communal divide in the sensitive State. Governor Sinha also pressurised the then Chief Minister Mufti Md. Sayeed to prolong the Amarnath pilgrimage from four to eight weeks which was rejected by the Chief Minister as about 40,000 security personnel were tied up in providing security to the pilgrims. This led to resignation of five Congress Ministers from Jammu. Therefore Governor Sinha’s partisan role had created the communal divide and he left the State burning. The new Governor, NK Vohra had a tough time in diffusing the situation by relinquishing the claim of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board to the forest land, paving the way for the State government to revoke the controversial order.The situation should have returned to normal but for the Hindutva Brigade of the BJP coming out to the streets in Jammu against the government order of revocation of allotment of forest land to the Shrine Board. The BJP has given a call for two days of Jammu Bandh for politicisation of the issue and surrender of the State government to separatist forces. Even the VHP, Assam Unit has threatened to disrupt Haj pilgrimage. The National Conference led by Omar Abdullah and the Peoples Democratic Party led by Mehbooba Mufti have whipped up communal passion forgetting the fact that the National Conference government created the SAS Board with the Governor as Chairman and the Deputy Chief Minister and the Forest Minister belonging to PDP issued the land allotment order. When these leaders found that the Islamist forces have mobilised public protest on this issue they also lent their voices in support of the Islamist forces. The PDP has withdrawn from the coalition reducing the Azad Government to a minority. The Government will seek a vote of trust on the 7th July as directed by the Governor and the Chief Minister appeared confident of victory. As elections to the State Assembly is not far off ,the Azad government can continue as caretaker government even if it lost the trust motion. Whatever be the fate of the Government, the chasm created between the two communities on this issue would take time to repair. Political parties should refrain from politicising the issue any further. source: assam tribune editorial