A list of 15 sins committed by Farooq Abdullah, ilk

Dogras of Jammu know who their friends and foes are

What an irony? Those who left no stone unturned to destroy Jammu, erode its distinct identity, cause a schism in the Jammu society, pit members of one community against the members of another, render the Dogras unreal and ineffective, trifurcate Jammu on a religious basis, create a Valley-like situation in Jammu and keep Jammu out of the nation-building departments have been doling out sermons in Jammu. And their sermons seek to teach the Dogras what nation, state, nationality, patriotism, sovereignty, secularism, pluralism, diversity, unity, brotherhood, communal and social harmony, human rights and democracy mean and what the Dogras must do to uphold what they dole out in Jammu from their own platforms and from the platforms provided by some intellectually and politically bankrupt and power-hungry persons completely ignoring their obligations towards the Dogras.

Very significantly, the destroyers conveniently withhold the stark realities and historical facts believing that the Dogras are apolitical, illiterate and incapable of understanding their real intent. They believe that their sermons have the potential of fooling or beguiling the Dogras and advancing their own agendas with the help of gullible Dogras.

The Kashmiri leaders, both political and religious, would consistently demand that all the posts in the government – from Governor to orderly – be made the sole preserve of people of Kashmir belonging to a particular community.

They are blissfully ignorant. Things in Jammu have radically changed. The Dogras of Jammu know who their friends and foes are. Their political behavior and voting pattern in Jammu establish that. There should be no doubt about it.

It’s time to catalogue here at least 15 stark realities and historical facts these destroyers do not talk about or suppress while delivering sermons in Jammu. These are:

1. They consistently opposed the Treaty of Amritsar under which Kashmir became part of the Dogra Kingdom in 1846.
2. They consistently demanded abrogation of the Treaty of Amritsar saying that the “Dogras purchased the life, honour and dignity of Kashmiri Muslims by paying Rs.75 lakh to the British Government.
3. “Throw out the Treaty of Amritsar lock, stock and barrel” had been their watchword and battle cry between 1847 and 2000.
4. They day-in and day-out denounced the Dogra rulers as “killers, communal, invaders, cruel and anti-Kashmir.”
5. The Kashmir clerics like Baha-ud-Din (Khadim Dargah Khanqah-e-Moula) and Kh Sad-ud-Din Shawl used to call Governor-General and Viceroy of India Lord Harding a “God” and would urge him through lengthy petitions and memorials to end the Dogra rule and free Kashmir from Jammu or himself take over the J&K administration (J.K. Gen. Deptt File No 524/F-60 of 1924, J&K Archives, Jammu).
6. The Kashmiri leaders, both political and religious, would consistently demand that all the posts in the government – from Governor to orderly – be made the sole preserve of people of Kashmir belonging to a particular community. They would also suggest that “if persons with requisite qualifications are not available in Kashmir, qualified members professing their faith should be imported from British India, including the neighboring Punjab” (JK Gen. Deptt File No. 529/F. 62 of 1924; Proceedings of the Committee and Order No. 96-C, JK Gen Deptt File No. 524/F-62 of 1924; The Muslim Outlook, Lahore, August 20, 1925).
7. They would suppress the fact that these and other Kashmiri leaders, including clerics and Nawabs, had consistently opposed the State Subject Laws introduced by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1927 to defeat the demand of those in Kashmir who wanted him to “import educated Muslims from British India so that they could man all the positions in the government”.
   Instead of telling the true story of the origin of State Subject definition, they mislead the Dogras by putting things in the mouth of Maharaja Hari Singh and speaking a white lie that “he introduced State Subject laws to protect and promote the identity of the Dogras” and “ensure that no outsider could purchase land in Jammu and obtain jobs under the state government.”
8. They do not speak about the “Quit Kashmir Movement” of 1946 and for obvious reasons. The most important being the fear that talking Quit Kashmir Movement in Jammu would only provoke popular explosions against those who dole out sermons to the Dogras.
9. They do not speak about the difference between the demographics and religious scene as they existed in Jammu City and around it before 1996 and the changes Jammu witnessed between 1996 and February 14, 2018. At the same time, they frighten the Dogras telling them that the abrogation of Article 35A and Article 370 will only help “outsiders” grab their land and jobs. And, they frighten them without throwing light on the existing proportion of Kashmiris and Dogras in the government and semi-government jobs available in Jammu province. They also do not open their mouth to say how much land those from Kashmir have got in Jammu through legal and other means, how many jobs the Kashmiri youth occupy in Jammu province and what is their role and status of Kashmir in trade and industry in Jammu.
10. They refuse to reveal the truth about the circumstances under which all the Kashmiri Hindus quit Kashmir in 1990. However, they have the audacity to tell the Dogras in Jammu that Kashmir is the epitome of secularism, democracy, diversity, pluralism, peaceful co-existence, tolerance and what not.
11. They have consistently opposed the Indian Constitution, Indian Laws, Indian Institutions, including the institution of the Army. Their four lynchpins all through have been: J&K is disputed territory, Greater autonomy/ self-rule or semi-independence, CM from Kashmir belonging to a particular community and dialogue with Pakistan.
12. They granted citizenship rights to Uyghur Muslims from Xinjiang in 1952 and Tibetan Muslims in 1959-60 and settled them in the Jamia Masjid area of Srinagar. At the same time, they denied similar rights to the Hindu and Sikh refugees from Pakistan living in Jammu since 1947 saying that “they are outsiders” and that “the grant of citizenship to them would change the demography of J&K.”
13. They rejected bills on secularism. Socialism and national flag in 2007.
14. They sent their persons to Pakistan to undergo arms training aimed against India.
15. They asked their followers to join the “Azaadi” movement unleashed by the Hurriyat Conference and said that “they were for it, and not against it.

These are only 15 of the several such instances which call the bluff of the destroyers and put things in perspective. If they believe that the Dogras would again walk into their nasty trap, then they are obviously living in a fool’s paradise or in a world of the past.

Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

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Hari Om

Hari Om is former Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Jammu.

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