Press Release
The Dogra Sadar Sabha (DSS) held a special meeting of its core group to examine the developments following the decision of abrogation of Article 370 including (Sec 35A) and reorganization of the J&K State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. The meeting was held under the DSS president Th. Gulchain Singh Charak in which all present members appreciated the abrogation of Article 370 which was inserted into the constitution in 1949 without passage through the parliament and its provisions caused long time cancerous discrimination on gender, SC, ST, Valmikis and West Pakistan refugees in the state, sowing roots of separatism, hampering development and causing untold dis-satisfaction to common people except the few selected elite beneficiaries of a few families. However, the DSS strongly felt that the nationalist Jammu region is paying the price of the evils done by the politicians and separatists of Kashmir Valley. In spite of all the discrimination meted out to Jammu for seven decades, this region has remained faithful and nationalist, providing an anchor and gate way for J& K State to rest of the country. Yet this region maintained the traditional communal harmony tiding over many flash points when Punjab or Kashmir were in turmoil. Th. Gulchain Singh Charak said, that although the Prime Minister hinted at the J&K UT status, in his talk to the nation, as a stop gap temporary measure but urged that it was much better to cast out a nationalist Jammu State and keep Ladakh and Kashmir as UTs.
While appreciating this historical decision, the DSS urged the people of J&K state belonging to all communities to maintain peace and continue with the traditional amicability and secular brotherhood for which Jammu region is known Former J&K State minister Th. Gulchain Singh Charak explained various aspects of the provisions of the resolutions passed by the parliament with absolute majority.
However all members insisted that the Jammu region has suffered gross discrimination all through and hopefully, time has come for mitigating their problems. The youth of this region have suffered immensely due to discrimination on education and job opportunities. THE EWS quota for NEET 2019 candidates holding EWS certificates is not yet released. The 108 extra seats allocated by MCI are being wasted. DSS demands immediate release of these since all hurdles are now cleared after abrogation of Article 370. The allocation of seats in all the educational institutions & Govt. Jobs should be made at the ratio 80:20 in favour of the local aspirants.
The DSS urges that once made into a Union Territory, the J&K UT secretariat should function simultaneously in both the capitals of Jammu and Kashmir. The Sabha also urged for separate autonomous regional councils for Jammu & Kashmir regions with separate allocation of funds based on areas/population and need of development. They also sought for adequate checks and measures to ensure fair and justified allocations of funds, opportunities and other benefits between the two regional councils as announced by the Government of India and reminded of the persistent discrimination suffered by Jammu in past 70 years. To save identity of Dogras / locals and to prevent flooding of land mafias/ grabbers an arrangement under Article 371 like (HP) and the eastern states should be adopted for both the new UTs.
The meeting also decided to have a more detailed deliberations of the working group and the executive body to examine the details once the new provisions are spelled out in details by the Government of India viz a viz the Hon’ble future Lt Governor of J&K UT.
The meeting was attended besides others by Sh. Prem Sagar Gupta, Brig M.
S Jamwal, Col Dr Virendra K Sahi, VrC, S. Kulbir Singh, Amanat Ali Shah, Varinder Gupta, Gambhir Dev Singh Charak and Chhankar Singh.
(Vidya Sagar Sharma)
Secretary,
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