The President of the State Unit of the BJP has been promising people of Jammu that he will give them a Hindu Chief Minister from Jammu if BJP gets over 25 seats in the next election. He has also been extending support to the demand for a separate State of Jammu. Recently he has been advocating stoppage of all funds to Kashmir. Jammu Mukti Morcha had been demanding for a long time the creation of a separate “State of Jammu”. There were many other groups overtly or covertly sympathetic to this idea. However, all these groups including the main opposition party in Jammu, the BJP, have now joined together to form a “Jammu State Progressive Morcha”. Their unified demand is the creation of a separate State of Jammu. The main cause of action for this demand is so called perennial neglect of Jammu by the “Valley Rulers”. It is a historical fact that Jammu was a sovereign Kingdom and Maharaja Gulab Singh after purchasing the valley of Kashmir from the British in 1846 under the Treaty of Amritsar founded the present State of Jammu & Kashmir. Jammu was the main seat of power and Srinagar was the summer capital of the erstwhile Maharajas. In almost every sphere of the State machinery it was either the Jammu elite, Kashmiri Brahmans or outsiders who held sway over all state affairs. Kashmiri Muslims were merely the common subjects and that too of the lowest category. Kashmiri Brahmans were also the feudal lords and owned large estates. Till 1947, the Jammu was the home of the rulers of the State of Jammu & Kashmir. However, after the Maharaja left the State in unusual circumstances and Sheikh Abdullah was installed as the head of the first emergency administration, the seat of power shifted to the valley. It was an anti-climax for the Jammu people and they have not overcome this historic change even till the present time. They had been considering themselves to be the rulers of the erstwhile princely State and now they had suddenly become the subjects of the ruling class from the valley. It did not matter at all that the autocracy had been abolished in the State and it was a secular democratic set up now. The Jammu people still considered Dr.Karan Singh as the Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir even though he was an elected Sadar-i-Riyast. They gave him the same respect which they used to give to him as the erstwhile Crown Prince or the Maharaja. It is something in the psyche of the people. After having been ruled by Kings and Queens considered to be divine representatives for a long time, it is difficult for the common folk to suddenly face their loss and they continue to adore and sometimes even to worship them after the abolition of the monarchy. This psychological loss has manifested itself in many agitations against the valley centric State Government, the most infamous being the Parija Parishad agitation, “Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan”, of fifties demanding total integration of the State with India. In fact, Jammu people used the slogan of complete integration as a stick to beat the valley rulers who themselves had been clamouring for more and more autonomy. It is a fact that after 1947, Kashmir became the focus of both National as well as International attention due to the Indo-Pak conflict. Jammu got relegated to background. Globally whenever the problem of the State comes up for discussion anywhere, it is Kashmir which is mentioned. The word Kashmir is supposed to cover the entire State of Jammu & Kashmir. Many people in different parts of the world do not even know the location of Jammu but Kashmir is well known throughout the world. This relegation did prove disadvantageous to Jammu. Even though materially they may have done better than the valley especially in last couple of decades yet psychologically they continue to feel the loss of sovereignty of the erstwhile Maharaja. The creation of a separate State of Jammu may satisfy the ego of Jammu people but they have to seriously analyse whether such a proposition would be in their long term interests. The Muslim majority and Kashmiri speaking areas of Jammu may not like to be part of the Hindu dominated Jammu State. In the final run they may be left with just two and a half districts only!

Let us now examine how valley has fared by its association with Jammu. Firstly, the Maharaja of Jammu had purchased Kashmiris like dumb driven cattle and they were his subjects for over a hundred years. The association of Kashmiris with Jammu was not a voluntary one but a forced marriage. If there had been no partition or if India had not come to the aid of Maharaja, Kashmiris may have regained their freedom and sovereignty which they had lost four centuries back. Their movement against autocratic rule in 1931 got entangled in the conflict which had erupted in the sub-continent between two communities. Due to their misfortune, Kashmiri Muslims instead of getting emancipated became hostages to this ideological conflict. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who had led their movement for emancipation from the autocratic rule of the Dogra Maharaja of Jammu, put them in bondage of the worst type. Literarily they were thrown from a frying into the fire in which they are still burning. The practice of the erstwhile Maharajas of moving their Durbar in winter to Jammu which has a milder climate has proved disastrous for the valley. This strange practice carried out in the name of maintaining the integrity of the State has disintegrated the life in the valley. Once the Durbar moves to Jammu, the valley dwellers are forgotten and left to face the harsh winter on their own. The amount of money spent on moving the durbar over last 60 years could have been sufficient to centrally heat all offices in entire Kashmir valley. Duplication of both office as well as residential accommodation which remains unutilized in each capital city for at least six months is a colossal waste of money. If this unprecedented movement of entire Government is supposed to strengthen the integrity of the State, then it should spend sometime in Ladakh also. This senseless movement of offices delays the sanctioning and release of funds for Kashmir valley till June which leaves hardly four to five months for execution of various developmental works. On the contrary Jammu has round the year working season which not only allows full utilization of their own share of developmental funds but the savings from the valley also get utilized there. As regards Kashmiris ruling themselves, it is only a myth now. Out of the top Indian Administrative Service J & K Cadre positions, there is hardly any position with Kashmiris. In the cadre strength of 106 there are 75 non-Kashmiris. The present Chief Secretary is from Ladakh. Among two Financial Commissioners, there is no Kashmiri. Out of 17 Principal Secretaries there are only 2 Kashmiris. Three are from Jammu. Among Commissioner Secretaries, out of 6, there are only 2 Kashmiris. These days due to unusual conditions, even Jammu people get bracketed with outsiders. Considering that, Kashmiris are not even for namesake in the policy making group in the State Administration. Out of 22 districts only 6 are headed by Kashmiris. In Kashmir valley itself, there are only 6 districts headed by Kashmiris. The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Srinagar, and Baramulla Deputy Commissioners are also from Jammu. There has been a growing resentment that the Bihari labour is replacing Kashmiris in almost all day to day activities in the valley. However, not many know that there are a good number of officers in administration and police from Bihar. The situation in the Police Force and other Central Services is no different. Kashmiris have only a nominal presence in the higher ranks in Police. As regards plan funds which Ashok Khajuria has threatened to be stopped for the valley, these are already on a much lower side for the valley. The highest per capita plan expenditure is on Ladakh. Next comes Jammu, and Kashmir valley is at the lowest end. According to 2001 census Jammu has a population of 4430191 while as valley population is 5476970. The plan outlay for Jammu in 2006-07 was Rs.2115 crores while as for Kashmir it was Rs. 2068 crores. The actual plan expenditure has always been higher in Jammu than in Kashmir because of diversion of funds due to limited working season. Foregoing analysis makes it amply clear that it is the Kashmir valley which is suffering more than Jammu by this unnatural association. It seems the time has come for the Kashmiri leadership of all shades of opinion to support the demand for a separate State of Jammu in their own interests. Creation of a State of Jammu may be more beneficial to Kashmiris than to Jammu people. Some people may advance the plea of integrity of the State. Well, for them the best alternative may be the “Regional Autonomy” which is being promoted by Balraj Puri for almost last 50 years or so. The re-organisation of the State with three autonomous regions of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh may be a workable solution. A true federal State. Kashmiris need to give a serious thought to it pending the final solution of the problem, which too may emerge from such a dispensation!