370 Gone Sting Lives

BY: RANBIR MANHAS PUBLISHED ON MAY 3, 2020

A couple of days ago, I came across a write up posted by one of my face book friends from Kashmir. The National Conference leader, “Janay kahan gaye wo din….. 370 gone, statehood gone , Leh- Kargil gone, special status gone, reservation gone, top local officers gone, Army tribunal and CAT cases gone, 4 G gone, SRO 24 gone, state PSC gone, all Commissions gone, business gone, money gone, jobs gone, factories gone, love and brotherhood gone, ab tou mushkil hay sambhlna, main nashay main hun, lol”.

The injury is deep and so is the grief, I agree, but I totally disagree with his observation that brotherhood has also gone with going of 370. If I am not wrong, it had gone decades ago when a process of mass killings of Hindus in the State followed by their mass exodus from their homes to other parts of the country had been unleashed. As is the fact, everything that happens in the world is good for the humanity. The only difference is that whereas ‘beneficiaries’ of the old system oppose this change, the benefactors welcome it as law of nature. For instance, when kings were dethroned and their crowns were tossed, they did not welcome the new system called democracy. Similarly, when Company Raj had been routed from India, the British did not digest the changeover easily. Even Dogras, who had bought Kashmir and ruled it for over one hundred years, must have felt bad when their rule had ended in 1947. But slowly things normalized and now the sting seems gone. Same thing is happening and will happen with Kashmiri leaders and their stooges in Jammu region who after abrogation of the controversial article are feeling restless like a fish when out of water.

Now, let’s discuss the history of the Special Status that was granted to State of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of Indian constitution decades ago. The purpose behind was to put this otherwise backward and poor princely state on the wheels of rapid development. To achieve the sacred goal, huge amounts of funds were pumped here, which instead of being spent on public welfare were usurped by the ruling class and businessmen of their choice. They knew that one day their sins would be uncovered so they devised deceptive and emotional slogans like Raishumari, Autonomy, Self Rule and Independence to divert public attention! Otherwise how could it be that Jammu and Kashmir remains underdeveloped after getting funds so liberally? The biggest set back the Special Status gave was to the health and education sectors. With so much money coming to Jammu and Kashmir during past seventy years, the state should have AIIMS like hospitals built in every district, but what actually happens is altogether different. Not to think of AIIMS like facilities smaller surgeries like cesarean deliveries are referred from district and sub-district hospitals to GMC Jammu or Lalded Hospital Srinagar. The condition of education standard is all the more worrisome. During seventy long years of the Special Status, we have not been able to produce a generation which could gladly face the challenge of National Entrance Eligibility Test!

Ironically, it is being projected that whole of Jammu and Kashmir was hurt and its people were wailing, but the fact is otherwise. Except ruling class and other handful beneficiaries of J&K’s special status, not to think of Dogras even majority of Kashmiris are feeling relieved after abrogation of 370 and its after effects because none of them want industries of blood bath, corruption, nepotism and disharmony to continue. The only unhappy people are the beneficiaries of Special Status, but soon they will also recover from this shock as it happened with Kings and Nawabs in the past. Since the die has already been cast, there is hardly any option left for few beneficiaries my suggestion to them is to forget the past glory and accept the change as law of nature!*