Discrimination against Jammu region to be fought tooth and nail: Harsh

Denouncing the ‘Gupkar Alliance’ meet at Jammu yesterday as another attempt of the anti Jammu forces to further subjugate Jammu region, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP Chairman and Former Minister said that the dogras would no longer fall prey into the conspiratorial huddle constituted by ever dominant Kashmir centric leadership. While rejecting the Gupkar conglomerate as a heterogeneous combination of anti Jammu parties, Mr. Singh said that they had not only deprived, rather marginalized Jammu region during their respective tenures, but even the present declaration had nothing to offer for the incarcerated dogra land. While the Gupkar declaration repeatedly talked of addressing Kashmir sentiment, it failed to even make a mention of Jammu region or even to acknowledge the spirit of accommodation and support that they received from dogra land in the toughest of times. While Jammu embraced their Kashmir counterparts in distress with open arms during peak of militancy and offered all kinds of succour and solace, they continued to be treated as second class citizens with their share in development, funds allocation and employment squeezing year after year. Not only that the most popular demand of dogras for declaration of holiday on Maharaja Hari’s birthday was also opposed by these leaders, lamented Singh. Under such circumstances, it was but natural that the faith of general masses of Jammu region had been completely shaken in the visiting Kashmiri leadership with people of Districts like Poonch, Rajouri and erstwhile Doda District also feeling cheated and betrayed. We are no longer prepared to reconcile with the second class status to which dogras have all along been subjected. We can’t be perpetually denied our entitlements as equal partners in the affairs of the erstwhile state”, said Harsh. He was addressing a public meeting in village Surara of Ghagwal Block in Hiranagar constituency today.

Seeking a fair deal for Jammu region on political as well economic basis, Mr. Singh said that Jammu region deserved atleast 50% of Assembly seats, if not more, in the legislature besides an equitable share in the resources of J&K, employment as well as other allied sectors. He said that before holding such conference in Jammu, the Kashmiri leadership should have atleast deliberated over the predicament of the dogras who had faced worst nightmares during their despotic regimes.

Mr. Yash Paul Kundal while speaking in the occasion, appealed to the people to vote for NPP candidates in the DDC elections. He said that the Ban on 4G internet connectivity and installation of Toll Plazas were the only gifts of BJP to Jammu. It was right time to give the power–intoxicated leaders of saffron party a befitting reply, said Kundal. On the occasion, more than a dozen youth of Surara led by Mohan Singh joined Panthers Party.

In another function around 25 youth of Bishnah led by Nikhil Lalotra a highly qualified B.Tech, MBA passed youth joined Panthers Party and was declared as the Block President Youth wing of Bishnah unit.

Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Mrs. Manju Singh, Surinder Chouhan, Gian Chand Khajuria, Satpal Singh, Anant Ram Sharma, Raj Kumar, Kamal Singh, Mohinder Singh, Arun Khajuria, Raghubir Singh, Manu Choudhary besides others.