Faces of agitation for AIIMS in Jammu

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 29

After Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh failed to get sanction for separate All India Institute of Medical Sciences for the Jammu region, the people here are once again bracing up for a “decisive battle” for the establishment of AIIMS in the winter capital.

Some known faces among various social, apolitical and political groups are leading people from the front in this struggle. The Tribune tried to analyse their role and get their viewpoint about the agitation for the medical facility in Jammu.

Abhinav Sharma, chairman, AIIMS Coordination Committee, which has been spearheading the agitation for the establishment of AIIMS in Jammu, came to limelight after his election as president of the J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu in March.

The Bar Association Jammu has taken a lead in setting off the struggle against the alleged shifting of AIIMS to the Kashmir Valley from Jammu and launched agitation by mobilising the people.

The Abhinav Sharma led panel got overwhelming support from around 70 social, apolitical and political groups and Jammu twice observed unprecedented bandhs on the committee’s call.

“We have been fighting for a full-fledged AIIMS, not for the campus. The state government can announce two AIIMS for the state, but the earlier sanctioned AIIMS was originally announced for Jammu and we will not give up until we get it,” said Sharma.

TS Wazir, chairman, All J&K Transport Welfare Association, has been playing a key role in the ongoing agitation. Wazir, who was earlier associated with the National Conference and remained the party MLC, was also the former president of State Gurdwara Parbandhak Board (SGPB).

Bandhs in Jammu remained successful because transporters wholeheartedly support the movement.

“The people of Jammu had great expectations from the BJP, but they breached their trust and shifted the AIIMS, sanctioned for Jammu, to Kashmir. There has been great resentment among the people and we will observe complete strike from July 31 and August 1,” said Wazir.

Rakesh Gupta, president, Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), Jammu, is another key person in the current agitation. The CCI, Jammu, which is the representative of the business community, was the first to announce indefinite bandh from July 31 for the establishment of AIIMS.

“We shall not believe or have faith in any further commitment whether oral or written by the Deputy Chief Minister and adopt a course of aggressive agitation for the rights of people of Jammu province,” said Gupta.

Sham Lal Sharma, senior vice-president of the Pradesh Congress Committee and former minister, has always remained vocal about Jammu’s cause — both inside the Legislative Assembly and outside.

Despite being a part of the Omar Abdullah-led coalition government, he courageously spoke against the discrimination with Jammu.

He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly from Akhnoor in 2004 bi-elections. Sham Lal again won the seat in 2008 Assembly poll. He remained a Cabinet minister in both PDP-Congress coalition regime and NC-Congress dispensation.

The former minister said his party would continue to back and support the AIIMS Coordination Committee until the demand for setting up of AIIMS in Jammu was fulfilled. “I challenge the BJP that we will get AIIMS at all costs. They cannot fool people by issuing statements and satisfy them unless the formal announcement is not made,” he said.

Devender Singh Rana, NC provincial president and Nagrota MLA, has been favouring separate AIIMS for all the three regions of state, viz Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh — a demand which is near impossible.

Rana, who was political adviser to former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has been able to resurrect his party in Jammu after its worst-ever drubbing in the 2014 parliamentary and Assembly polls.

“The decision for having AIIMS in the Valley is a welcome step, but immediate measures are needed to have similar facility in Jammu to satiate peoples’ aspirations and to meet requirements of health services in the region. The coalition must not overlook the sensitivity involved with the issue and force people to take recourse from peaceful protests to agitation,” Rana said.

Harsh Dev Singh, chairman, National Panthers Party, was the first to raise the issue of shifting of AIIMS to the Kashmir valley.

Singh, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1996, remained a minister in the PDP-Congress coalition government from 2002 to 2008.

“By playing bluff and creating ephemeral illusions on AIIMS, the BJP has only tried to buy time with the intentions to sabotage and cripple the mass movement triggered by the persistent discrimination doled out to the people of the region,” he said.