Chenab valley suffers due to ‘myopic approach’ of leaders

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 2

Banking entirely on the ‘commands’ of Kashmir-centric and national parties to even raise the day-to-day issues of people, the Chenab valley is facing a leadership crisis.

Not a single leader has emerged from the region who has acceptability in masses and who could have taken the cause of the area to its logical conclusion.

The Chenab valley is spread on 11,696 sq km from Banihal to Warwan and Patnitop to Padder and has a population of around 10 lakh. The area is rich in natural resources like hydroelectric power, minerals like gypsum and sapphire, which have been filling the coffers of the state and Centre for decades.

But when it comes to providing the benefit of these resources to their original owners, parties have exploited the leadership of the Chenab valley to keep them under control.

The area also faces 12 to 15 hours of power cuts. The region lacks in education, health, road infrastructure and other sectors but its local leadership has never been able to put forth these problems and ensure development for the welfare of people.

“Had a strong and articulate leadership emerged from the area, the entire region would have developed and its exploitation would have stopped. But the local leaders want to remain in the good books of their party leadership to get ministerial posts and have allowed exploitation of masses,” claimed Nisar Akhter, a lawyer from Doda.

Political leaders believe that parties have never allowed leaders of the Chenab valley to talk about local issues.

“Whenever any leader tried to raise the issue concerning the area, be it demanding a hill council for the valley or a divisional status, he is branded as ‘communal’ by Jammu-centric parties. The onus lies equally on the Kashmir-centric parties who never allowed leaders from our region to become the voice of people,” said Mehboob Iqbal, a mainstream political leader from the Bhaderwah area of Doda district, who recently quit the PDP.