Jammu in search of empowerment

Arun Joshi

A fresh understanding of the things happening in Jammu and Kashmir has become imperative as the situation is revolving around thousands of puzzles that fail to fall in place. There is an extraordinary focus on Ladakh, a part of the erstwhile state of J&K, which is now a separate entity as Union Territory.

A well-documented fact of history is that Dogra rulers and their military commanders had made Ladakh part of the state. The light shines on Gen Zorawar Singh who extended the boundaries of the state that is now fragmented and divided into parts with India, Pakistan and China.

The fact is that Jammu was once a politically very strong region. Nearly century-long rule and military prowess maintained distant areas as Hunza and Skardu , nowadays known as Gilgit-Baltistan.

It is fashionable nowadays to talk about Jammu , its history, culture and legendary bravery of military leaders and strategists like Gen Zorawar Singh who captured and pushed the boundaries of J&K to the heights where currently a struggle is going on to regain the sanctity of the boundaries through dialogue and diplomacy with military posturing on the ground.

This is in tune with the norms of the 21st century where diplomacy is the preferred channel unlike the military clashes of the last century. The current problem too is the legacy of the 20th century’s military clashes.

Gen Zorawar Singh’s capacity to fight and win is an inspiring story, for it is not only the saga of military victories but also that of inclusion. Without having the statesmanship to adopt an all-inclusive approach, military victories get reduced to a bubble that bursts soon.

Historians have not done justice to the sense of inclusiveness that was a hallmark of the rulers who ruled the state for a century. Jammu has a history and never-forgettable story of inclusiveness that it demonstrated time and again by hosting all those who were displaced from their homes by violent upheavals that took place since 1947. Now, Jammu is fragmented and divided into sub-regions. That is a self-created problem, and it needs to be resolved first before it seeks ascendancy to the corridors of power on the newly drafted laws.

There is a habit of cursing leaders of the region not having done anything. There is a perennial regret that Jammu leaders always sought their personal interests and never bothered about the masses. Development and employment opportunities were never their concern and that is what has made the region feel powerless.

A perennial regret

There is a habit of cursing leaders of the region for not having done anything. There is a perennial regret that Jammu leaders always sought their personal interests and never bothered about the masses. Development and employment opportunities were never their concern and that is what has made the region feel powerless