ISLAMABAD: The Hindu-dominated Dogra heartland of Jammu in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) is revolting over new policies of the BJP government in the region, with different stakeholders accusing the government of “strangulating their economy” and “facilitating outsiders to take away their businesses” in the wake of alteration in special status of the area two years ago.
The proposal for opening the Reliance Retail stores in Jammu has triggered a shutdown call from the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries (JCCI). The move is being seen by many as “part of the systematic pattern to elbow out locals from businesses and pave the way for the outsiders”, who have already taken away a sizeable share in mining and liquor contract allotments, directly or indirectly, in the region after August 2019.
According to reports, the anger among traders of Jammu, who are seen as drivers of the political narrative in Jammu, doesn’t augur well for the BJP, which won both the parliamentary seats of the region in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
For the first time in three years after IIOJ&K came under central rule in June 2018, following BJP’s withdrawal of support to the Mehbooba Mufti-led government, the JCCI has called for a complete shutdown in the region tomorrow (Wednesday) to protest against the government’s “anti-trade policies”. The traders are critical of the proposal of opening Reliance Retail outlets in Jammu. “It will create more unemployment.
They can employ 1,000-1,500 persons in these outlets, but they will take away the livelihoods of 20,000 small traders and shopkeepers.” The allotment of mining contracts to outsiders has also created anxiety and unease among different sections in the region. The outsiders’ participation in the bidding process for mining contracts became possible only after IIOJ&K’s legal status was altered in 2019. The wine traders in Jammu are also upset over the new excise policy unveiled by the UT administration which, they say, has allowed liquor barons from other states to take control of the trade through proxy bidding.
“The traders of Jammu have suffered the most due to removal of articles 370 and 35A,” the traders said. Traders in Jammu are also upset over the government’s move to abandon the 149-year-old practice of ‘Darbar Move’, saying that it will affect their economy. The practice was started by Dogra ruler Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1872. As per the tradition, the civil secretariat and other important offices of IIOJ&K were functioning in Srinagar during the summers and in Jammu during winters.
In 1987, the Farooq Abdullah-led government’s order for a truncated Darbar Move sparked off an agitation in Jammu, forcing him to reverse his decision. On October 7, 1987, the IOK government, in a departure from past practice, ordered that 27 departments will not shift to Jammu and will remain permanently stationed in Srinagar. After a month-long agitation in Jammu, the controversial order was rescinded on November 14, 1987 following the intervention of then Union home minister. Not only the business community, but politicians and lawyers are also angry over the government’s policies on different issues concerning Jammu. Earlier this month, former puppet IIOJ&K chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said scrapping the Darbar Move practice has affected Jammu’s economy. “Darbar was not important for Kashmir but it was important for Jammu. The arrival of people from Kashmir helped in economic activity here,” he said.
Noted lawyer Sheikh Shakeel Ahmad says that the people of Jammu feel betrayed and voiceless. “Nobody listens to the people of Jammu. Where they will go for resolving their grievances and basic issues?” he asked. He said the people of Jammu have suffered immensely in the past three years during bureaucratic rule. “The government claims credit for opening an IIT, IIM and other institutions in Jammu but they are not doing any favour to us by doing so. The anger among traders doesn’t bode well for the BJP in the Jammu region, where it won 25 assembly seats in the last state polls and emerged victorious in both the 2014 and 2019 polls.
