Hamidulah Dar
The last two decades have witnessed serious misfortunes for the Kashmiris. Earlier the naked dance of the death left tens of thousands dead while almost every Kashmiri had just one mission—to save himself from falling prey to the bullets that were found roaming everywhere in every direction. At a time when youth were taken away from anywhere; on way, from colleges, hospitals, markets, homes only never to return back to their homes, the education system was the first casualty.
At that time the people in Jammu were enjoying a life of calm, prosperity and also grabbing the opportunities that returned from Kashmir due to non-utilization of funds. It was the time when Jammuites, who used to be interested in roadside vending, started grabbing the high profile jobs. Their addiction was aggravated by their selection in hordes in all the lists issued by Public Service Commission and Services Selection Board. For the first time the number of selected candidates from Jammu region surpassed Kashmiris by a big margin in the KAS 1999 list. In that list 55 % selected candidates were from Jammu.
In 2001 KAS selection list the number of Kashmiris declined to 38 %. However, here from the speed of shrinking space for Kashmiris in the selection lists went on increasing. In 2004 and 2008 the percentage of Kashmiris selected for KAS was 25 and 22 respectively. Similarly in 1999 Naib Tehsildar list only 16 out of 70 selected candidates were from Kashmir. This tells volumes about the policy of restoring the Dogra rule over the state with active connivance of the most politicians of Kashmir.
It is the criminal silence by the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party during their rule over the drastically declining number of Kashmiris that has set a precedence many feel too hard to arrest now. Even at this stage when a common Kashmiri is aghast over the trend of sidelining him from the administrative posts, the inactivity of the politicians in this regard is condemnable. Even separatist leaders have shed the cloak of keeping away from such matters and are raising their voices against this discrimination. But those who could do it that is mainstream politicians are in a deep slumber because if they say any thing which hurts the Jammu lobby, they will lose the titular membership of assembly where they speak anything but the good for the Kashmiris.
A handful of bureaucrats from outside the valley who are virtually running the government by promoting legislation of the things that are inimical to the interests of Kashmiris need to be cut to size. In this regard people and politicians together can fight to assert themselves over the Babus who have a partial view of planning and its execution. Laws and policies need to be framed so that Muslims, being 70 % of the population, get 70 % share in everything including government jobs, admissions in educational institutes and professional colleges. How come is it possible anywhere else than Kashmir that the majority community is deprived of its share, not to speak of getting more. In India, Muslims being a minority numbering more than 15% of the population are given a share of just 2 % in government jobs. In armed forces it is less than one percent. But in our state, everything perpetrated against the majority community is thought of fair and anything less in three-fold share of minority community in government jobs or other comforts is taken very seriously by secular Kashmiri politicians! The need of the hour is to shun the inhibitions and call a spade a spade. If Kashmiris’ representation in administration is dwindling, they must raise the voice with full force to get things right.
