JCCI prefers Central Asia than Central Govt!
Jammu, October 13: Jammuites have always played second fiddle to Kashmiris and then lament the so called Kashmiri domination little realizing that it is their own leaders who succumb to pressure of the wise Kashmiris to remain one step behind.
If there was any doubt about that it was laid to rest by the president of Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) yesterday by flying all the way to Kashmir to join his counter parts to condemn the alleged Udhampur attack on truckers.
So far so good but the language that he has used as reported by Greater Kashmir in its today’s issue reflects his helplessness before Kashmiris to the extent that he has advocated to find alternative routes for business like Silk Route and Central Asia while blaming the Indian Security Agencies for all the mess in the state.
This has sent a clear message that Jammu business community would prefer to go to Central Asia rather than Central Government to generate revenue parroting the line that Kashmiri businessmen and Bar Association etc have been saying for years together.
While condemning the Udhampur attack is right step but what about the fact that passions were whipped up in Kashmir by top newspapers publishing fake photographs of a burning truck while it was the DC Udhampur who issued the original picture next day which had only some stone pelting marks on it.
Jammu Chamber has played into the hands of Kashmir Chamber as our leaders have always done to denigrate Jammu and project the political line of Kashmiris.
Why was Jammu Chamber silent when Indian people were attacked for no fault of theirs in Kashmir valley last year and this year too?
Would the government ban the Kashmir newspapers for publishing inflammatory photographs of the truck attacked in Udhampur as it did in 2010 for three Jammu based newspaper without any notice.
Even though everything seems right in the joint press conference of JCCI and KCCI but the tone and tenor of the statement is similar to what Kashmiris have been saying to oppose India and with JCCI president joining them Jammuites image has been dented for siding with people with some other agenda.
Jammu leaders have always failed to read between the lines of Kashmiri leaders and fallen prey to their tactics but later on cry hoarse that Jammu is getting discriminated against by Kashmiri political class.
Was there any need to blame security agencies who have been protecting the interests of India in Kashmir, Was there any necessity of JCCI saying won’t go with a begging bowl to Central government and instead would seek alternative routes to Central Asia, Do Jammuites support the article 370 or J&K Special status? All these questions need to be asked to Gupta by Jammuites and also whether business was all that Jammu stands for?
Let me quote a few paragraphs from the today’s newspaper to let the readers of Jammu decide for themselves whether JCCI has played into the hands of KCCI or not by putting business first instead of Nation first while for Kashmiris it is the other way round.
- Some quotes, ““Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh have to remain together for betterment and development. There is an attempt by agencies to divide us on religious lines, but we have to stand together and protect sections of law which have over the decades kept the state of Jammu and Kashmir together,” said president of Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), Rakesh Gupta, in an apparent reference to JK’s special status.
- “Politicians and security agencies don’t want peaceful atmosphere in J&K as there are ‘unaccounted for funds’ released to them for security purposes.”
- “We don’t want to see 2008-like situation and that is why we have come here to assure our support and condemn such attacks,” he said. “All regions of the state have to co-exist for better future.”
- Gupta said the business community of J&K is “not only in favor of exploring the other trade routes such as Muzaffarabad but want revival of Silk Route connecting state with Central Asia.”
- “Business community of JK has to work together to make the state economically independent. Why we have to be dependent on the central government and go to them with a begging bowl when we have all the resources? Despite this situation we are not even in a position to pay salary of employees out of our funds,” he said.
- He said business chambers “won’t allow any dilution of JK’s special status.” “Both chambers have decided to fight all such elements jointly who want to dilute the identity of the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir by debating on related sections of the Constitution,” he said.
- He said the both chambers have decided to fight together the “attempts of external forces to divide state on religious lines.”
- In a joint statement, the two Chambers demanded the Government should immediately act to trace the culprits and disruptive elements and punish them “before it is too late.”