Jammu, December 09: Jammu has long been demanding due attention from the successive governments to make it a self respected region which does not have to play second fiddle to Kashmir, but no one ever paid any attention while the so called leaders of Jammu enjoyed musical chairs by bowing before the Kashmir leadership.
However things seem to have changed after Jammuites threw the old set of leadership to political dustbin to give a chance to a fresh set of politicians in the hope that they may change their destiny from discriminated souls to equals.
It is perhaps in with that perception and the assertive Jammu society that the new government has started paying attention towards this neglected region even though on a small scale but then don’t we know big things begin with small steps.
The recent whirlwind tour of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed alongwith Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh inaugurating a number of tourism and developmental places was one such occasion when Jammuites started hoping against hope that their destiny was about to change for better.
The Chief Minister also knowing very well the sensitiveness of Jammuites assured that Jammu will receive focused attention for the next six months adding new projects being initiated would make Jammu “centre of attraction” in terms of development and also as an independent tourism destination.
While refurbished Golf Course and Tawi River Front Park seemed a beginning, the question arises, will he be able to keep his promise with Jammuites or was this another way of keeping Jammuites in good humour till the winter session lasts.
The sincerity of the Chief Minster cannot be challenged as yet but what he needs to remember is that it is the bureaucracy that has always been stalling the progress of Jammu by creating hurdles and bottle necks instead of working as helping tools to give equal treatment to all the three regions.
The political class particularly that belonging to Kashmir has never been sincere when it comes to development of Jammu or developing it as an independent tourism destination in particular.
The Chief Minister has a cut out task in his hand during the next six months till the durbar remains here to personally monitor the developmental projects and tourism related infrastructure building in Jammu so that his promise does not become another ‘political jhumla’ for Jammuites.
Making Jammu a real centre of attraction needs sincerity and dedication which however has been lacking among the bureaucratic and political class till now and it will need a big push from the new Chief Minister to take the trouble makers to task and ensure that Jammu gets its due.
At the same time BJP has also the last chance to prove its sincerity towards Jammu exactly as PDP has been doing for Kashmir and respect the massive mandate that it got from this region otherwise both Jammu as well as BJP would be biggest losers and the political space provided to BJP will be grabbed within no time by those who have either been the discriminators or siding with them for the past more than six decades.
At Earth News we always look for the positive side so we believe that Chief Minister would keep his promise and make the region an independent tourism destination and real centre of attraction for the visitors as well as the residents.