Is BJP loosing its role to Samiti as voice of Jammu

SYED AMJAD SHAH

Jammu, May 18: While Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leadership is confused as to which line to toe to retain its position as sole representative voice of Jammu people; it is facing a sturdy challenge from other so called apolitical saffron organizations as these are steadily taking over the role of ardent defenders of Jammu cause.

The most imminent challenge, BJP is facing is from the Jammu and Kashmir Sangarsh Samiti, an amalgam of various social political and religious organizations which spearheaded the Amarnath agitation.

Coupled with the country wide debacle BJP suffered in last parliament elections and the failure of the state unit to gain a major feat in projecting the cause of Jammu with its 11 members in the state Assembly, other saffron organizations have been continuously trying to maintain a distance from the party. This tendency among these ancillary organizations frequently came to fore over last one year when they preferred to come to defend the cause of Jammu on their own.

Though the Jammu Kashmir Sangrash Samiti, suffered some amount of derogation after its convener fought parliamentary election on BJP ticket, has over the times witnessed a gradual revival by taking some refurbishing measures and taking active part in tossing the issues pertaining to the ‘dignity’ of Jammu.

The latest being the issue of appointment of non – Jammu vice chancellor of the Central University on which the leaders of BJP did not took much pains observers attribute the fast diminishing role of BJP in Jammu politics to the week leadership and absence of younger popular faces in the party ranks.

If sources are to be believed RSS and VHP, the twin right wing political parties, are making every effort to bring the social and political organization on single platform. These organizations have been running their politics in a planned manner while coordinating the cause of Jammu under one platform Jammu Kashmir Sangash Samiti, a constituent of small groups.

There are reports that the Samiti has reached as far away as Poonch, Rajouri, Doda and Kishtwar to raise its membership and even succeeded in roping in Muslims of these areas.

The need for involving Muslims was felt to shed the communal label, which many Samiti leaders admit that it was due this communal tag that the government was able to suppress the agitation to some extent.

After the Armanath agitation, the Samiti led two more agitations during last one and half year , including the demand for separate central university at Jammu and the recent being the agitation against the appointment of Kashmiri vice chancellor of the university.