Jammu on edge: Rana

Srinagar:Expressing concern over Jammu being on edge, National Conference Provincial President Devender Singh Rana on Saturday hinted at larger conspiracy to divide communities and regions and bringing them eyeball to eyeball situation to hide governance deficit in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The situation is quite volatile in Nowshehra, Sunderbani and Kalakote on the one side and Kathua on the other, with PDP and BJP whipping up passions on religious and regional lines that has brought the region on virtual edge”, Rana said while addressing a press conference at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan along with representatives of the three border tehsils.
The press conference had been convened to seek District status for the three tehsils of Nowshehra, Sunderbani and Kalakote with deployment of three separate Additional Deputy Commissioenrs.
Rana was flanked by former MLA and NC State Secretary Th Rachpal Singh, State Vice President Th Kashmira Singh, YNC Provincial President Ajaz Jan besides District President Bhushan Uppal, Master Shamsher Singh, Vipan Pal Sharma, Kr Yashu Vardhanb Singh, Babu Khan, Ashok Sharma and Jatinder Singh Chib.
When asked about the posting of Additional Deputy Commissioners on rotational basis, the Provincial President described it as a crude joke with agitating people and said the government does not seem to have gauged public mood, especially after the residents of these three Tehsils have been forced to take to streets. He said the decision of posting Addl Deputy Commissioners has further infuriated the people than satisfying them.
“Instead of addressing the core issues, the coalition dispensation is encouraging the three tehsils to fight each other”, he said and expressed solidarity with the people, who are struggling for just cause.
He questioned the sagacity and far-sight of the coalition dispensation, saying while National Conference welcomes the decision of making five Tehsil offices at Vilgam and Qalamabad in Kupwara district, Singhpora and Narwaw in Baramulla district besides Ramsu in Ramban district functional, a pertinent question arises over the selectivity.
He sought implementation of the decision with regard to new administrative units in toto, saying the people of Jandrah in Nagrota constituency are becoming restive over the mute response of the insensitive coalition government.
To a question on simmering unrest in Kathua over the murder of an eight year old girl, Rana said the innocent Aasifa should get justice in the grave. He sought exemplary punishment to the criminal for the most barbaric and heinous act and decried communalization and politicization of the crime.
Rana said the civilized society is shattered by the gruesome crime, which is unfortunately being politicized.
“Aasifa could be anybody’s daughter, irrespective of caste or religion and therefore the crime cannot be ignored or downplayed by taking refuge of religion,” he said, adding it is not a matter pertaining to Hindus or Muslim, it touches the core of humanity.
He said the gravity of the crime becomes more heinous with the beastly killer allegedly putting the child on drugs during seven day captivity and finally carrying out cold-blooded murder.
“We all must fight it out. A criminal is a criminal and should be punished for such a barbaric act… it is just punishment to the guilty,” he said.
To a specific question on vitiating the atmosphere, Rana said it is deplorable. He exuded confidence that the people will reject the polarizing elements by maintaining communal harmony and amity. He said National Conference has been playing a frontal role in bringing the people of different faiths and regions together. “We will not allow the society to be fragmented into bits and pieces on the basis of region or religion”, he said and cautioned the PDP and BJP against hiding behind religion to divert the attention of people from its failure on all fronts.
Rana cautioned people against the PDP-BJP machinations, saying being an indigenous mass movement with chequered history, National Conference cannot abdicate its responsibilities from saving the state from communal frenzy that could lead to catastrophe.
He asked the Centre to address the burning issues and bail out Jammu from the prevailing crisis. He said the PDP and BJP were pursuing a sinister agenda of polarizing the situation by encouraging communal and regional divide, which is taking dangerous proportions of engulfing sub-regions besides different castes and communities.