As usual the reaction to the truckers strike was more intense in Jammu & Kashmir than in any other part of the country and the huge rush at the fuel stations both in Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu created unwanted chaos and confusion over the stock position of petrol and diesel in Jammu & Kashmir.
While the truckers early this week called for strike without giving central government even symbolic 24 hours time to respond to their objections over the new law by virtue of which the drivers were liable for stringent punishment and unaffordable fine, the Central Government responded very quickly to end the strike of truckers much before it could snowball into a major crisis across the country. While it was imperative for the central government to hold consultations with all the stake holders including the truckers much before including the controversial clause on stringent punishment to truckers in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023 that was recently passed by parliament to replace the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and the Evidence Act respectively, the truckers also should have given some time to the central government to respond to their objections over the stringent clause of the said bill before announcing countrywide strike. As usual the reaction to the truckers strike was more intense in Jammu & Kashmir than in any other part of the country and the huge rush at the fuel stations both in Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu created unwanted chaos and confusion over the stock position of petrol and diesel in Jammu & Kashmir. Though crisis was set off within hours with an announcement from the Union Home Secretary that Government would consult the truckers before implementing the clauses of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill on stringent punishment to drivers for accidental deaths but unfortunately the unwanted practices of hoarding and black marketing of petrol and diesel always witnessed in Jammu & Kashmir in this crisis situation speaks volumes is grim reminder of the bad trends and tendencies developing in odd times in both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division.
“Usually people learn lessons from bad practices in availing certain basic services but unfortunately people in Jammu & Kashmir don’t tend to learn from the bad trends and tendencies witnessed in crisis situations in yesteryears. Exhausting stocks is not by any standards of understandabilities any solution to any crisis situation. Wisdom demands that people in Jammu & Kashmir learn from past mistakes and show restraint in over reacting to the crisis situations may it be shortage of diesel and petrol or non availability of rice, meat, poultry products, vegetables and fruits.”
Even if the crisis of petrol and diesel would continue for a long time it would in the initial phase badly hit business operations more intensely in other parts of the country before bringing down the intensity of trading activities in Jammu & Kashmir and as such the unwanted reaction of the people that created chaos and confusion across Jammu & Kashmir was totally unwise and unjust. Usually people learn lessons from bad practices in availing certain basic services but unfortunately people in Jammu & Kashmir don’t tend to learn from the bad trends and tendencies witnessed in crisis situations in yesteryears. Exhausting stocks is not by any standards of understandabilities any solution to any crisis situation. Wisdom demands that people in Jammu & Kashmir learn from past mistakes and show restraint in over reacting to the crisis situations may it be shortage of diesel and petrol or non availability of rice, meat, poultry products, vegetables and fruits.
