Centre's 'de Facto' Approval of Twin States in J&K

Two Central Universities a bluff with Jammu

Prof. Bhim Singh, Chairman, JKNPP and Member, National Integration Council equated HRD Minister's declaration of two Central Universities in J&K as synonymous to robbing Peter and paying Paul.

The Prime Minister had declared two Central institutions for Jammu and Kashmir, a Central University and IIM. It was in unambiguous terms that Central University shall be opened in Jammu province and land in Samba and Udhampur Districts was also identified.

It was only because of the mischief of some bureaucrats from the Valley that a Vice Chancellor from Kashmir appointed for the Central University started recruitment in Kupwara and headquartered the Central University in Kashmir. A party 'in the waiting' called BJP reorganized its so-called Samiti under RSS command to re-fix its reputation it had lost during Shri Amarnath Shrine Land row.

There was a not a single voice from the Kashmir Valley demanding the Central University. They were satisfied with IIM and naturally so because it was a technical institution of national standards.

Prof. Bhim Singh said that the men who matter in the Valley preferred an Urdu University in the Valley which they deserved. J&K is the only state in the country having Urdu as its official language. The Congress men in Jammu collaborated with the Samiti and diverted the attention of the people of Jammu from the real issues.

A full-fledged Central University was the need. The Kashmiri leaders were aware that no student from outside the state would prefer going to Kashmir Valley to study or to teach in the given situation when a state of war is prevailing in Kashmir.

The terrorist attacks on the Indian army are being witnessed every day resulting in death of class-1 officers in the Indian Army. Prof. Bhim Singh said that HRD Ministry has played another trick with the people of Jammu dividing one university with the same budget into two campus. Jammu campus shall be called Central University, Jammu whereas second campus shall be known as Central University, Kashmir under the same administration and same budget.

This trick has enabled the HRD Ministry to rob the people of the state of IIM which was no less important for the people. The right place for a national technical institution was in Jammu province alone under the present situation prevailing in the state.

Prof. Bhim Singh accused Central and the Congress-NC leadership in Jammu and Kashmir for playing fraud with the people of Jammu province as they have been doing for the past six decades. However, the Centre's trick may cost them heavily by this declaration as this literally amounts to accepting the existence of two states within a state.

With the creation of two Central Universities in Jammu and in Srinagar, the Centre has accepted the existence of two political and geographical entities in the State of Jammu and Kashmir as they existed before the Treaty of Amritsar in 1846. He said that there is no occasion to celebrate this declaration because this has robbed Jammu of IIM and diluted the importance of the Central University.

Prof. Bhim Singh also said that the age of retirement of the teaching staff in the State Universities is 60 whereas it is 65 for such employees in the Central University. It shall encourage the exodus of trained and experienced staff from the State Universities to the Central Universities if this disparity is not removed.