This is a question that I have come across numerous times since I came to Delhi. It saddens and pains me to see that people know so little about the Dogra land of Jammu. While I am not undermining The Issue of Kashmir, I do feel there is a need to acknowledge the fact that Jammu and Ladakh have long suffered because of what has been happening in Kashmir over the years. It is also very frustrating and upsetting that people who do not know the ground reality of these places have such detailed opinions over what is right and what is wrong; what should happen and what should not; what is the reason for the lack of stability in the region and what is not. Let’s take Article 370, for discussion’s sake. A lot of people opposed its revocation. But being from the area, I was truly happy with the decision and here’s why.
Firstly, let me give you a sneak- peek of what Jammu was like before Article 370 was revoked. Now, I might have a biased point of view because I have lived only in Jammu and visited Kashmir just a few times. Nonetheless, I believe it is of importance because I am a resident of that place and my opinion matters. So, Jammu has one mall. That mall has a theatre that literally everyone in the city goes to watch movies at because the other two theatres are not in a very good condition. There are two McDonald’s outlets and one KFC outlet in Jammu and even these opened only in the last few years. Before that it was just Domino's or Pizza Hut. If we talk about infrastructure, then there is none at all in Jammu. Kashmir does not even have any theatres. They burned them to the ground in 1989.
It’s not just this, as a woman, Article 370 affects me personally. How? Well…
Number one, while the article was still operational, I could not have married outside of Jammu and Kashmir while still retaining ownership of my family’s property. Which means that if I, a girl, had got married, while the article was still in place, to a man who was not a ‘citizen’ of Jammu and Kashmir, i.e, he did not have a state subject, I could not have claimed my family property. Neither could I have purchased any land in Jammu and Kashmir, subsequent to the wedlock. I remember watching an interview in which Mehbooba Mufti was asked a question about how this article is discriminatory to women and her response could not have been more vague. Furthermore, this article is the reason why there are no private companies in Jammu or Kashmir. While it was still in place it forbade anyone who did not possess a state subject to be able to buy land in the state (now, union territory).
Before the article was scrapped, the people of Jammu and Kashmir were living in a perfect bubble where there was no outside competition; the jobs were theirs to keep and they did not necessarily have to compete to get them, to begin with. Don’t even get me started on Ladakh! It was as if the place did not exist! It has been a long time since Jammu and Ladakh have borne the brunt of Kashmir. Tourism has been greatly affected because of this. Jammu, despite being the ‘city of temples’ does not see a whole lot of tourists. So, when I heard the news of Article 370 being revoked, I was happy! This might not be the ideal response according to many because it was opposed so strongly all over the country, but as a resident it affected me more than anyone and I guess that is what’s important.
Did you know that before the article was revoked, no one dared to raise the Indian flag on Independence Day in Lal Chowk in Kashmir. It pained me to no end but I could not do anything about it. Now that the Article has been revoked, I have a feeling of relief wash over me because I guess I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I hope that the next step is for education to improve so that children do not have to suffer, I hope productive, competitive jobs are generated so that youngsters don’t have to leave their old parents behind unwillingly. I hope healthcare improves so we don’t have to rush to Amrtisar or Chandigarh or even Delhi every time some old member of the family falls ill.
I hope we never have to live in the shadows again.
You might not agree with my views but I hope you acknowledge the facts and accept that I too have a say in this matter.
- Guniya Sharma
B.A. Program
(Edited by Mansha and Pallavi
Art curated by Ritika)
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