ln order to intensify the demand of divisional status to Chenab valley and sanctioning of a university, a meeting of the residents of Chenab Valley was organised in the Maharaja Hari Singh Park, Jammu on Wednesday.
The meeting was presided over by Haji Shah Din Naik and the motive behind the meeting, as per the participants, was to raise the genuine demand of divisional status and full-fledged university for Chenab Valley.
Highlighting the importance of the meeting, Jamait Ali Agah, a social activist, said, “Chenab Valley has been repeatedly ignored by the successive governments. This is why we are lacking behind in every sphere of life. The time has come to project our demands of divisional status to Chenab Valley in a strategic manner.”
Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Hafiz Dar from Bhaderwah, said, “Our wealth is being exploited to raise the infrastructure of other parts of the country and the state. We, the people of Chenab Valley, are living in the Stone Age, under unfair weather conditions. I appeal to the people of the entire region to be united for the cause.”
Chairman, EESS&C society, Mohammad Ayoub Zarger, said, “Chenab Valley has its own identity, with strong bonds of communal harmony, social fabrics and cultural heritage. All of it will remain protected under the same spirit, if divisional status is granted to the region.”
He added, “The Valley, being second largest in terms of area, spreading over more than 11600 square kilometers, with more than 10 lakh people, comprising of three districts and over 10 sub-divisions is educationally and economically backward. We are far away from realizing the dream of digital India, which is very unfortunate.”
He also said that Chenab valley has a literacy rate of 58.98 percent, “which speaks of the tall claims of 100 percent literacy mission”.
“In 2013, the union government launched a holistic scheme, RUSA, for the development of higher education. That time also, inspite of having more than 10 colleges, no cluster university has been sanctioned. Whereas in Jammu and Kashmir divisions, besides the full-fledged universities and central universities, two cluster universities were established,” Zarger added.
Senior trade union and labour leader, Javid Iqbal Zarger, said, “Chenab valley has its own resources in terms of water, forests, herbs and minerals. If used judiciously, the region could run its expenses from its own resources.”
In his presidential address, Shah Din Naik said, “Like Ladakh region, Chenab Valley also has a scattered population due to the weird topography. The people remain engulfed in natural calamities throughout the year, particularly during winter season, when the entire region is cut off from the rest of the state.”
“Difficulties like road blockage, lack of basic amenities like food items and medical care is a daily routine for the people of the border region. Difficulties are faced by students, senior citizens, patients and employees alike,” Naik said, adding that if divisional status is granted to Chenab Valley, then the difficulties will be eased off.
The president, alongwith others, appealed to the governor’s administration to look into their demand. They threatened that if their demands are not accepted, they will launch a “violent agitation”.
Later, an Adhoc coordination committee was executed to work for permanent committee which could determine the future course of action. Alhaj Shah Din Naik was nominated as the president, Bashir Ahmed Rather as secretary, Javed Ahmed Zarger as secretary, Ayoub Zarger Saheb as convener and Kuldeep Singh, Ishaq Rashid Malik, Mohammed Hafiz Dar, Jamait Ali Agha, Akhter Hussain Malik and Mohammad Iqbal Malik as members.
A youth wing was also constituted in which Asif Iqbal Batt, Arif Iqbal Naik, Mohammad Sadiq Malik, Zaffar Hussain Magray, Mudassar Hussain Sheikh, Mohammad Younis Mir and Mohammad Aslam Mali were elected as office bearers.