Col. Shiv Choudhary
Sainik Colony, Jammu, once a model of urban planning and a symbol of respect for military personnel, now stands at a critical juncture. Established over 70 years ago, it was originally intended as a dignified residence for both retired and serving soldiers. With highly planned layout, wide roads, green belts, parks, healthcare facilities, schools, and commercial spaces, it quickly became a benchmark for well-planned residential areas. However, the colony’s current state, marked by neglect, mismanagement, greed, and apathy, calls for urgent attention and reform. As elections for a new management committee approach on March 3, 2025, the need for change is more pressing than ever.
Sainik Colony was founded with the vision of providing a permanent home for serving and retired militaryveterans who had served in the armed forces. In the late 1960s, after years of advocating for land allotment, the Jammu and Kashmir government granted land at a fixed price to the military fraternity. The design, inspired by the “City Beautiful” concept of Chandigarh, aimed to create a harmonious living environment with a focus on sustainability and community. For decades, the colony lived up to this purpose, offering veterans members a well-organized living space. Today, the colony has over 4000 houses and commercial places and nearly 12000 people living inside it, and another 3000 migrant labours living around it. Sadly, it has multiple entries/ exits in all directions.
In recent years, the colony has witnessed a steep decline in all aspects. Over the past seven years, elections for a new management committee have been delayed, with government-appointed administrations stepping in for no reasons. Unfortunately, these administrations failed tomake any effort to colony’s development or address the growing concerns of the residents with totally misplaced focus. This lack of effective leadership in the past and absence during last seven years have led to widespread neglect and in a state of disrepair.
One of the most visible signs of decline is the deterioration of infrastructure. The once-wide roads have become congested due to periodical digging by government agencies, haphazardly planted trees, dumping of building materials, unutilized poles, incorrection erection of new poles, extended driveways, unutilized. Parking spaces are poorly organized, and the flow of traffic has been severely impacted. What was once a well-designed community has now become a chaotic space where individualistic behaviours outweigh the collective good. Residents have either accepted or ignored these issues, with little to no action to address them.
Adding to this, land prices have surged, making it increasingly difficult for veterans to afford property in the colony. What was initially a community-based residential area for military families has now become a hotspot for price speculators and non-military interests. The rising prices have shifted the focus from serving the military community to providing a lucrative investment opportunity for a select few.
The colony’s basic services have also been impacted. Sanitation, waste disposal, drainage, and sewage systems have deteriorated to such an extent that they have made the colony increasingly uninhabitable. The lack of a functional waste management system, coupled with illegal dumping, thousand of unknown/ unauthenticated migrants, lack of alternative entries/ exits with no washing and toilet facilities, and a growing number of stray animals, have led to an insecure and unsanitary environment. These issues, which were never part of the original plan, have now become a major concern that demands immediate attention.
The colony’s situation has been further exacerbated by the widening of the National Highway (NH), which has created bottlenecks at the colony’s prime entry and exit point. The expansion of schools, banquet halls, warehouses, private tubewells and commercial establishments has only worsened traffic congestion, leaving little room for practical solutions. Indeed, the neglected school complex has never been optimally used for other purposes like coaching/ awareness/ skill programmes for young students. These problems, which could have been mitigated with better foresight and timely intervention, are now a constant source of delays, pollution, noise and frustration for residents.
Against this backdrop, the upcoming election provides the residents of Sainik Colony with an important opportunity to regain control over the future of their community and overall development. After years of uncalled for bureaucratic mismanagement and its interference with well-established and approved set of ‘Bye-Laws’, the time has come to elect a leadership that has the capability and acumen to do and undo various aspects, and is committed to the colony’s developmen. The need for visionary, selfless, and high integrity leaders has never been more urgent.
The new management committee would need to prioritize restoring the colony’s infrastructure, addressingsafety and security, and ensuring that basic services. The new leadership must adopt principles of transparency, accountability, zero tolerance for corruption and no individual interests. The guiding ethos should be to serve one and all living in the colony. However, the residents need to remember that every little change and deletion/ addition/ doing/ undoing towards better colony don’t come without cost, understanding and personal sacrifices.
Informed voting will be crucial in this election. Residents must choose leaders who have the knowledge, experience, and commitment to tackle the colony’s complex challenges. It will require the collective effort of the entire community to support new leadership and ensure that the colony’s future development is aligned with the original vision and changing needs. Collaboration and willing cooperation with and from relevant authorities, such as theJMC, police, and development agencies, will be essential to overcome the challenges.
The upcoming elections represent a crucial turning point for Sainik Colony. For the first time in years, voters have the opportunity to elect a management committee that prioritizes the collective good over individual interests. The leadership elected so must take steps to prevent the community from being overtaken by anyone with pure business interests, allowing all to live with dignity.Each vote will matter, and the residents must ensure that they elect individuals who are genuinely dedicated to the welfare of the community.
The time for change is now, and the election is not just about choosing a leadership; it is about securing the future of Sainik Colony for generations to come. The future of Sainik Colony lies in the hands of its voters. It is up to the voters to ensure that the community is led by individuals who will work tirelessly to address its problems. Aspiring candidates must understand the challenges of managing such a huge size colony will need time, education, experience, liaison, complexity of processes and modern day organized residential complex.
This election is an opportunity for Sainik Colony to embrace the change that it desperately needs. The path forward will require open mind, collaboration, contribution, commitment, and cooperation of all residents and open mind and total support for certain decisions during the next General Body Meeting. With the right management committee and outright support of residents, Sainik Colony can be improved. The responsibility now lies with the voters to vote for right candidates rising above caste, community, rank, individual sectors, self-interest, and social affinity. It is time to recall the tireless struggle, massive efforts and multiple legal battles fought by some of the members over last two years at substantial personal financial costs have resulted into this election. Vote Wisely as Every Vote Matters
(The writer is a motivational speaker).
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