Dogra Certificate Controversy
Why did leadership from Jammu Division not unitedly carry provision for issuance of Dogra Certificate?
Daya Sagar
Earlier it was Gulam Nabi Azad who had talked of Dogriat but could not stand much with it. But then it was Raman Bhalla in April 2011 the then J&K Revenue Minister ( ofcourse with the support of Omar Abdullah) who had once again ventured into the subject in the name of Dogra Certificate for all the subjects of Jammu Division ( J&K Revenue Department Order No. Rev.(LB) 69 of 2011 dated: 25-03-2011 issued with the approval of the then Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla).But this time it had pushed the then government into some ‘regional’ controversies. On the call of Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani a strike was observed in some parts of Kashmir valley from 2nd to 4rth April 2011. Even the Middle East’s English language daily Arab News said on 8th April that March 25th Dogra Certificate order of J&K Government may stir unrest in Kashmir.
Let us look at what had been reported. (i) Minister for Revenue Raman Bhalla asked the people of Jammu division to avail the benefit of Dogra Certificate ” (ii) sanction has been given by the government vide Order No. Rev. (LB) 69 of 2011 dated: 25-03-2011 (iii) residents of J&K ( PRC) were eligible to get the Dogra Certificate (iv)Tehsildar (Territorial) shall be competent to issue such certificate (v) and above all residents of Jammu division irrespective of ethnicity, cultural background and mother tongue would be classified as Dogras, provided their forefathers were residents of Jammu Division prior to 1944 ( cut-off date of 1944 shall not apply to displaced persons from POJK ). So in my opinion it was the definition of Dogra as laid by Revenue Minister that had disturbed the Kashmiri conservative mindset. Defining all people of Jammu Region / Province (irrespective of ethnicity, religion, cultural background and mother-tongue) as Dogra is what appeared having disturbed only “the players’ of political game plans for securing to seats of governance belonging to Kashmir valley. A definition parallel to Kashmiriat had been got laid down in Dogriat by Raman Bhalla in more clear terms extending over whole of Jammu Province / Division. That was surely going to weaken the evil designs of those who are working to divide the people of Jammu Region / Division on communal lines.
The questions that I had asked then were like i. Why the objections to Dogra Certificate and demands for withdrawal of any orders / policy issued by J&K Government had particularly come only from some leaders belonging to Kashmir Valley ? ii Why there were not any impressionable objections to calling whole of Jammu Division as ‘Dogra’ from any part of Jammu region or Ladakh region ? iii. Why do some leaders react when someone talks of Dogriat where as they themselves talk of Kashmiriat, why so much hue and cry ? iv. Why apprehensions for disturbance of even peace in J&K on the issues like of Dogra Certificate had been expressed by some “leaders” from Kashmir Valley only, was the common man in Kashmir valley like some leaders ‘there’ too was also that much agitated over issues like Dogra Certificate and how far some Valley leaders have been able to cultivate doubts in the minds of common man of Kashmir Valley about the truthfulness of the people outside Kashmir Valley ( more particularly after 1990) ? v. Why do the valley leaders not react when New Delhi refers to J&K issues in the name of Kashmiri only like Kashmiri youth unemployment or Kashmiri aspirations and the like ? vi Have the valley leaders succeeded in exploiting the innocent Kashmiri masses in the name of Kashmiriat?
Sheikh Mohd Abdullah too in 1947 was particularly concerned for the welfare of the people of Kashmir Valley. But Sheikh Mohd Abdullah did not carry any discriminatory wills against other regions. He did start with the socio economic welfare of the Kashmir Muslims but was surely not envy to the identity / progress of others (common masses).
Simultaneously Sheikh Abdullah’s National Conference identified her interests also in non muslims as well people outside Kashmir Valley. Whereas the manner in which the political affairs of J&K were handled by New Delhi over the years the ` National Conference appeared compelled by the style of political culture that emerged in Kashmir valley after 2000 to once again lay ‘more priorities’ on Kashmir Valley only as it did prior to 1947.
But it was appreciable that still in 2011 the NC- Cong Government lead by National Conference had come up with the plan for issue of Dogra Certificates for the welfare of all the permanent residents of Jammu Division of J&K from outside Kashmir Valley. Ofcourse there are some NC leaders belonging to Kashmir Valley who had in low tones criticized the intentions of Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla. But these NC leaders then did not have much political base in Kashmir Valley and hence to stand against the separatists such leaders totally depended upon the goodwill of Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah.
So far, it were only the people of Kashmir Valley who were more known outside J&K and the basis / guidelines for issue Dogra Certificate had in a way disclosed to the outside world that there is a large part of J&K known as Dogra that extends from Kathua to Doda/Poonch/Rajouri/Mirpur lands of Jammu Division. Lets us not go into finer details/ technicalities and other administrative aspects of such like order. The Dogra certificate issue may not bring too much of extra employment benefits to the Dogra people of J&K but one thing is sure that with such like Identity the people of Jammu Division will stand more firmly against the forces who may be there to weaken the socio religious ties amongst the simple & innocent masses Hindu and Muslim of Jammu Division. But why did the leadership from Jammu Division did not unitedly carry the provision for issue of Dogra Certificate further after that making the J&K Revenue Department Order No. Rev.(LB) 69 of 2011 dated: 25-03-2011 issued with the approval of the then Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla almost an unknown identity even in 2021 ?
To Be Continued
(Daya Sagar, is a senior journalist and analyst of J&K Affairs , can be reached at dayasagr45@yahoo.com)