The Jammuites rejected the bandh call given by pro-Hindutva Jammu Sangarsh Samiti (JSS) as transport plied as usual, markets remained abuzz with activity,
people busy in routine work and offices functioned smoothly on Saturday. The pro-Hindutva parties had called for Jammu bandh against what they termed incidents of attack on tourists, temples and troopers by protestors in Kashmir.
Locals here said the bandh call was given to flare up communal passions for vested political interests. The government termed the rejection of the bandh call as the “highness” of people of Jammu.
On Canal Road, which was also abuzz with activity, a cloth merchant Rakesh, sitting on the pavement facing a long row of open shops, said Jammuites never supported communal parties. We realised in 2008 that supporting communal parties was our blunder. Never expect that we will again trust their rumours that temples are attacked in the Valley and pull down our shutters.
The scene in entire Jammu city was the same with people openly criticising JSS for its “wrong and communal agenda”. Meanwhile, as some JSS members and BJP activist including their three MLAs tried to impose the bandh forcibly, they were taken into “preventive custody”. The protest was led by BJP legislators Ashok Khajuria, Jugal Kishore and Sukhnandan Choudhary.
Finance Minister Abdur Rahim Rather, who along with Commerce and Industries Minister S S Slathia, is camping at Jammu for the past three days to keep a check on “communal forces vitiating the atmosphere”, was happy to see the response of Jammuites to the bandh call of the JSS.
JSS gave a call for Jammu bandh in its meeting convened under the chairmanship of pro-Hindutva RSS affiliate Brigadier (Ret) Suchet Singh on July 1.
However, JSS faced embarrassment when Jammu Province Peoples Forum (JPPF), an amalgam of 50 different organisations decided not to support the bandh saying it would vitiate the atmosphere and peace in Jammu.
President of Chamber of Commerce and Industry Jammu Y V Sharma, who is also the chairman of JPPF, said JSS was trying to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in Jammu.
Organizations that opposed the bandh call included Hotels and Bar Association, Amar Kshatriya Rajput Sabha, Chamber of Commerce and Industries Jammu, Retailers and Traders Federation, Matador Union, Bar Association Jammu, Special Taxi Union, Dastak, Taskeen and Paryatan Vikas Mandal besides transporters and prominent citizens of Jammu.
President Bar Association Jammu Sunil Sethi said the bandh call of the JSS was bound to fail “as it has no justification at all”. Vice President of Jammu Transport Federation Anil Chopra said the bandh call was a “move to disturb Jammu peace”. He has also condemned the bandh call.
Shri Ram Sena (SRS), known for its notorious activities like attacking women on Valentines Day and taking contracts for crating violence too dissociated themselves from the bandh call. SRS president Rajiv Mahajan said some political parties and politicians wanted to create a vicious atmosphere for the sake of their personal gains.
Nirbhao Nirvair Organisation (NNO) also disassociated itself from the bandh on the grounds that there were chances of communal clashes and a loss of social amity. Other organisations who contributed in making Samiti’s bandh call a failure were Youth Sena, Kamgar Sena, Shiv Sena Hindustan, Transport Sena, Hotel Employees Sena and Kranti Dal. Meanwhile, heavy deployment of police and paramilitary troopers was made across the Jammu city to ensure that the troublemakers were kept at bay.
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