Scrapping of Article 370 must for state’s growth: Manhas
Shamsher Singh Manhas, state president of the BJP and a hardcore RSS man, was earlier considered as a weak president, but now he has started showing teeth. In his four-month tenure, Manhas has tried to prove himself as an assertive president. Instead of succumbing to the pressure of party stalwarts, he is taking decision on its own and trying to keep the RSS and other Sangh Parivar organisations in good humour.
Shamsher Singh Manhas in conversation with The Tribune team in Jammu
Shamsher Singh Manhas in conversation with The Tribune team in Jammu. Tribune photos: Anand Sharma
Following are the excerpts:
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria (RKK): The Amarnath agitation brought the BJP to the fore and it later won 11 Assembly seats, all in Jammu. But now people don’t connect anymore with the party. Do you feel that the BJP has lost the pulse of Jammu people?
Shamsher Singh Manhas (SSM): Jammu has always remained a top priority for the BJP and will remain so, but there are certain issues that should be seen in right perspective.
For instance, we stand by our word that Article 370 must be abrogated because it is a deterrent in attracting industry to the state. It has marred the progress of the state. The Omar government claims that there are nearly five lakh registered unemployed youth in the state, but the figure has touched a million-mark.
Similarly, 27,000 unemployed youth leave the state every year for greener pastures and if the trend continues, the state after 10 years would be nothing more than a home for the aged.
We stand by our commitment to uphold the interests of Jammu and at the same time, people of the Kashmir valley have started connecting with the BJP because of our clear-cut policies. They also feel that in the larger interests of the state and its people, Article 370 must be scrapped.
RKK: In the backdrop of political setup of the state where Kashmir-centric parties rule the roost and where even the Congress plays a second fiddle to them, do you really feel that a day will come when Article 370 would go?
SSM: Surely, because Article 370 has given nothing to the state but problems. Now, there is a change among the people of Kashmir. Recently, 150 activists of the BJP were detained in Kashmir because they were demanding abrogation of Article 370.
The day is not far away when it would eventually go. Further, people in Kashmir have started realising the ground situation and I am confident that a time would soon come when they would discard parties like the National Conference and the PDP.
Dinesh Manhotra (DM): In the last Assembly elections, the BJP won an all-time high 11 Assembly seats. It is widely perceived that the party is losing its hold. What steps would you take?
SSM: I want to make it clear that winning seats is not my priority. My priority is to strengthen the party at grass-roots level by spreading ideology of the party in every nook and corner of the state.
After becoming president, I have been working overtime to strengthen organisational structure at grass-roots level.
Ashutosh Sharma (AS): Corruption is rampant in the state. Your observation?
SSM: Corruption is as dangerous as terrorism. The first is weakening the state and the other is dangerous to the nation. The development works going on in the state lack accountability and transparency. Charges are being levelled against ministers but nothing comes out of investigations. State vigilance organisation as well as the accountability commission needs to be strengthened.
Archit Watts (AW): What is the reason behind less vote bank of the BJP in the Kashmir valley?
SSM: No, the time has changed and we are getting good response there. In the past 4-5 years, the situation has changed and people in Kashmir are supporting the ideology of our party.
Even after the Amarnath land row when the state was divided on regional lines, the BJP got 49,000 votes from the valley, which according to me is an encouraging achievement.
AW: What efforts are being made to strengthen the party in Kashmir valley?
SSM: We are regularly visiting Kashmir to strengthen the party there. I have planned to hold rallies in all districts of Kashmir from May 26 to June 5. Our senior leaders from Delhi are also expected to come to boost the morale of party workers.
AS: You had been a Sangh pracharak in the beginning of your political career. The names of many RSS activists have recently surfaced in the investigations into some bomb blasts. Your comments?
SSM: Being an RSS activist and a BJP member, I would say that we treat our country on a par with the status of mother. Anyone, who is caught in anti-national activities, we are against him. Moreover, in such cases usually our activists are framed.
AW: What is your achievement ever since you took over the reins of the party in the state?
SSM: In such a short span of time, we have taken up many issues and forced both the state and Centre governments to take decisions in favour of Jammu people. My party members fought against the Inter-District Recruitment Bill and got success in excluding SCs from the bill. In another fight against the Sagir Ahmed Committee’s report, we showed our power to the state government.
AW: What is the reaction of the BJP over the appointment of Prof Amitabh Mattoo as vice-chancellor of the Central University in Jammu?
SSM: I can’t speak on the issue. Only the selection committee will decide the matter. But I want to make only one point that we have no objection whether he joins as VC or not. We have to fight for a big cause not these small issues. We have to keep in mind the larger interests.
DM: Some political parties have floated the idea of statehood for Jammu. What is the stand of the BJP on this issue?
SSM: It is a reality that people of Jammu region have been facing discrimination in every sphere since 1947. As far as the BJP is concerned, we are of the opinion that separate provincial council for Jammu is one and the only solution for remove this discrimination. We are not supporting the demand of separate state.
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