Since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, politicians of Jammu have been doing little besides watching the evolving situation from a distance. The only political statements coming out of Jammu region are from the BJP, eulogising anything the Centre does바카라the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, for example. 바카라The other politicians are terrified,바카라 says former J&K education minister and Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh. 바카라They were threatened; they caved in and fled like rats. Their silence doesn바카라t mean all is well and they are happy with the developments. We too were asked to keep away from political activities, but we haven바카라t been silent. We tried to take out a march to call for restoration of statehood.바카라
Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party chairman Choudhary Lal Singh, a former minister, hasn바카라t been to his assembly constituency, Basohli, in the past many months. He spends most of his time in his farms in Kathua. 바카라I was in custody for over three months,바카라 he says. 바카라I lost from both the Lok Sabha seats and have no appetite to take out rallies now.바카라 He used to take out massive rallies in 2018 and 2019. 바카라I haven바카라t given up. People have started coming out to see me. Let them come, then we will talk,바카라 he adds. Lal Singh was placed under house arrest at his official residence on August 8, 2019바카라the first Jammu leader to be put under house arrest. During his house arrest, his party issued a statement that said Jammu should have been made a separate state. National Conference leaders Devender Singh Rana, Javed Rana, Surjit Singh Slathia and Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo, and Congress leaders Raman Bhalla and Vikar Rasool were also in custody.
바카라Pulwama and Balakot changed everything, as national security mixed with Hindutva almost subsumed Dogra identity politics,바카라 says political analyst Zafar Choudhary. 바카라Since August 5, every move by the Centre has come with an element of surprise. People see everything in terms of national interest. Regional politics is now only a remote possibility. Even the local BJP leaders are out of business.바카라
PDP spokesman Firdous Tak says most Jammu politicians have been pressurised.바카라 The government has the means to do it,바카라 he says. 바카라Not only politicians, but also other influential people who would normally side with them, are silent. Fear is the predominant sentiment. Someone바카라s factory is seized; another바카라s shopping complex is razed. The government has bought this silence.바카라
By Naseer Ganai in Srinagar
