The Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant-Governor’s administration observed October 31 as ‘Union Territory Foundation Day’ to coincide with the adoption of the J&K Reorganisation Act four years ago on this day. The Opposition Congress, National Conference (NC), and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) described it as “rubbing salt in the wounds” as it commemorated “downgrading the full-fledged historical State into two UTs (Union Territories) in 2019”.
L-G Manoj Sinha inaugurated the 67th National School Games at Bakshi Stadium here on the occasion, with 15,000 school children from the Kashmir division and 2,000 athletes from all over the country participating in the games, officials said. Sportspersons, youth and officers also took the ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ pledge on the occasion.
“Today, the Tricolor is flying high in the international sports arena. Eminent sportspersons are emerging from small villages and towns, and they have achieved excellence in international sporting events with their spectacular performance,” L-G Sinha said. “J&K has made a new beginning with sports, and sports culture development plans with adequate infrastructure,” he added.
In Jammu, Congress leaders held a sit-in and observed October 31 as a ‘black day’. They held a street protest against “downgrading the full-fledged historical State into two UTs (Union Territories) in 2019”. “J&K was the State gifted by the Maharaja with state subjects to ensure land and jobs of the native population. The BJP has politically damaged our rights and this is the fourth anniversary of the erstwhile State being turned into a Union Territory,” Congress leader Vikar Rasool Wani said.
CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami said the historic State of J&K had been declared a Union Territory on this day and “celebrating it is an insult to the people”. “How can this be a celebration when J&K was dismantled and downgraded? Instead of introspection, the BJP facelessly has declared it as ‘UT Divas’,” Mr. Tarigami said.
Senior NC leader Rattan Lal Gupta accused the BJP leadership of “rubbing salt in the wounds of gallant Dogras by celebrating UT status”. “The day has demeaned the glory of this martial community as the erstwhile J&K State was cut into pieces. People having the slightest idea of formation of erstwhile State of J&K know well that how bravely Maharaja Gulab Singh and his late General Zorawar Singh had fought to expand his empire from boundaries of Punjab up to China and Tibet making erstwhile State of J&K, including Ladakh, one of the biggest States in the country [in terms of area],” Mr. Gupta said. He said it was unfortunate that the local BJP leadership had “backstabbed” the valiant people of J&K to allow the Centre to slice the State into two Union Territories, leaving the people at the mercy of bureaucrats.
