Jammu must get its due

The controversy over the establishment of an All India Institute for Medical Sciences in Jammu is almost entirely due to political mismanagement, stemming from a series of contradictory statements by local and national leaders. If the situation is not handled properly, in a manner that addresses the legitimate concerns of the people of Jammu, then the BJP risks being alienated from a loyal voter base that only recently offered it a historic electoral victory. The controversy goes back to the Union Minister for Finance Arun Jaitley's Budget speech in which he announced that an Aiims will be set in the State of Jammu & Kashmir. That same day, Dr Jitendra Singh, MP from Udhampur and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, thanked Mr Jaitley for planning the prestigious medical institution in Jammu. He underlined that this was a long pending proposal, first presented in 2004, by the previous NDA Government.

This raised expectations in Jammu — which were dashed the next day when the BJP and the PDP launched the programme for their coalition Government. The Agenda of Alliance said that the Aiims would be set up in Kashmir. This was reiterated by the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir and the Chief Minister, even as Dr Singh stood by his position. By this time, the situation was heating up already. There were two protest bandhs and the Aiims Coordination Committee — an umbrella organisation of 70 outfits — had come together to demand that the political establishment clear the air. This compelled Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and other senior leaders to give a written assurance on June 18 that they will obtain an appropriate order by July 20. They missed the deadline, prompting the Aiims Coordination Committee to call a three-day bandh that, this Sunday, was extended to August 5. In between, on July 30, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare  suggested that two separate “Aiims-like” institutions be set up in Jammu and Srinagar. His plans were echoed by the State Health Minister who said that both institutions will receive equal funding and have separate management. Meant to soothe frayed nerves, these suggestions only added to the confusion. It isn't clear if the plan is to set up two Aiims in the State or split one. Most experts agree that the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences Act, following its 2012 amendment, allows for the setting up of two Aiims in one State.

If so, then why refer to an “Aiims-like” institutionIJ legal nitty gritties apart, the problem is the trust deficit between the people and their elected representatives. The Aiims Coordination Committee understandably wants a Government notification because it has seen that even written assurances have little value. This has put the politicians in a tight spot.

Eventually, a compromise will be worked out but it's important to understand why this issue has touched a raw nerve in Jammu. Kashmir already has the prestigious Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences and the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital while Jammu only has one Government-run medical facility which is ill-equipped and under-staffed. Jammu residents travel to Delhi, Chandigarh and other cities for even basic tratement. Jammu needs this Aiims more than Kashmir. Also, compared to Kashmir, Jammu has often received an unfair deal, and the people had hoped that things will be different with the BJP in power. The party mustn’t dissapoint.