Jammu, Jan 16: BJP legislator from Bahu constituency in Jammu, Vikram Randhawa, on Friday said that the demand for a separate Jammu region remains alive, asserting that it has emerged due to what he described as prolonged domination of Jammu by Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters, Randhawa said the demand did not arise in isolation but was rooted in historical imbalance. He claimed that Kashmir had earlier dominated Ladakh as well, adding that the situation changed only after Ladakh was carved out as a separate Union Territory.
“We do not want separation, but Kashmir has always subdued Jammu,” the legislator said, adding that the future course of the demand would become clear with time.
On the issue of the proposed National Law University, Randhawa said Jammu should be the sole location for the institution, warning that there was no question of it being established elsewhere in the Union Territory. He said the final decision rests with the Centre and that efforts would be made to persuade New Delhi to allot the National Law University to Jammu.
“Either the National Law University will come up in Jammu or it will not be set up,” he said.
Highlighting Jammu’s growing academic profile, Randhawa as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust claimed that the city has emerged as an education hub, attracting students from across regions, including Kashmir. He said students from Kashmir are pursuing their studies in Jammu in large numbers.
At the same time, he alleged that there were hardly any examples of students from Jammu studying in Kashmir, claiming that in the past, students from Jammu faced harassment while studying there. [KNT]
