Surgical Strikes, Demonetisation serve double blow to Jammu

The surgical strikes on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) terror camps on September 29 followed by the Prime Minister’s announcement of demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes on November 8 have impacted the Jammu region adversely.
While the nation celebrated the surgical strikes, but the cross-border firing on the International Border as well the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu region gained momentum. Thereafter, it accounted for killing of many innocents and leaving others displaced and running for shelter and government aid, which seldom came their way.
The contemporary situation on border still puts up the status quo with both the nations engaging in cross-border shelling and security personnel and locals being killed and displaced frequently.
“The attacks have increased here after September 29. We do not know what the government did through surgical strikes on Pak terror camps, but the latter has turned more ferocious of late and we are left as fodder on border,” said Mohammad Hussain, a resident of Rajouri.
“The recent unabated shelling on the International Border and the LoC in Jammu province followed by the Pakistan’s military forces’ build-up on border is a concern for India, but J&K, for its unsettled status, is in frontier position in case of any major eventuality taking place,” says Hari Om, a political analyst and convener, Jammu for India.
“Pakistan army is deliberately targeting the border areas and the LoC in Jammu province to cut it from the rest of the country and causing displacement of the population across the border like it happened at the time of partition in 1947. It is time for the government to see through the Pakistani evil game plan before it is too late. J&K is India’s neck and the nation will not allow Pakistan to cut it,” he said.
Similarly, the withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes subsequently gave the region another setback as the state being devoid of any corporate sector establishment here due to Article 370 is not in position to rotate the new currency fast for public expenditure.
“The limit of withdrawal from the ATM is Rs 2,000 only and the machine drops a single note when swiped for it. People belonging to middle and lower class are unable to purchase items of lesser price as change in lower denomination notes are not given in exchange by the shopkeepers,” said Ram Prakash, a retired government official at Janipur.
The people lamented that they had no option, but to seek credit for smaller purchases.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Virendra Gupta said Pakistan turning volatile on the International Border and the LoC has a twofold reason, which gives it a motive to attack Jammu province only.
“They cannot act on the LoC in Kashmir as they don’t want to lose Kashmir’s obsession for Pakistan. Besides, their focus of attack on this part had been Jammu province only since partition as India’s occupation of Sialkot in 1971 war was Pakistan’s greatest defeat that lies adjacent to the International Border and the LoC in Jammu province only,” Gupta added.
“This is Pakistan’s short-lived strategy which will die soon,” said Virendra Gupta, who also dismissed demonetisation affecting Jammu particularly due to Article 370.
What residents say…
The attacks from across border have increased here after September 29. We do not know what the government did through surgical strikes on Pak terror camps, but the latter has turned more ferocious of late and we are left as fodder on border. —Mohammad Hussain, a resident of rajouri
The limit of withdrawal from the ATM is Rs 2,000 only and the machine drops a single note when swiped for it. People belonging to middle and lower class are unable to purchase items of lesser price as change in lower denomination notes are not given in exchange by the shopkeepers. —Ram Prakash, a retired government official at Janipur