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Photos: Kathua case turns flashpoint for grievances between Jammu and Kashmir
Age old bitterness between the Jammu and Kashmir regions has mounted in Jammu all over again with fears of eroding Hindu majority from the region, economic downfall and neglect by the state stoking the recent Kathua case into a flashpoint for decades-old grievances. Where the country has witnessed protests all across against the brutal gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old, in Jammu, people have been out on streets demanding a CBI probe in the case and expressing distrust of the state police probe which has named eight Hindu men, including a priest, as the accused.
Updated on: Apr 23, 2018 1:15 PM IST
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The Kathua case has driven a wedge between Jammu and Kashmir, incensing many dominant Hindu communities, especially the Dogras. They are particularly stung by neglect from the Muslim-majority state and what is seen as a betrayal by the national press and political parties. Two kilometres outside Rasana, where the rape allegedly occurred, groups have been sitting on a dharna for almost a month demanding a CBI probe. (Nitin Kanotra / HT Photo )
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A rally led by former BJP leader Chowdhury Lal Singh which snaked its way through the old city demanding a CBI inquiry in the case, expressed distrust of a state police probe which has named eight Hindu men, including a priest, as the accused. This demand has become a lightning rod across the Jammu region, from the traditional old town to the newer settlements across the Tawi river. (Nitin Kanotra / HT Photo)
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Gujjar-Bakerwals, classified schedule tribes of the state travel through treacherous mountain passes from Kashmir to Jammu every winter and go back as temperatures rise in summers. They say they are ill-treated in Kashmir, where Gujjar is often used as an expletive. Jammu today has a larger population of Muslims and this has made many Hindu communities start talking about “Muslims taking over.” (Nitin Kanotra / HT Photo)
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The temple in Rasana where it is alleged the crime took place. “We are not extremists, we don’t support rape. But we will not let them malign Hindus,” says Kant Kumar, a member of the Hindu Ekta Manch. “It seems unlikely that a Dogra can rape in a temple. Even if the charge sheet is true, people won’t believe if the state police say it. CBI is a must,” argues major general (retired) Goverdhan Jamwal. (Nitin Kanotra / HT Photo)
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“We will not let Jammu be discriminated against,” thunders Lal Singh, a former forest minister (C). Bitterness between the two main regions of the state is old but has mounted in Jammu over recent fears of an eroding Hindu majority. An economic downturn is another issue reflected in a lack of job opportunities for the youth amid accusations of favouritism to Kashmir in jobs and government openings. (Nitin Kanotra / HT Photo)
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A view of the temple where it is alleged the crime took place. Author and researcher Javaid Rahi, who belongs to the same Gujjar-Bakerwal tribes as the victim, thinks the main issue is land, and fears of changing demographics are fanned by Hindu fanatics. The outrage and identity crisis of the Dogras, with their long history of military service is exemplified in the fast-eroding cultural artifacts such as the crumbling forts and temples of Jammu. (Nitin Kanotra / HT Photo)
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