Chief Minister’s Janjehli Dilemma

By: Feb 24th, 2018 12:35 am

Aman Agnihotri                 (Cover Story)

Janjehli residents are agitating following High Court’s order to cancel notification of SDM office in Janjehli and Chhatri sub-tehsil in Mandi district issued by previous Virbhadra government. The area has witnessed incidents like stone pelting, chakka jam, case of attempt to murder and imposition of section 144. After High Court’s decision was reported in the media on February 3, the agitation has been going on since then. Initially peaceful, the protest took an ugly turn when protesters burnt Chief Minister’s effigy besides pelting stones on cops. The situation further aggravated when government issued notification for opening SDM office in Thunag on February 12. Sangharsh samiti has been organising chain strike since many days now even as Jai Ram Thakur has said that everything possible for Janjehli would be done but it is proving to be Chief Minister’s dilemma.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur represents Seraj assembly segment in Himachal assembly. Former chief minister Virbhadra Singh had announced to open SDM office in Janjehli and sub-tehsil in Chhatri on May 2, 2015. Thereafter, SDM office was started in Janjehli after a notification was issued by the then government in this regard on June 27, 2016. Residents of Seraj area had protested against the decision on the plea that Janjehli was located in one corner of Seraj constituency. Thunag panchayat had approached the High Court on the issue. Chief Minister’s village is located near Thunag where tehsil office of Seraj constituency is also located.  Thunag panchayat in its petition had pleaded SDM office located in Janjehli will not benefit people of other parts of the constituency as it was located in one corner. Panchayat pradhan Neelima Kumari has also raised questions over SDM office in Janjehli whereas tehsil office was located in Thunag. High Court Division Bench in its orders had cancelled both the notifications and noted that opening SDM office in Janjehli, 14 kilometres from Thunag tehsil, was not justified. Most of the population resided near Thunag that is having full road connectivity, the court further said.

divyahimachal.com or /DivyaHimachal Opinion Poll

Should SDM Office Be Established On Public Demand?

Yes 71%

No 24%

Don’t Know 5%

Total Votes: 102

What They Say…

The Protesters

HTW talked to Sangharh Samiti president

Narender Reddy on different aspects of their ongoing protest. Following are the excerpts:

HTW: Do you doubt chief minister’s honesty?

Narender Reddy: The government functioning is under scanner. The situation could not have taken this turn had the government pleaded strongly in favour of Janjehli before the court.

HTW: What grievances do you have from chief minister?

Narender Reddy: People have only one demand; open SDM office in Janjehli. It is wrong to snatch an office once it has been sanctioned for the area.

HTW: Is your agitation against HC decision or somebody else?

Narender Reddy: Our agitation is not against court decision or anybody else but to get areas right. It will continue till justice is delivered to people.

The Supporters

HTW also talked to BJP mandal president Sher Singh to know his view on the Janjehli protest. Following are the excerpts:

HTW: Is there any politicking on Janjehli issue?

Sher Singh: There is politicking over the issue as High Court has ordered closure of SDM office.

HTW: How would this protest end; politically or legally?

Sher Singh: Thunag panchayat had approached the court willfully in previous government’s tenure. The Congress and other leaders willfully linking this issue with the government and Chief Minister

HTW: How would you save CM’s image being tarnished on the issue?

Sher Singh: Chief Minister has already stated that whatever needs to be done will be done in favour of Janjehli.

‘Will Do Everything Possible For Janjehli’

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur is perturbed over Janjehli agitation as his own people are involved in the ongoing protest. “Whatever has happened in Janjehli is unfortunate. I was happy over the location of SDM office as entire Seraj area is one. However, the situation deteriorated after the court decision came on the issue”, he said, pointing that this issue was there before he took over as chief minister. We will expose those behind the conspiracy; whether they belong to this side or the other, Chief Minister asserted. Jai Ram Thakur accused the previous government of misleading the court and opened SDM office in Janjehli. “It was acceptable to us. During proceedings, it came to light that court has been misled on  the issue,” said Chief Minister, adding that the court cancelled the notification of SDM office in Janjehli and also of Chhatri sub- tehsil. hunag residents had approached the court but the government had issued notification 15 days before recording statement in the

court, Jai Ram said, adding. “Whether SDM office was opened in Janjehli or Thunag, it was same for me. However, SDM office had to be opened somewhere after court’s decision for working, said Chief Minister, adding that it was decided in a meeting with sangharsh samiti and party men that a review petition would be filed in the case and agitation would be stopped.

“However, two days later, my effigy was burnt and stones were pelted at the police. Where people would get their works done under such circumstances? Following court’s directives, a notification to open SDM office at Thunag was issued with the arrangement that SDM would sit in Janjehli for four days in a month,” said Chief Minister, adding that some people gave it a regional colour. “I have invited sangharsh samiti people for talks with an open mind. We will do everything possible for Janjehli,” he added.

* have invited sangharsh samiti people for talks with an open mind. We will do everything possible for Janjehli

Jai Ram Thakur

Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh

The Politics Begins

The Congress is also politicking over the issue as party’s candidate from Seraj Chet Ram Thakur was instrumental in opening of SDM office in Janjehli by ignoring rest of the area. He had also filed an affidavit in the court that Janjehli tehsil was functional. The Congress and other parties joined the agitation that erupted after court cancelled both the notifications of Janjehli SDM office and Chhatri sub-teshil. Apart from politics, regionalism also became an issue in the ongoing agitation.

The Ugly Turn

Initially the agitation was peaceful after cancellation of notifications. However, the protesters burnt Chief Minister’s effigy and were engaged in a scuffle with cops on February 10. The protesters pelted stones at the police in which one of the cops was injured. As a result, the police booked sangharsh samiti president Narender Reddy, Block Congress president Jagdish Reddy and party’s candidate Chet Ram Thakur and others in a case of attempt to murder.

Thunag Notification Flared Issue

Janjehli residents got more agitated after government issued notification for opening SDM office in Thunag on February 12. The protesters came on the roads and the police had to impose Section 144. It didn’t deter people as they protested for whole day. They even burnt old goods and tyres on roads.


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