History of Struggle for Creation of Distt Samba, Part 15 (Last) : Announcement of Distt Status to Samba.

 

As we already told you after a lull of near about 6 years the political activities started in J&K and and in the elections that held in the year 1996, NC got the majority & Farooq Abdullah sworned in as chief minister of J&K state. The situation was very tense at that time also and as we have already told you that demand for Samba Distt and other issues of social and political important were raised by advocate Sukhdev Singh sambyal in Samba. In 1997 the All Parties Distt Action Committee delegation met with Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and reminded him of the promises made by his father and also by his Govt (Meeting of All Parties Delegation with PL Handoo then Law Minister in the year 1987 and promise of announcing Samba Distt in coming January of next year) regarding Distt status to the people of Samba. CM Farooq Abdullah listened the delegation very patiently and assured them about the positive outcomes. In the meanwhile, strikes and dharna Pradarshans had been going on in Samba and demands for Sub Distt Magistrate (S.D.M) and Distt & Sessions Court plus 'Degree College' & 'Accidental Hospital' & Renovation of Samba Fort were main among them. People of Samba again had to wait & as nothing positive came. As no development was taking place in samba, meanwhile a sum of money amounting 1.58 crore which was came for establishing Samba as Model Town were squandred. So the All Parties district Action Committee send a memorandum to Governor Girish Chander Sexsena  siting various reasons for the distt status to samba and rampart corruption (Para No. 3 of the Memorandum; Squandring of Rs. 1.58 crores under the Central Scheme for creation of Samba as a 'Model Town') and sought his immediate intervention in the matter but nothing happened.

Copy of Memorandum to Governor

 In the year 2002 elections no party got the majority & then the 'Coalition government' was formed by the PDP and Congress-I with the condition that first 3 years there will be Chief Minister of PDP and after that of Congress. So the Coalition under the Chief Ministership of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed takes oath. Advocate Sukhdev Singh sambyal owing his previous relations with Mufti Mohammed Sayeed met with him and put forth the demand for Samba district but all in vain, only assurances n asurances & promises n promises. But the pressure was building up & soon or later Govt has to buckle up. Three years of Mufti Govt has passed & Ghulam Nabi Azad was sworned as Chief Minister of J&K in 2005. Mr Sukhdev Singh Sambyal met him after his swearing in ceremony & apprised him of the aspirations of the people of Samba. Mr Azad offered some concrete this time as this issue was pending from  last more than two decaes. The aspirations of the people for Samba district come fullfilled when Mr Ghulam Nabi announced district status for samba on 6th of July, 2006. So the long pending demand of this people of Samba having their own district was realised after a long struggle of near about 28 years. Thakur Sukhdev Singh writes about this

  "One thing which I noticed is that if you have confidence, willpower inside you can achieve anything sooner Or later. The people of Samba are study and tough and make their living in the kandy belt of Samba district where there is no means of water. They make their subsistence living & made sacrifices for their country which makes them tough. Their main profession is either  to go to Army or to be a farmer. So these kind of sturdy and tough people  won't be afraid of struggle. Although there might be some moments/ times it looked that target is too far but there is always a silver lining behind the dark clouds. So at last we will be able to achieve it and on 6th of July 2006, Samba got the status of District Samba after a long drawn and squeezing struggle. It was the victory of  patience, justice which lies turbulent, vibrant behind this stuggle"

All Parties Distt Action Committee Rally greeting people for Samba Distt.(9th July, 2006)

Thanks to all of our readers/ followers who send us their emails about this struggle, their compliments their questions. Samba times is grateful to them.