Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 10: Delegations of various political parties this evening met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and urged the Centre for starting political dialogue and safeguard ing the existing Constitutional position of the State.
The delegations which met Singh include National Conference, BJP, Pradesh Congress Committee, Communist Party of India (CPI-M), People’s Democratic Front (PDF) and DPN among others.
While highlighting the political, historical and constitutional context of the State’s special status, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah registered the party’s concern and disappointment over the Central Government’s ambiguity in defending the State’s Special Status in the Supreme Court with respect to Article 35-A and also highlighted the worsened and constantly deteriorating situation in the Valley.
The delegation also sought a sustained and open-ended political engagement with stakeholders in Kashmir irrespective of their ideology and urged New Delhi and Islamabad to make sincere and sustained efforts towards resumption of a comprehensive dialogue on all outstanding issues including that of Kashmir.
The party delegation also reiterated its struggle for the restoration of Autonomy and urged the Central Government to initiate a process of reversing erosions made to the State’s Autonomy that had been violated by extending various hitherto inapplicable Central Laws to the State, with GST being the most recent example. The party also decried the singular focus on operational and military mechanisms in dealing with an inherently political issue and asked the Central Government to reach out to the alienated and isolated youth of the Valley.
The party delegation comprised of party general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, Provincial President Kashmir Nasir Aslam Wani, senior leaders Chaudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Mian Altaf Ahmed, Mubarak Gul, Muhammad Akbar Lone, Chief Spokesperson Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, Sakina Ittoo, Shameema Firdous, Tanvir Sadiq, Phuntsog Wangdan Shunu from Leh and Aga Abbas from Kargil.
NC representatives from Leh and Kargil highlighted pressing issues with Union Home Minister. They raised challenges faced on the connectivity, communication and infrastructure front and sought that the Central Government resolves these issues that are a cause of greate misery and inconvenience to the people.
Phuntsog Wangdan Shunu said the exorbitant airfare to Leh around the year, especially during the months when the road-link is closed, is a source of great misery to the people. He urged the Central Government to take all possible measures to ensure a reasonable airfare policy for such hilly areas. He also highlighted poor and in certain places defunct quality of BSNL network connectivity and said the corporation was solely focussed on reaping benefits of infrastructural monopoly in far-flung areas of Leh while failing to provide even basic connectivity.
The representatives also sought measures be taken for utilization of allocated funds for the Zojila tunnel and connectivity to the national grid. Aga Syed Abbas Rizvi also reiterated the long-pending demand of a functional civil airport at Kargil and interim, adequate winter air-connectivity arrangement for Kargil that would enable the District to explore it maximum economic and tourism potential.
The PDP delegation was led by its vice president Sartaj Madni and included party general secretary Nizamu-Din Bhat.
The delegation stressed upon the Home Minister to implement Agenda of Alliance as its non-implementation is raising questions on the credibility of the Centre as well the State Governments.
“Implementation of Agenda of Alliance should be expedited, an all inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders should be started, special status of the state be safeguarded, Muslim majority character must be protected and employment opportunities for youth should be created,” the delegation told Home Minister.
The delegation stressed that political process started by Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and A B Vajpayee during 2002 which gave hope and relief to people of the state should be restarted. “Today, we feel that there is no sincerity in starting the political process,” the delegation told Singh.
While lauding the Union Government’s efforts in curbing the terrorism in the State through various measures and operations conducted by NIA, the State BJP today demanded that NIA investigation scope be broadened and all supporters of separatism be investigated. It stressed on immediate confiscation of properties of separatists, militants and their over-ground supporters besides their speedy trial within six months.
The Party delegation which submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister at Srinagar today under the leadership of its State president, Sat Sharma said such a step will send fear down the spines of supporters of anti-national elements and break back bone of the militancy.
The memorandum further said that the Party is also witness to history in making when Supreme Court is hearing plea against 35A, which has only helped separatism ideology and secluded the State from National mainstream. “We are bound by “Agenda of Alliance” not to do anything active to change Constitutional position but decision by Supreme Court will go a long way in bringing era of peace in the State”, the memorandum added.
The Party appealed to the Central Government to continue good projects being executed in the State and demanded undertaking further Jammu centric projects especially in respect of infrastructure and tourism. The Party requested for taking early steps for laying railways line from Jammu to Poonch and Jammu to Doda, to bond these two neglected regions more intimately with Jammu and national mainstream and thereby thwart designs of enemies of nation who spread communal separation and hatred in these regions.
The memorandum demanded deportation of Rohingyas, rehabilitation of PoK refugees, resuming the issuance of certificates to West Pakistan refugees, implementation of job package for Kashmiri migrants and proper security cover to them in Valley, protected shelters and, adequate compensation for border people who are unable to cultivate their land,
The delegation comprised of State general secretaries Dr. Narinder Singh and Pawan Khajuria, chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi, MLC Sofi Yusuf, vice chairpersons Khalid Jahangir and Dr. Ali Mohammed Mir, senior leader Dr. Drakshan Andrabi, Kashmir Media Incharge Altaf Thakur, Hospitality & Protocal Incharge Arif Raja and district presidents of all the districts of Kashmir.
The Congress delegation briefed him about the overall socio political scenario obtaining in the State. They discussed prevailing circumstances in the valley with the Home Minister and blamed the ruling dispensation for the crisis and accused it of miserably failing to contain the situation.
The delegation expressed serious concern over the misrule and mismanagement of the situation, arising from time to time in the valley and elsewhere.
The delegation told the Home Minister that Congress Party feels concerned about the deteriorating situation in valley and wants that Centre must take effective measures to reach out to the people in all the three regions of the State and address the issues.
Those who were part of the delegation included MLC Gulam Nabi Monga, MLA Haji Abdul Rashid Dar, vice presidents, MLC Mohd Muzaffar Parray, spokesperson Farooq Andrabi, former Ministers Haji Nissar Ali, Khemlata Wakhloo and others
CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami led delegation expressed serious concern over the prevailing situation in the Valley and Center’s ambiguity over Article 35-A.
While urging the Center not to fiddle with the special status of the state, the CPI (M) delegation told Home Minister that Article 35A has constitutional position and is a bridge between Kashmir and New Delhi. They said that any fiddling with it will have adverse impact on the relations between State and the Centre.
The CPI (M) delegation also reminded the Home Minister that people of the state have high expectations after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s August 15 speech that ‘Kashmir needs hugs, neither abuse nor bullets.’ “People have expectations that the Centre will take credible political initiative on Kashmir after Modiji’s speech.
The delegation also urged Government of India to reach out to cross section of people unconditionally and pressed for ban on use of pellet guns and an end to arrests. The CPI (M) leaders also briefed the Home Minister about worsening economic situation is the State. They told him that from traders, workers and unemployed youths to peasants and people from all walks of life were in economic distress and tourism arrivals was at its lowest ebb and urged that the Government should reach to the common people in this hour of crisis.
The People’s Democratic Front (PDF) delegation led by its president and MLA Khansahib Hakim Mohammad Yasin called on Home Minister and urged him that Centre should accept Kashmir as a political issue and initiate a credible and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders to address the unrest in the State.
The PDF delegation submitted a memorandum. “We also implore you to announce an immediate ban on pellet guns and advise relevant quarters against the policy of mass harassment, raids and arrests as this has worsened an already volatile situation in the State and also goes against the values and principles of democracy,” the memorandum read.
“While the situation is still volatile, the issues like repealing of Article 35A are being raked up. Any misadventure to fiddle with the special status of Jammu and Kashmir would add fuel to the fire as situation in the state is already volatile. Article 370 and Article 35A has constitutional position and is a bridge between Kashmir and New Delhi. Any fiddling with it will have adverse impact on the relations between State and the Center,” the memorandum read.
The delegation besides Hakim Yasin comprised of Farooq Ahmad Khan, Abdul Qayoom Mir, Firdous Ahmad Sheikh, Sheikh Abdul Rashid and Aijaz Ahmad Dar.
All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) asked Rajnath Singh to take concrete steps and translate the announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 vis-a-vis Kashmir.
The delegation was led by APSCC Chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina. The delegation members included Principal Niranjan Singh, P.S.Bali (Kanwal Kashmiri), Ajit Singh Mastana , Gurdial Singh ,Tehsildar Karan Singh, Davinder Singh.
The delegation said that Centre should resolve the issue pertaining to Article 35-A politically rather than legally. They said that since the issue is related with sentiments of people of Jammu & Kashmir it needs to be tackled carefully.
The APSCC delegation flagged off the issues confronting the Sikh community that is minority in the state. The members said the Sikhs of Jammu & Kashmir have been deprived of the privileges due to the minority communities of the country.
A delegation of All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) also met Rajnath Singh and submitted a memorandum demanding holding of fresh Panchayat polls in the State as soon as possible but after the implementation of 73rd amendment of Indian constitution in the State which empowers Panchayats at par with the Panchayats in other states of the country.
They said that due to the absence of local governing institutions like Panchayats, the developmental process in the rural and far flung areas has come to halt. The delegation hoped that HM’s visit will definitely bring peace, progress and prosperity in the State.
Stating that they have lost their 15 Sarpanches so far to the bullets of militants and at least two dozen Panchayat leaders were left injured in different attacks, the delegation members said that it is unfortunate that even front runner leaders of the organization have not been provided security cover by the Government. The delegation hoped that HM will personally look into the matter and will take necessary steps.
A delegation of JDU led by its president GM Shah (Shaheen) also called on Union Home Minister and cautioned him against the revocation of Article 35 A saying it will have serious consequences for the State.
The delegation said that people will lose their faith in the political system if the Article 35 A is abrogated because they will lose their identity, jobs, scholarships and permanent residentship right in the State
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