Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 18: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president, G A Mir, today said that mainstream political parties were not invited during foreign envoys visit and termed it as a guided tour.
He made these remarks on the sidelines of a function at Congress headquarters. He said that several delegations have visited Kashmir before as well, but nothing has changed on the ground. “This is the third time state-managed delegation has come here. We are not against their visit, but the question is how it will help us?” he asked.
Mir said the Government invites only selected people to meet and talk to them. “The Government organizes some people who meet and talk them. They neither meet local people nor are mainstream political parties allowed to meet them. The Government did not want them to meet real stakeholders as they want to hide ground realities. They allow them to meet the people who are the mouthpieces of Government and speak their language,” he said.
The Congress president said if the Government is sincere why is it hesitating from sending an all-party parliamentary committee here. “We had demanded an all-party parliamentary delegation who could spend 4-5 days here and talk to people regarding the issues and decisions of the Government. Motivated people speak the language of their master. Unless they don’t talk to common people, nothing will emerge out of it,” he said.
He said the envoys themselves should have the desire to meet the local politicians and people, “even the envoys should have shown interest in meeting locals leaders. I don’t think the delegation would impact ground realities,” he said.
Asked about delegation meeting various politicians, he said: “People might have gone there as corporators, and panchs etc. Some politicians might have met them on individual capacity, but the political parties have designated no one. As my party is concerned, we received no invitation from division or state level and we did not designate anyone forms our party to meet the delegation,” he said.
Mir lashed out at the BJP led Government at the Centre including Union Home Minister Amit Shah for issuing an ambiguous statement over the restoration of statehood to J&K, stating he was of the belief that “no statehood will be restored till BJP regime is there.”
“The measures like imposing property tax, enhancing electricity tariff points towards the actual intentions of the Government. On one side they are saying it will restore statehood, but they are merging state cadres with other UTs. That is why I feel it is difficult to restore statehood until Government changes in centre,” he said.
Mir also slammed Centre for skyrocketing prices of petrol and diesel, stating that “if rates are around 54 dollars per barrel, petrol per litre should have been at the rate of Rs 60 in J&K, but here petrol per litre is at Rs 90, which is injustice with the people. The Government of India wants to push people of J&K economically backwards further,” he said.
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