Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 10: Various political parties and individuals have hailed the Supreme Court verdict on reviewing and restoring internet services in Jammu and Kashmir in the larger public interest and easing curbs on civil liberty.
In a statement, National Conference provincial president Devender Singh Rana said that the observations of the apex court about snapping of internet services indefinitely are significant and the Government must take a call to review and restore the connectivity immediately.
Rana said communication clampdown has hugely impacted the people of J&K in general and those engaged in trade, commerce, industry and academics in particular. He said the curbs have virtually pushed the peace loving people of this part of the country to stone age era with their normal activities coming to halt. He hoped the restoration of mobile internet will go a long way in easing out the situation, saying the curbs have taken high toll of youth in their pursuit of career advancement as also in the academic odyssey of vast mass of students. The tourism trade has also received a big hit while businesses too have suffered hugely, he maintained.
The NC Provincial President also sought immediate release of all the mainstream political leaders to l pave the way for initiation of genuine democratic activities and also stressed the need for reaching out to the alienated people of J&K in order to assuage their aspirations.
Former Finance Minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said that the Apex Court’s verdict has given a sigh of relief to the people of Jammu and Kashmir who have tremendously suffered because of communication blockade in last over five months.
“The Supreme Court’s verdict vis-a-vis restoration of fundamental rights of citizens of Jammu and Kashmir assumes much significance given the scale of loss suffered by the people especially in education, health and business sectors due to the continuous internet shutdown,” he said in a statement.
He said that to win over the confidence of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the Government of India should accord a positive consideration to the other demands put forth by his delegation in the shape of a memorandum submitted to LG on January 7. “We are of firm belief that the economic development can only happen if there is normalcy and stability in the region. Need of the hour is to rebuild an atmosphere of trust and tranquility in Jammu and Kashmir. That can only happen when the main apprehensions among people are allayed in a just and humane manner,” Bukhari said.
Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress has said that the SC verdict will pave way for the removal of all illegal restrictions on the common people, especial the main stream opposition parties and their leaders.
Addressing party workers at Sunderbani, JKPCC Vice President Raman Bhalla along with PCC Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, DCC President Rajouri Shabir Ahmed Khan and Ashok Sharma(Ex-MLA) alleged that BJP and its leaders had all sorts of liberties and facilities at the cost of public exchequer, including full-fledged security to carry out all type of activities in any part of State but national and nationalist parties like Congress and other main stream parties and their leaders are still under many types of restrictions which is totally against the democratic norms and it was a sort of undeclared emergency during past more than five months.
Former Union Minister Prof Saifuddin Soz said that the Supreme Court’s land mark judgment declaring the internet as a part of civil liberties guaranteed by Article 19 of the Constitution of India, was a great relief to trouble torn Kashmiris.
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said that the SC verdict exposed the false claims of normalcy that the Central Government has been peddling to the country and the world.
“The Central Government on the eve of the judgment tried to reinforce the official claims by taking a group of foreign envoys on a farcical restricted tour to J&K where they were allowed to see and hear only what the Government wanted them to, which is why none of them could meet the three former Chief Ministers still in jail. When five months after the lockdown, political leaders, MPs and parties representing the people of this country are virtually banned from visiting Kashmir, such a tour is insulting to India’s parliament,” CPI (M) said and demands that the Central Government should remove all such restrictions, fully restore internet services, lift Sec 144 and ensure the democratic rights of the people of Kashmir to freedom of speech and expression.
NPP patron Prof Bhim Singh has welcomed the SC judgment and said that the present situation was exactly the same when the administration had used illegal laws to deprive the Indian citizens of their civil liberties and freedom of movement and speech. “All those detained illegally should be released forthwith and be paid compensation for their illegal detentions so that the message of the Constitution of India with its fundamental rights shall reach every home and every person in Jammu and Kashmir as well,” he said.
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