‘NC, PDP want their own empowerment, not people’s
Officials charging Rs 1 lakh for appointment orders
12 pc commission in J&K, how industry will come?
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 31: Governor Satya Pak Malik said today that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ready to give anything to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, they ask for, under ambit of the Indian Constitution and assured free, fair and impartial elections in the State saying a call for them (the Assembly polls) has to be taken by the Election Commission of India even as he charged some political parties (without naming them) for creating confusion on the elections.
Maintaining that gun will not solve any problem and these “300 boys” (a reference towards 300 militants active in the Kashmir valley) can’t do anything, Malik said those who want ‘Azaadi’ (independence), can cross the border. He took dig at National Conference and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), without naming them, saying they want their own empowerment and not that of the people.
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Addressing ‘Kissan Mela’ at Jourian in Akhnoor followed by brief interaction with media, the Governor said some officials in the Civil Secretariat are sitting for 15 years in one office.
“I’ve made it a habit to give jobs to five-seven youth every week as compassionate appointments under SRO-43. Even after issuance of order by me and the Chief Secretary, the officers have been charging Rs one lakh corruption for handing over the order to the appointees. I feel ashamed to say this,” the Governor said and added that he has identified two more corruption cases and asked the Chief Secretary to tell the Secretaries to come clean on the contracts or else he will hand over the cases to the Chief Vigilance Commissioner.
“If required, I will ask the Prime Minister to take five to seven officers to New Delhi,” he said. He added that one section of the employees in the Civil Secretariat is backed by one party, and another section by the second party. It may be mentioned that Malik has generally been using the term “two parties” for National Conference and PDP.
Pledging to end corruption, Malik said it was one of the biggest problems in the State and it has assumed alarming proportions, which one can’t even imagine.
“I asked some industrialists to set up their units in J&K. I was told there is 3 percent commission in some parts of the country but 10 to 12 per cent in J&K. How the industry will come here?”, he asked and said the rates (of corruption) are so high that one can’t even imagine.
He said though he can’t end the corruption completely, he will do whatever possible to finish it to the extent possible.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has very love and respect for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He is ready to give anything to the people of the State, they asked for, within limits of the Indian Constitution,” he said and recalled the help rendered by the Army jawans at the behest of the Central Government during 2014 floods in the Valley, which had prompted people to shout ‘Army Zindabad slogans’ on the banks of river Jhelum.
However, he regretted, some youth pelt stones on same security forces, who had once rescued them from the floods by jumping into deep waters. “This thinking has to be changed”.
The Governor took a strong dig at some former rulers in New Delhi and present political parties in the Valley for “misleading people” and selling dreams to them on the name of autonomy, independence and other such slogans.
“Political leaders know. Entire Hurriyat Conference knows. Both parties, a reference towards NC and PDP, know that nothing will happen with the gun. Gen Pervez Musharraf, former Pakistani ruler, who was also the Pakistan Army chief, had told the Hurriyat Conference categorically that he can’t break India. When organization like LTTE, which had their own Navy and fleet of helicopters, was decimated what these ‘300 boys’ will achieve with gun”?, he asked.
Without naming PDP president and former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, Malik lamented that leader of a political party reaches house of the terrorist well before an official announcement is made about killing of the militant.
“Some previous rulers in New Delhi had also committed mistakes and indulged in conspiracies by “thrusting leaders” on the people. Some political leaders of the State continue to follow double standards. They speak one thing in New Delhi and another in Jammu. Some of them coin the slogans of ‘azaadi’ and others back autonomy. They are just selling dreams to the people of Kashmir,” Malik said, adding: “Anyone who wants to get ‘azaadi’ can cross over the border.”
Asserting that he wants to handover reign of affairs to the elected Government as early as possible, Malik pointed out that one party wants an early elections (to the State Assembly), while another party wants them delayed. However, he said, the Election Commission of India will decide on timing of the elections and assured that the polls will be free, fair and impartial.
Referring to conduct of successful Panchayat and Municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Malik recalled that he went to the houses of Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti and tried to persuade them to participate in the elections.
“But they didn’t. They want their own empowerment and not empowerment of the people,” he remarked.
He called upon the people not to boycott the elections saying boycott is no solution and the people should accept the Indian system as whatever they will get, they will get from this system.
Malik accused the State’s political leaders of wanting to get “youths killed” to “blackmail” Delhi and keep it “under pressure”.
“The leaders of Jammu and Kashmir want the youths get killed so that they keep New Delhi under pressure,” he said.
“This misconception was cleared by me during the Municipal and Panchayat polls, and conveyed a message that New Delhi is not to come under pressure. New Delhi will not come under pressure of blackmail now. If bullets will be fired, no bouquets will be send from here,” he said.
Malik said by killing militants in Kashmir no solution can be found and asked them to return to their mainstream.
“I am not for taking the lives of these children. If they come back, we are ready to do something for them. We are trying to find out some way,” he said.
“Our Army is fighting with terrorists in the midnight in thick snow and people from villages are being collected on the calls from loudspeaker from religious places to engineer stone pelting, surround vehicles and snatch weapons. Then if anybody gets killed and then (they) resort to shutdown the Valley and call it atrocities,” he said, while hitting at Hurriyat.
Questioning their behaviour on instigating people, the Governor said, “Where does it happen in the world that you target the Army and they will leave you? We will sternly suppress it.”
He asked the people to change their approach towards the Army and also change their ideology.
“…If anything has to happen, it is dialogue. Come and hold talks under the Constitution of India. You have separate flag and a separate Constitution here. But still raking up the issue,” he said.
“I here again reiterate 300 boys (terrorists) cannot break India. They are nothing,” Malik said, adding that “our Army and forces are instrumental in eliminating two to three militants after every one to two days. Good thing is that people have understood that gun cannot bring us anything”.
Omar reacts
Former Chief Minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah today said it was his respect for the office of the Governor that was stopping him from repeating what the Governor had told him during their meeting.
Omar immediately reacted to Governor Satya Pal Malik’s comments on refusal of NC and PDP to participate in Panchayat and Municipal elections despite his meeting with their leaders.
Omar asked the Governor to “focus on his work and stop playing politics”.
“Please stop with the insults & snide remarks Mr Governor. They do not behove a person in your position. It is only my respect for the office you occupy that stops me from repeating what all you told me when we met. @jandkgovernor. Please stop playing politics & focus on your work,” Omar tweeted.
The PDP tweeted, “Not allowing a democratic Government to function & talking of Panchayat as empowerment of democracy without participation of people & parties! Dissolving Assembly unethically is personal empowerment not boycott.”
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