Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 16: Lashing out at the BJP-led Government at the Centre, former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said the situation has deteriorated in Kashmir due to policy paralysis of State and Central Governments.
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Azad, who is a member of a Congress Policy Planning Group-led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said that since the PDP-BJP came to power in the State and BJP at Centre, the situation in Kashmir is deteriorating. “The delegation was formed keeping into consideration the importance of Jammu and Kashmir… since the BJP came into power at the Centre and PDP-BJP coalition Government at the State, the situation has deteriorated with the each passing day,” Azad told reporters on the sidelines of an extended Executive meeting here.
Azad said that when his party was in power in the State, they brought down the militancy and tourism was booming but now South Kashmir is in the grip of militancy and tourists are not coming to Kashmir. “Besides this development, the second work was of trade. The trade routes were opened from Baramulla district, Uri, Poonch and the trade route opened between PoK and J&K. Not only trade, but lots of people were coming. I was seeing that many people were coming for visiting shrines in Rajouri and Poonch. Many were going from here. And with trade, we were sending some things from here and taking some others from there. With this, people were expecting that there would be more improvement in situation. So whether it is tourism, employment, trade or militancy; in my tenure in 2007, we had declared South Kashmir militancy free and today where is south Kashmir? It is boiling. Today no one is coming to Kashmir, the tourists are not coming”, he said.
“I think the ceasefire violation incidents that have taken place in these 3 years (of BJP Government) may not have happened in 10 years of UPA Government. So many soldiers have been killed, common people injured and the way small kids including girls have lost their eyes didn’t happen during our time”, he said.
The Congress leader said that during UPA Government at the Centre and Congress-NC Government in the State, they had multi pronged strategy. “The Centre under UPA had multi-pronged strategy with respect to development, unemployment. Besides this, bilateral talks and round table conference were held to resolve the issue. Trade routes with Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) were also opened as a Confidence Building Measure (CBM),” he said.
However, the Congress leader said it seems that the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre has no policy with respect to Kashmir. “They (Centre) move two steps forward and go 10 steps backward on issues,” he said.
“That’s why Congress president Sonia Gandhi constituted this group. The group has held about three-four meetings in New Delhi, but we thought it is better to visit the State to ascertain the ground situation,” he added.
Azad said the Centre has to decide who the stake holders are in Kashmir dispute. “Everyone knows who the stakeholders are, but if they are afraid of even saying their name, how do you expect them to resolve the issue,” he added.
“Last week we visited Jammu and today we are in Srinagar. We will also finalize dates to visit Ladakh region,” he said, adding that the group is meeting people from all walks of life, including politicians, traders, and members from the Civil Society.
The Congress leader said that BJP came to power by pitching militancy in the State against the rest of the country and lashed out at at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Government for growing incidents of violence in the State.
“One soldier was beheaded during the UPA Government in Jammu and Kashmir and the BJP exploited the issue to the hilt against the Congress. Such incidents have also taken place during Modi Government and they do not talk about it now,” he said.
Asked whether the Congress would engage in talks with Hurriyat leaders, Azad said: “I have seen the list of 45 political parties and other groups we will be meeting here, but I did not find Hurriyat in that list.” He, however, put the ball in the Government’s court, saying Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has been speaking of a dialogue with all stakeholders to solve the Kashmir problem. “But she is shying away from naming who these stakeholders are,” he said.
On Article 35 A, Azad while evading a direct answer, said: “First we have come to listen to all. What our stand is known to us. So, we are not coming here only for 35-A. This committee of ours was formed much before the issue of 35-A erupted. Keeping in view the overall situation of Jammu and Kashmir, deteriorated situation which during BJP tenure turned from bad to worse and the importance of the Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, the Congress party has made this group under the chairmanship of ex-Prime Minister and from three-four months, our meetings took place in Delhi and we discussed how situation turned bad during BJP’s tenure and how situation had improved during our time and in this midst the issue of 35-A issue popped up.”
Earlier, Dr. Manmohan Singh accompanied by leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and AICC general secretary a Ambika Soni besides the nominees of the Party in the group from Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh arrived here for two day visit.
The group straightway reached Hari Niwas Palace the venue of the meeting of the Executive of the Party which comprised of senior PCC functionaries, Former Ministers, present and former Legislators and other senior members of the party in Kashmir region.
PCC President G.A. Mir formally welcomed the Chairman and Members of the Group and thanked the Party High Command for constituting the high level Group headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister and a visionary leader to take stock of the situation and update the policy and approach to Jammu and Kashmir situation by taking on board the views and aspirations and opinion of people of the Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions.
In one and half hour meeting various senior leaders and legislators of the Party apprised the visiting leaders about the ground situation and the current affairs in the State especially in the Kashmir valley.
They apprised the group about the failures of the Centre and State Govt as a result the situation was at its worst during the present regime and the overall security situation and the political atmosphere was vitiated.
The mainstream forces are also feeling marginalized and suffocated due to the policies and rhetorics of the BJP Government at the Centre and the total failure of the opportunist alliance of PDP-BJP in the State.
Later a number of delegations from cross section of Society met the Congress Policy Planning Group and briefed them about the current situation and affairs of the State and the aspirations and hardships of different sections of the Society. The process of interaction with different delegations would continue till tomorrow afternoon.
The delegations which are listed for meeting included main stream opposition parties, NC, CPIM, PDF, DPN, CPI, Kashmir Civil Society, (KCS) South Kashmir Civil Society, delegations from Anantnag, Kulgam, Srinagar, Budgam, STs, OBCs, Shia Association, Hussianee People’s Council, Flood Victims, Youth Forum, , KPS non migrants, Womens Delegation, Saffron Growers, Hotel House Boat, KHROFF, Tour and Travels, Adventure Tourism and Panchayat delegation.
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