Srinagar, Aug 04: Political Parties in Kashmir collectively condemned the abrogation of Article 370 and reorganisation of Jammu Kashmir.
Terming August 5 as a black day in the constitutional and democratic history of the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Wednesday said that the draconian steps taken on the day in 2019 have not only betrayed the trust of the people but also complicated the issue of J&K further & taken the political process back by decades.
In a statement, PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti said that August 5 has become a reminder of the subversion of the democratic and constitutional system of the country & how the trust of the people of J&K and all the democrats of the country was betrayed.
“It is a day when the country was lied to & the highest institutions were misused. The day saw solemn promises being broken and the trust of millions of people being betrayed. On this day, the spirit of constitutionalism and democratic ethos were undermined as the people of J&K were robbed of their identity and rights,” Mehbooba said.
“All that happened on August 5, 2019 further complicated the issue of J&K and made the road to resolution of the problem more tedious and painful as people in general feel more alienated today. In order to restore peace with dignity in J&K, there is no alternative to dialogue and reconciliation to address internal as well as the external dimensions of the issue of Jammu & Kashmir,” she said.
“Jammu & Kashmir has to become a bridge of friendship rather than a bone of contention between India and Pakistan & PDP will continue to strive to see this happen,” she added.
Reiterating that the party would continue to struggle and strive for the restoration rights and identity of the people of J&K, Mehbooba said that no amount of coercion would dissuade the party from advocating its core agenda of peace with dignity through dialogue & reconciliation.
“Today the party reiterates that August 5 is and will continue to be a Black Day as a reminder of the constitutional fraud perpetrated on the people of J&K and that of how this fraud was imposed with the might of incarcerations and under the dark shadow of suspension of civil liberties. A day that is now etched in history and collective memory of us all as a proverbial daylight robbery on the rights and liberties of the people of Jammu & Kashmir when promises made to the people of J&K enshrined in the constitution of India were bulldozed to realize the agenda of one party,” she said.
“Two years later, none of the stated goals of the government, that were used to camouflage the betrayal – of bringing Kashmir closer to India, ending militancy, bringing development to the state – have been achieved. Instead, Kashmiris have lost faith (if any left) in the Indian political leadership & system and are even asking questions of the judiciary. The Supreme Court has still not found time to take up the petitions challenging the legal and constitutional validity of the J&K Reorganization Act,” she added.
Jammu Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) on Wednesday said that August 5 will perpetually be remembered as a dark day and a day of disempowerment in the history of J&K.
“August 5th is seen as a day of disempowerment, a reminder of the humiliation that the people of J&K were subjected to.”, party spokesperson Adnan Ashraf Mir said.
Adnan said that the decisions taken on August 5th 2019 are spiteful and contrary to ideals and values of a democracy, federal character of the Indian State. “These decisions contravene the very ideas of justice and dignity that form the core of the political system and constitutional philosophy of the republic of India.”
He maintained that these decisions were thrusted forcefully upon the populace of the region and lack acceptance or legitimacy amongst the masses.
“Confusing the quiescence of the people of J&K as an acquiescence or approval to the decision taken on August 5th is gross misreading of the situation drummed up by sections of media and intelligentsia. Reality and perception on the ground is diametrically opposite to the make-believe assessments that do not take the point of view of people into consideration”, he added.
Underscoring that the decisions of August 5th have dealt a severe blow to the collective sentiment of the people who championed the cause of Indian democracy, Adnan said that those who upheld the electoral system through participation got the worst treatment despite their sacrifice for democracy in J&K.
“By revoking Article 370 and downgrading J&K into a Union Territory, the government of the day has inflicted irreversible humiliation to the advocates of mainstream in J&K and pushed them against the wall”, he said.
He further maintained that J&K Peoples Conference is committed to continue its principled struggle for the rights and dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and that the party will pursue this agenda through democratic and legal means.
“While the people are striving to restore their rights and dignity, political parties cannot afford the luxury of creating divisions and the fault lines in the name of region, religion, caste and language. The present circumstances demand unity among the political parties and people of the region till our rights are restored”, he concluded.
Apni Party President Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday said that the Abrogation of Articles 370 & 35-A did not only snatch the special status of Jammu and Kashmir but also incremented the trust deficit and sense of alienation among the people to an exponential level.
He said that J&K’s special status was enshrined within Indian Constitution while the unprecedented way it was revoked, did profoundly hurt the sentiments of the people who continue to feel politically disempowered.
“There exists no substitute to the special status to J&K. But we strongly hope and believe that the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India which is an abode of justice will reciprocate to the people’s collective demand and deliver justice. God forbid, even if the Apex Court’s verdict disregards peoples’ aspirations, Apni Party will have no choice but to chalk out other peaceful means to pursue this goal with New Delhi,” he observed.
Bukhari said Apni Party will put in constant efforts to get an early hearing in the Supreme Court petition on the subject. “We believe that the solution to the socio-economic and political problems faced by the people in J&K lies with New Delhi so it will be unwise to disengage or dissociate ourselves from pursuing the redressal.”
Bukhari said that by now it must have been explicit to everyone in New Delhi that Article 370 was not an impediment in the way of development of Jammu and Kashmir. “Unfortunately, we have not witnessed any major development taking place in J&K since August 5, 2019 as was projected by the advocates of abrogation of Article 370. Rather, ways of cultural imperialism have been facilitated by the bureaucratic regimes who seem hell-bent to convert our heritage sites into commercial entities like Mubarak Mandi in Jammu,” he added.
Bukhari said that though there was a need to do away with some gender issues in Article 35-A but the way this law was completely annulled was totally unjustified and arbitrary in nature.
Blaming traditional political parties for their policies of deceit and intrigue , Bukhari said that it is not the BJP alone but other political parties who have been pivotal in doing away with the special status of J&K. “History bears witness to the facts that how J&K’s political parties have played a collaborators’ role in eroding the Articles 370 & 35-A from time to time for their lust of power,” Apni Party President opined.
Bukhari said that people of J&K do remember how Kashmir based MPs were given an ample opportunity on August 05, 2019 to speak over the necessity of sustaining the special status of J&K but they miserably failed to utter even a single word about it.
“Now today they are shedding crocodile tears and sermonizing on the subject. It’s a shame for them. They should rather confess and apologize to the people for their criminal silence,” he said.
Furthermore, Bukhari beseeched the central government for an early restoration of statehood to J&K so that the people enjoy transparent and accountable governance. He said that people of J&K do not doubt the Prime Minister or Home Minister’s intentions vis-à-vis J&K but it is the vested interests of bureaucratic set-up that is coming in the way of realizing the vision and developmental plans of the government of India.
“Time has proven that the bureaucratic setup can never be a plausible substitute to the elected form of government. It is an elected government that can feel the pulse and take measures to resolve the public grievances in a time bound manner,” he exuded.
Pledging to continue with its efforts to safeguard the interests and rights of the people of J&K, Bukhari said that Apni Party pursued and ensured that there was no encroachment on the rights of the people on their jobs and the land.
He said that Apni Party struggled against a series of executive orders issued from time to time against the interests of J&K people. “Apni Party ensured that the rights of people of J&K are protected. Be it protection of jobs, initiation of political dialogue, 4-G internet, release of detainees, new industrial policy, geology and mining rights, forest rights, age relaxation for civil services, partial modification in SRO-202, establishing CAT bench in Srinagar, establishing exam centre for AIBE aspirants, interest subvention, freight subsidy on fruits, asset distribution, re-opening of Mughal Road and Kishtwar-Sinthan Top road…etc and the list of achievements goes on,” he added
