Srinagar, Feb 18: National Conference and People Democratic Party criticised the central govt. over foreign envoys visit of Jammu and Kashmir.
National Conference (NC) on Thursday stated that the GOI was selling normalcy of compulsion to European Union delegation as peace terming the entire exercise futile saying such curative tours have become part of new normal in Kashmir.
“Such tours are conducted to reinforce the impression that everything is normal in Jammu and Kashmir while the reality on the ground is different,” said party’s additional spokesperson Sarah Hayat Shah in a statement.
“We saw how a far-right group of the EU was roped by the GOI previously also to help them get diplomatic dividends. The entire exercise, however, failed to fetch anticipated results. On the contrary, the decision drew slack internationally and nationally in wake of denying the same privilege to the country’s parliamentarians. These curative tours serve no purpose because the visiting delegation is allowed to meet only hand-picked individuals,” she said.
“The government has misread eerie calm in Jammu and Kashmir as peace, the silence after the abrogation of Articles 370, 35-A is no indicator of peace. The Ruling dispensation at New Delhi is under false impression that they have silenced Kashmir by the harshest clampdown post August 5th measures but that tantamount to living in denial. The ground situation in Kashmir post August 5th, 2019 measures is also revealed and needs no account,” she said.
“Since the state was unilaterally dismembered and sheared of its unique status there has been a spur in the violence related incidents. There is no thaw on the armed encounters in which nearly 400 people including 200 security forces officers have lost their lives. The prevalence of suicidal deaths of security forces has also seen a manifold increase. There is no semblance of peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir. Furthermore for any development activity to take place, peace is the first universal prerequisite. Therefore, it is expected that the party that helms the central government works towards achieving peace in its real sense by addressing the political aspirations of the people,” she said.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Thursday termed the efforts of the Government of India to paint an “all is well “picture of the situation in Jammu & Kashmir in front of the foreign envoys as hogwash even as the people of state live in misery devoid and robbed of their constitutional rights.
Addressing the first party workers convention of district Baramulla after August 5, 2019, Mehbooba as per a statement said that the very efforts smack of ill intention when the government instead of trying to win hearts of minds of the people of the state, is seeking character certificate from the envoys of foreign nations through guided tours to misrepresent the situation on ground.
“Instead of winning the hearts and minds of the people of J&K, New Delhi puts all its efforts to woo foreign envoys and seek their certificate on the situation here. Whereas the fact of the matter is that having almost a million personnel on ground in J&K the government still feels insecure,” she said.
“No matter what they try to project in these guided tours, the world knows the reality of Kashmir. Where people have been robbed of their constitutional rights, voices muzzled and hundreds put in prisons without a rhyme or reason,” she added.
“Though they want to change the goal posts, restoration of the special constitutional position of J&K and resolution of the larger political issue through dialogue & reconciliation remain fundamental demands & desires of the people. No amount of coercion can change that,” Mehbooba said.
The PDP president arrived to a rousing welcome by party workers of the district. After addressing the convention, she also met several public delegations from Baramulla, Sopore, Sangrama, Tangmarg, Pattan & Uri who raised several issues and sought PDP president’s interventions to mitigate the problems faced by them. She gave patient hearing to the delegations and assured all possible help.
The convention was also addressed by Party’s Media head & Spokesperson Syed Suhail Bukhari, District President Jalal ud din shah, senior leader Ghulam Rasool Mir, constituency in charges Shabir Ahmad Mir and Advocate Mohammad Inayat, District Development Board Members Qurat ul Bashir and Razia Hassan.
