The People’s Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Tuesday reiterated its demand for the restoration of the pre-August 5, 2019 special constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir and warned the Central government against misconstruing “the current graveyard’s silence in J&K as normalcy”. It demanded an “end to humiliating people that, otherwise, has dangerous consequences”.
“To India’s civil society and political parties, we want to convey that we too want to live a life of dignity. However, the current government takes pride in inflicting humiliation on us. It’s unacceptable to the people of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh,” Gupkar alliance spokesman M.Y. Tarigami said.
Meeting at Farooq’s house
He made these remarks after a meeting of the Gupkar alliance held at the residence of National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah. Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti participated in it.
The unjustified and frequent raids of agencies such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the leaders seemed to be aimed at “projecting all the leaders as thieves and criminals in J&K”, he observed.
“We will rest our case before the people of India and the political parties. We appeal to all that the current trend of humiliating people should end. Besides, the voices are being muzzled. It has dangerous consequences for the entire nation,” he stated. The government got unnerved even by the press conferences of leaders, he alleged.
‘Outside officers’
He accused the LG (Lieutenant Governor) administration of depriving local officers of top positions in the government. “Most of the posts are held by the outside officers.”
He questioned the Centre's claims on development, investment and employment. “They stand exposed. Even people in Jammu have started feeling lack of governance and development now,” he noted.
The Gupkar alliance also criticised the move not to issue security clearance to people involved in pelting of stones for passports and jobs.
“Nobody can be deprived of their rights until proved guilty by the court,” Mr. Tarigami asserted.
Referring to their demand made during the all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 24, he said, “We want to ask the government how many people have been released. There are cases where people have been released by courts after a decade saying they were innocent.”
Resolution
A resolution passed by the Gupkar alliance said the unconstitutional decisions of August 5, 2019 had created a big political void and deep uncertainty in the erstwhile State. “The successive executive orders post August 2019 like domicile laws, curbs on media, intimidation of government employees, discriminatory rules on employment are some of the authoritarian diktats that have been imposed on the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” it stated.
On the June 24 meeting with the Prime Minister, it noted that nothing substantial had emerged after Mr. Modi’s ‘Dilli ki Doori and Dil ki Doori’ slogan during the meeting. “No confidence-building-measures have been taken to provide some relief to distressed people of the region,” it stressed.
It demanded that statehood, as it existed prior to August 5, 2019, must be restored. “All political prisoners must be released immediately. Indiscriminate use of draconian laws must be put to an end,” it added.
