Srinagar, August 31: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Ms Mehbooba Mufti today said that the unilateral decision on land use for Amarnath Yatra is a move to disrespect the popular sentiments in Kashmir. She said any decision on this sensitive matter should have been taken only with consensus and after consultation with the Kashmir Coordination Committee and civil society here.
Ms Mufti said that Yatra has always been welcomed by Kashmiris through ages and it should be allowed to continue in the spirit of the traditional harmony that is perhaps unique to Kashmir and Amarnath Yatra. "Kashmiris have welcomed and taken due care of the Yatris for ages and we would continue to do so in future as well," she said.
Ms Mufti said the solution arrived at with the Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti (SASS) in Jammu is not a Jammu and Kashmir peace formula as is being presented, but a purely Jammu appeasement policy which will only further increase the alienation of Kashmiris where the popular sentiments and just aspirations are being throttled with brute force.
The PDP president observed that all voices of peaceful dissention in Kashmir have been muzzled throwing democratic norms to winds and by contrast the government has gone out of its way to provide space to the sword wielding cadres' of communal forces who are receiving ideological and material reinforcement from outside the State. Ms Mufti said her party had cautioned the Government of India against any such approach but unfortunately, no consensus was created between the political parties in Kashmir on the solution. While in Jammu, she said, Congress and BJP close their ranks to support the agitation.
"Unfortunately in Kashmir majority of the political parties lived up to their historical role and sided with forces inimical to peace and once again traded the sentiments of Kashmiris,' Ms Mufti said and added that revocation of land diversion order was an achievement of Kashmiri with peaceful means wherein all political parties had sided with them. She said, sabotaging this achievement is an act of malicious intent against Kashmiris and unfortunately National Conference has again played a dubious role in this deal.
The PDP president also urged India and Pakistan to immediately throw Srinagar-Muzafarabad road open for trade to defuse the tension arising out of "economic blockade" of the valley by fanatic elements in Jammu. She also stressed on release of all the detenues, repeal of draconian laws including AFSPA, and withdrawal of troops. Stressing on the government to pay compensation to traders, transporters, hoteliers, persons related with tourism industry, farmers and fruit growers for the loss caused due to economic blockade, Ms Mufti said that government should not adopt dual-policy while granting compensation to traders, transporters, hoteliers and other sufferers in the two regions of the State. She asked the government to immediately extend the ex-gratia relief in favor of the next of the kin of the deceased and injured people covered under the existing rules of the State government.
Taking a strong exception to the indiscriminate arrests made by law enforcing agencies, Ms Mufti termed gagging of press, indiscriminate arrests of politicians and youth as an emergency type of situation. She said the law enforcing agencies clamped down on the local media, thrashed the demonstrators and journalists broke into the homes and intimidate the inhabitants including elderly, children and women. "This is unfortunate that the government is imposing a collective punishment on Kashmiris by launching a manhunt throughout valley to nab the political leaders and the youth rounding up hundreds of peaceful protestors many of whom have been booked under draconian laws," she added. Ms Mufti asked the government to withdraw all cases registered against the youth and political leaders who were booked in Kashmir during recent agitation and release them immediately.
Ms Mufti said that Yatra has always been welcomed by Kashmiris through ages and it should be allowed to continue in the spirit of the traditional harmony that is perhaps unique to Kashmir and Amarnath Yatra. "Kashmiris have welcomed and taken due care of the Yatris for ages and we would continue to do so in future as well," she said.
Ms Mufti said the solution arrived at with the Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti (SASS) in Jammu is not a Jammu and Kashmir peace formula as is being presented, but a purely Jammu appeasement policy which will only further increase the alienation of Kashmiris where the popular sentiments and just aspirations are being throttled with brute force.
The PDP president observed that all voices of peaceful dissention in Kashmir have been muzzled throwing democratic norms to winds and by contrast the government has gone out of its way to provide space to the sword wielding cadres' of communal forces who are receiving ideological and material reinforcement from outside the State. Ms Mufti said her party had cautioned the Government of India against any such approach but unfortunately, no consensus was created between the political parties in Kashmir on the solution. While in Jammu, she said, Congress and BJP close their ranks to support the agitation.
"Unfortunately in Kashmir majority of the political parties lived up to their historical role and sided with forces inimical to peace and once again traded the sentiments of Kashmiris,' Ms Mufti said and added that revocation of land diversion order was an achievement of Kashmiri with peaceful means wherein all political parties had sided with them. She said, sabotaging this achievement is an act of malicious intent against Kashmiris and unfortunately National Conference has again played a dubious role in this deal.
The PDP president also urged India and Pakistan to immediately throw Srinagar-Muzafarabad road open for trade to defuse the tension arising out of "economic blockade" of the valley by fanatic elements in Jammu. She also stressed on release of all the detenues, repeal of draconian laws including AFSPA, and withdrawal of troops. Stressing on the government to pay compensation to traders, transporters, hoteliers, persons related with tourism industry, farmers and fruit growers for the loss caused due to economic blockade, Ms Mufti said that government should not adopt dual-policy while granting compensation to traders, transporters, hoteliers and other sufferers in the two regions of the State. She asked the government to immediately extend the ex-gratia relief in favor of the next of the kin of the deceased and injured people covered under the existing rules of the State government.
Taking a strong exception to the indiscriminate arrests made by law enforcing agencies, Ms Mufti termed gagging of press, indiscriminate arrests of politicians and youth as an emergency type of situation. She said the law enforcing agencies clamped down on the local media, thrashed the demonstrators and journalists broke into the homes and intimidate the inhabitants including elderly, children and women. "This is unfortunate that the government is imposing a collective punishment on Kashmiris by launching a manhunt throughout valley to nab the political leaders and the youth rounding up hundreds of peaceful protestors many of whom have been booked under draconian laws," she added. Ms Mufti asked the government to withdraw all cases registered against the youth and political leaders who were booked in Kashmir during recent agitation and release them immediately.
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