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NEWS Updates - 06
May 2009 |
* Congress silent on Kashmir
Left Favours Autonomy, BJP Wants Art. 370 Abrogated
*
Polls
won’t solve dispute: Mirwaiz
* Geelani Defends
Strike
*
Migration deferred till May 20
*
Youth's Chin Blown
Away
Police Use Force On
Women, Children
*
Govt denying political space to separatists: Malik |
Congress silent on Kashmir
Left Favours Autonomy, BJP Wants Art. 370 Abrogated
: Srinagar, May 5: The Congress is a surprising
exception in the list of major Indian political parties
that have Jammu and Kashmir in their election
manifestoes. Its ally in the UPA government, the
communists, favors maximum autonomy for the state in
their manifesto. But its arch rival, BJP, wants
annihilation of the residual autonomy.
Though Congress is a coalition partner in the ruling
government in the state, its manifesto has nothing about
the resolution of Kashmir issue. In its manifesto
headlined “Major Accomplishments: 2004-2009”, the
Congress talks about “significant success recorded in
the fight against insurgency in some northeastern States
and J&K.”
“The record turnout in the recent assembly polls in J&K
by people braving calls of boycott and threats of
violence is a tribute to their desire for peace and a
vindication of the approach adopted by the Indian
National Congress and the Prime Minister personally,”
the manifesto reads. It says, “Sensitive states of the
northeast and Jammu and Kashmir have benefited
enormously and are seeing development activities on a
very large scale.”
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on the other hand
favors a “political solution to the Kashmir problem
based on maximum autonomy that should be based on the
Article 370 of the Constitution of India.” While the
party advocates regional autonomy for Jammu, Kashmir,
and Ladakh, it has also recommended strong steps “for
preventing excesses by security forces against innocent
people.” It has also called for ensuring economic
development of the State focusing particularly on
generating employment for the youth and reconstructing
the damaged infrastructure.
The Communist Party of India (CPI) has called for the
“full restoration of provisions of article 370 of the
Constitution.” It supports maximum autonomy for Jammu
Kashmir and “with it the autonomy for various regions.”
The CPI manifesto says that it wants more and people to
people contact between the divided Kashmir and more
confidence building measures between India and Pakistan.
In contrast the BJP has argued that the no concessions
would be made to pro-freedom groups. “Jammu & Kashmir
was, is and shall remain an integral part of the Union
of India. Its status is non-negotiable and, as
successive elections have comprehensively demonstrated,
the people of Jammu & Kashmir see themselves as part of
the Indian national mainstream,” the Saffron party’s
manifesto says.
It further reads: “The BJP will be guided by “certain
principles while dealing with issues related to Jammu
and Kashmir including the principle that the “the
territorial integrity of India is inviolable. The
unanimous Parliamentary Resolution of 1994 reiterates
this point and shall remain the cornerstone of future
decisions and actions of our Government.”
It says to meet the aspirations of the people of Jammu
and Kashmir and ensure rapid progress of this State, the
BJP will promote an agenda of equal development of its
three regions — Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
The manifesto says the Kashmiri Pandits would be
provided ‘support and assistance’ for return to their
homeland. “Their return to the land of their ancestors
with full dignity, security and assured livelihood will
figure high on the BJP’s agenda,” it said, adding, “the
long-pending problems and demands of refugees from
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir will be addressed.”
It says the Article 370 poses a psychological barrier
for the full integration of the people of Jammu and
Kashmir with the national mainstream. “The BJP remains
committed to the abrogation of this Article,” it said.
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Polls won’t solve dispute: Mirwaiz :
Srinagar, May 5: The chairman of
Hurriyat Conference (M), Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq, on Tuesday said the elections
won’t solve the Kashmir dispute and
urged people to boycott the polls on
Thursday.
In a statement, Mirwaiz said people
should remain away from the polls on
Thursday and vow to take the ongoing
movement to its logical end.
Meanwhile, the Hurriyat’s media advisor
Syed Saleem Geelani in a statement
termed the elections futile. “These
elections have no bearing on the nature
of the dispute,” he said, adding that
police had arrested several Hurriyat
activists for staging anti-poll
protests.
Migration deferred till May 20 :
Srinagar, May 5: The Coordination
Committee spearheading the agitation in
Khaigam, Pakherpora, has set May 20
deadline for the authorities to remove
the CRPF camp, whose troopers were
involved in the killing of a carpenter,
Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Malik, on March 18.
The Committee, which had threatened mass
migration from today, met this evening
to decide its future course of action
issue following a meeting with
authorities on Monday.
A senior member of the Committee said
they had a meeting with the deputy
superintendent of police on Monday when
the authorities assured a decision on
camp after the polls.
“Since the government assured action
after elections, we have decided to
defer the mass migration till May 20.
However, the protests will continue,” he
told Greater Kashmir.
He said, “If the government failed to
remove the camp by May 20, the villagers
will start migration.” |
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Geelani
Defends Strike : Srinagar, May
5: The chairman of Hurriyat Conference
(G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, on Tuesday
defended his 50-hour strike call against
the elections saying it was “the only
weapon to fight against oppression.”
Talking to reporters at his residence,
Geelani said by observing strike against
the elections, Kashmiris could register
their protest. “New Delhi has been
conducting elections in the Valley to
hoodwink the international community
about the real dispute. To thwart the
anti-poll campaign, the authorities put
us under house arrest. But people should
show their support to the cause by
boycotting the polls,” he said.
Referring to last year’s uprising,
Geelani said it was after consultation
with other pro-freedom leaders and the
Coordination Committee that he had
called for suspension of the strike.
Geelani said those leaders who claim to
highlight the Kashmir dispute in
Parliament were trying to befool the
people. “People should not believe them
as all the decisions there are based on
majority view. History is testimony to
the fact that these pro-India leaders
have only strengthened the Indian cause
in Kashmir. Kashmir dispute can only be
resolved according to the UN
resolutions,” he said. |
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Youth's Chin Blown Away :
Police Use
Force On Women, Children
Srinagar, May 5: A shopkeeper was
critically injured Tuesday at Kanikadal
in downtown city when a tear gas shell
fired by police hit him, blowing his
chin away, during police action on
protestors. The protests were against
arrest of a youth this morning. The
shell hit Sajad Ahmad Sofi of Kanikadal
at his shop. He underwent a preliminary
surgery in the Dental College where
doctors said he had to be operated upon
again within two days. “His mandible is
fractured and he has also lost four
teeth. We have fixed the fracture in the
preliminary surgery but he needs a
second surgery soon,” the head of
department of Oral Surgery at the
College, Dr Aijaz Ahmad, told Greater
Kashmir.
The protests broke out when hundreds of
people, including men, women and
children, took to streets demanding the
release of one youth arrested in the
morning on charges of involvement in
protests.
However, eyewitnesses said, police swung
into action resorting to intense baton
charge and tear gas shelling on the
protesters.
“They thrashed the protesters and fired
several tear gas canisters. Several
people received injuries in the police
action,” the eyewitnesses said. They
alleged that the arrested youth was
framed although he was not involved in
protests.
Meanwhile, anti-government protests
broke out at Islamia College in old
city. The students took out a rally
against the restrictions on Friday
prayers in Jamia Masjid. The students
wore black bands and raised
anti-election slogans.
Govt denying political space to
separatists: Malik :
‘Omar Spreading Lies
To Keep Us Under House Arrest’ :
Srinagar, May 5: The chairman of
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front,
Muhammad Yasin Malik, on Tuesday lashed
out at the state government for “denying
political space” to separatists.
In an exclusive interview to Greater
Kashmir, Malik termed the restrictions
on movement of separatists as “mere
frustration” of the administration. “If
mainstream parties can run campaigns to
seek votes why can’t we run a parallel
campaign?” he asked.
The JKLF chief, who has been under house
arrest for the past 15 days, said the
government, by placing separatist
leaders under house arrest, had made a
“mockery” of democracy. “By denying
political space to us they have proved
that there is no democracy in Jammu and
Kashmir,” Malik said.
Malik rubbished the recent statement of
the chief minister, Omar Abdullah, about
separatists provoking youth to pelt
stones. “He is trying to defend his
decision of putting us under house
arrest by spreading lies. Before I was
placed under house arrest I addressed a
rally in Pulwama. It was police who used
force to quell the peaceful gathering
and there was no stone pelting,” Malik
said. “Last year more than 60 youth fell
to the troopers’ bullets although the
pro-freedom demonstrations were
peaceful. Omar Abdullah himself had
condemned the use of force on peaceful
protesters. During our Safar-e-Azadi for
nearly four months and visits to every
part of the Valley, not a single
incident of stone pelting came to fore.”
The JKLF chief said that despite the
change of guard here, the ground
situation continued to be grim. “People
of Kashmir were caged during the
governor’s 6-month rule and the trend
continues despite Omar Abdullah taking
the charge,” he said. “New Delhi and the
international community should realize
the transition of Kashmir movement from
violent to non-violent and should
respect this transition. It should
provide a genuine political space for
the non-violent democratic movement.”
For the past 15 years, Malik said, New
Delhi had been saying that dialogue and
violence couldn’t go together. “Despite
there being no violence in Kashmir now,
New Delhi continues to shy away from
talks,” he added.
Reiterating that Taliaban had no role in
Kashmir, Malik said, “Ours is an
indigenous and non-violent movement and
we are capable enough to take our
struggle to its logical end.”
Referring to the low voter turnout in
south Kashmir’s Islamabad parliamentary
constituency on April 30, Malik said,
“Three generations of Kashmiris have got
consumed in past 62 years of conflict
and people of Kashmir don’t want to
transfer this dispute to the next. It’s
a collective wish of the people that
Kashmir issue should be resolved first
after which they will become a part of
genuine electoral process.”
JKLF CALLS FOR CIVIL CURFEW AROUND
BOOTHS
Meanwhile a JKLF spokesman on Tuesday
urged people to observe a “civil curfew
around the polling booths” on May 7 and
13, the dates on which elections would
be held for Srinagar and Varmul
parliamentary constituencies.
As part of their anti-election program,
the JKLF activists today visited several
areas of Srinagar and Ganderbal
districts, urging people to stay away
from polls, he said, adding, “On poll
days, people should remain indoors and
avoid going near the polling booths."
He said the activists also visited
several higher secondary schools and
colleges where they “informed youth
about the disadvantages of taking part
in the elections.”
The spokesman paid tributes to Advocate
Iftikhar Ahmad alias Mukhtar Ghazali on
their death anniversary. A JKLF
delegation led by vice chairman advocate
Bashir Ahmad Bhat visited his residence
and sympathized with his family members,
he added. |
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