Srinagar, May 28 (KNS): Kashmir Civil Society for Developmental Studies today said that the state police is brazenly used to promote politics linked to a particular ideological political party.
“Whereas the shrinking of political space and high handedness against political activists and resistance leaders is the norm here, but today civil society has been stopped for the first time in its history from a free movement in its own territory for no reason except to thwart the peaceful activities for greater good of the society.”
“Yesterday on 27th May, KCSDS members proceeded to pay obeisance at the revered shrine of Shahdra Sharief located in district Rajouri. For the next day we had planned a civil society interaction with the prominent civil society members of district Rajouri and Poonch as part of our ongoing civil society interactions in various districts. But after travelling a distance of over 100 kms, upto Peer ki-Gali, KCSDS team led by Prof. Hameedah Nayeem and consisting of Dr Javaid Iqbal, A.M Zargar, Zahid Ghulam Mohammad, Qurat ul Ain and others were stopped by a heavy contingent of fully armed JK police which included male and female constables. An executive magistrate was also with them to order arrest in case of stiff resistance from us.”
“Road blocks and barricades were put up across the road in a way as if some' most wanted' persons had to be prevented from escaping. When we asked the reason of being stopped, the in-charge police officer told us that he could not let us proceed on the orders from his high ups including IGP Jammu.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelHe also informed us about some ongoing protests in Rajouri town which could be hurtful to us. But when we informed about our schedule to have a night stay at Dargah followed by our visit to Thanamandi locality only on Saturday for civil society interaction, he still did not allow us to proceed.”
“The description of this incident is to apprise the media and public about the despicable level to which the state has descended. It seems BJP dominated govt would ask us to obtain visas to visit Pir panchal and Chenab valleys to visit those areas over which they are exhibiting sole monopoly.”
“The regime has dangerous designs of shrinking the civil society space for interaction, advocacy and research on socio-economic issues on which we have been generating public discourses for greater good of the entire society. All the tall claims of democratic space, and civil liberties and battle of ideas have now become butts of ridicule in the BJP dominated regime. We want to impress upon the govt that such high -handedness would never be accepted and stiff resistance will be put up against this sinister design. The right to movement and that too in our own state is a fundamental inalienable right and could never be allowed to be snatched away from us at any cost. We condemn this tactic in strongest terms.” (KNS)