Mumbai, Nov 23 (KNS): “The present calm in Kashmir should not be misread or construed as normalcy and an indication of the end of the ongoing unrest. It should rather be taken as a valuable opportunity to realize and address the political nature of the Kashmir issue and should ensue an unconditional and time bound dialogue with all the stakeholders, for delineating a practical roadmap leading to the permanent resolution of the problem which has been eating into the vitals of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
These views were expressed by senior CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami while addressing a convention on “Kashmir” organized by CPI (M) Mumbai. The convention was attended by a cross section of people including intellectuals, writers, journalists, economists and academics.
GoI is reluctant to accept the ground situation and recognize the nature of ongoing unrest Tarigami said and cautioned that any semblance of normalcy should not make the rulers complacent, because till the time the root cause of the ongoing turmoil is not removed, the smoldering sparks will flare up and fire will engulf the State again and again. “Complacency, negligence and war are no solutions to this vexed problem while acceptance of its political nature and credible, sincere dialogue between India and Pakistan on the one hand and New Delhi and the political stakeholders including the separatist groups is the only pragmatic way out.”
In a statement issued to KNS, CPI (M) leader said that the real issue is alienation, hopelessness and denial of democratic rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which needs to be addressed politically and steps taken in the past with a sole purpose of crisis management must not be repeated. If it happens there could be a serious threat to the peace in the region which is bound to deepen disillusionment among the people, he said and added that the delay tactics seemingly adopted by the GoI in initiating a credible and comprehensive dialogue with the stake-holders amounts to dis-service to the people of the state.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Continued border tension between India and Pakistan has resulted in large scale devastation and is bound to endanger the security scenario in the entire region, he warned and appealed the sanner voices to put pressure on leadership of both the countries to deescalate tension on borders and replace it with a productive discourse.
History is witness that neither war, covert or overt, nor any form of military means has proved of any help in the resolution of the issue and has instead complicated it further and brought untold miseries to hapless people of Jammu and Kashmir. As such dialogue alone is the way out and any meaningful engagement among the stakeholders should be unconditional. It is therefore imperative to create a congenial atmosphere for the dialogue and immediate steps must begin by taking certain confidence building measures which include:
01. Immediate cessation of the use of pellet guns.
02. Judicial enquiry into all instances of excesses committed by the security forces against civilians.
03. Adequate compensation to all families who have suffered loss of lives and rehabilitation of the injured.
04. Immediate review of cases of those arrested under draconian Public Safety Act and other laws.
05. Security and safety measures for businessmen and Kashmiri students studying outside the state.
Kashmiris have suffered on all fronts political, social and economic and it therefore becomes imperative to start time bound projects for economic development and employment generation, including transfer of Dulhasti and Uri power projects to the state; opening of an IIM and IIT in Srinagar. (KNS)