KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Almost all the trade bodies which were invited to have meetings with the visiting Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh have politely refused the idea. They have not assigned any reason.
Singh landed in Srinagar Saturday at around 11:15 am and flew to Nehru Guest House. He is staying here overnight for a series of meetings with officials and civil society.
“Almost all trade bodies have boycotted the meetings,” a senior trade leader said. “There is no fun in meeting the Home Minister when similar meetings in past have failed.”
“How can you talk when the killings are going on,” another trade leader said. “They are maiming a generation.”
Those who have decided against meeting the home minister include Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation Chamber of Industry Kashmir and Kashmir Traders Federation. KHARA, KHAROF, and House Boat Owners Association. At least two “civil society” groups have declined to have a meeting.
“Our plea was simple, you remember Kashmir when there is tension, there you have committee and by the time the report comes we are normal, so you forget everything,” Mohammad Yasin Khan, a trade unionist said. “We told them that what has happened to earlier such meetings.”
Khan said the trade bodies told the government that there will be no outcome of these meetings as “our children are being killed and maimed.”
This is for the first time that such a huge number of trade bodies have boycotted the home minister, a situation that did not exist even in 2010 unrest.
Interestingly, the government has flown President of Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry to Srinagar for the meeting with the home minister. Besides, a delegation of “Imams” has also had an interaction with Singh. It was not immediately known whom the Imams were representing.
