KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
National Conference President and Former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday called on Governor N N Vohra in Srinagar and asked the Governor to impress upon relevant quarters to open doors to dialogue and political engagement to end the political stalemate in the State.
Dr Farooq Abdullah said there can be no alternative to a political initiative and New Delhi should not waste any further time and engage with stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir, a statement issued by NC said this evening.
The National Conference President also apprised the Governor of systematic and planned efforts to persecute and disempower the Gujjar and Bakerwal communities as well as minorities in Jammu Province and said divisive forces were making concerted attempts to disturb communal harmony in the State.
Dr Farooq Abdullah also highlighted the apathy and indifference of the administration towards victims of cross-border shelling and firing along the international border and LoC especially in frontier areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Hira Nagar, R S Pura, Kana Chak, Kathua, Suchetgarh, Abdulllian, Kupwara and Uri.
Dr Farooq Abdullah said Gujjar and Bakerwal communities form an integral part of the State’s diverse and harmonious demography and their rights cannot be violated under the fig-leaf of reclaiming forest land.
“Gujjars and Bakerwals are a part and parcel of our society and form a positive part of the ecosystem in areas where these communities have been traditional nomadic dwellers. The Administration cannot dislodge and selectively target Gujjars and Bakerwals by uprooting them and launching an assault on their right to live a life of dignity. Members of the nomadic communities are being persecuted and harassed under an elaborate plan to sow seeds of fragmentation and communal animosity within the State. Our social fabric is our most vital asset and any nefarious plan to target a particular community is an assault on the State as a whole,” Dr Farooq Abdullah said in the meeting.
“Victims of cross-LOC and cross-border shelling have not been compensated and what’s even worse – the administration has not even made an attempt to assess losses and damages suffered by the residents. Shopkeepers have been robbed of their livelihood and private property has suffered the brunt. While promises were made to construct bunkers that would be used as safe shelters during shelling, nothing has been done on the ground. Promises to allot plots to residents living close to the LoC and IB have also not been converted into visible action on the ground. People living in these areas are suffering and living in constant fear and anxiety and the Government isn’t paying heed to their misery”, Dr. Farooq Abdullah said in his meeting with the Governor apprising him of feedback received from inhabitations of frontier areas during his extensive visit to Rajouri, Poonch and Mendhar.
Dr Farooq Abdullah expressed serious concern over continued political uncertainty and stalemate in the State and said the Central Government should take concrete, visible and meaningful measures to engage with stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the political issue.
The National Conference President said an absence of a political outreach from the highest levels in New Delhi had sent out a negative message of confrontation and hostility when reconciliation and engagement was required to douse the fire in the Valley.
Dr Farooq Abdullah requested the Governor to impress upon New Delhi to initiative a political process as dealing with the unrest only through administrative measures was an exercise in futility.
Dr Farooq Abdullah also conveyed his apprehensions and serious concerns to the Governor over conspicuous and concerted attempts to vitiate communal and regional harmony in the State and said the State Government’s brazen patronage to certain overtly communal organizations was a dangerous approach and could wreak havoc in the State.
“Armed marches by certain known communal organizations in various areas of Jammu are being carried out with the motive of intimidating and harassing minorities and people belonging to a particular community. This is a very dangerous trend and should be nipped in the bud. Our legacy of brotherhood and amity is invaluable and needs to be protected at all costs,” Dr Farooq Abdullah noted.
The National Conference President said the party was alarmed at the State Government’s approach of politicizing education and examinations and said this was tantamount to gambling with the future of our children.
“This issue is far more important than egos in the current dispensation and should not be made a point of prestige. The students have not been able to complete their curriculum and have been victims of an atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety that has persisted over the last more than three months. Rather than tormenting them and politicizing their education, the State Government should postpone their examinations and give them ample time to complete their established syllabi so that they are prepared for not only their board examinations but also entrance examinations to professional courses. The students deserve every bit of our empathy, affection and understanding and the State Government should deal with this issue with utmost care and sensitivity,” Dr Farooq Abdullah added in the meeting.
Dr Farooq Abdullah also highlighted attempts being made by a few overtly communal organizations to interfere into the functioning and operation of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and said the State Government should ensure these nefarious motives are defeated and nipped in the bud. Dr. Farooq Abdullah said attempts to politicize the Shrine Board would be contemptuous to the faith and devotion of devotees and would create a potentially dangerous situation that should be avoided at all costs.
