Threatens public agitation if killings don’t stop
Srinagar: Kashmir Economic Alliance – a constituent body of various traders, hoteliers and transporters’ organizations, Saturday threatened to call for a public agitation against the government “if killing of innocent people in Kashmir does not stop.”
Chairman, KEA, Muhammad Yaseen Khan while condemning the killing of Bashir Ahmad, a Downtown youth who was shot dead by CRPF on Wednesday, said: “If the cycle of killing of innocent people does not stop, we will have no alternative but to urge the people to take to roads and protest against the government.”
Talking to Greater Kashmir on the margins of KEA executive committee meeting here today, Khan said: “The KEA could smell a big conspiracy in the killing of innocent people in Kashmir. There are agencies both in the state as well at the centre who want to weaken and are weakening Kashmir economy.”
“The boy (Bashir Ahmad) was killed when the elections were over. He was working for the entire day at his home and just when he came out to have a walk after a daylong work, he was killed. This shows that there are elements who want to keep the things on boil in Kashmir and hit its economy,” Khan said.
Khan appealed the world community to take cognizance of the recent killing and put pressure on Indian government to stop the wanton killings in Kashmir.
About elections he said: “These aren’t credible elections nor are they fair.”
About the working of the present government he said, ““We have lost all hopes with this government. After every killing this government orders magisterial probes which everybody knows never reach to any conclusion,” he said.
KEA spokesperson, Siraj Ahmad said: “The balance sheet of the present government does not reflect even a single promise which has been met by it.”
He said: “Should the lower voter turnout in elections give any reason to the forces to kill our youth,” Khan said.
He said the KEA won’t allow any further killing or arrest of “our children. If the forces continue with it, we will issue a call to the people to come on roads and agitate against the government.”
“No democratic state uses such repressive measures on its people and it is shame for Indian government to even call themselves democratic,” Siraj said.
Economy in doldrums
Khan blamed the government of damaging the economy and tourism sector in Kashmir. “If we see the contribution of National Conference-led government in the state towards economy, they have nothing to show,” he alleged and added that the hollow promises of the state government had aggravated the problem of people in Kashmir.
He alleged the economy of Kashmir was being weakened “deliberately by the agencies.”
Earlier, the KEA held its executive committee meeting. Representatives of its constituents from districts of Kashmir attended the meeting.
In the brainstorming session held during the EC meet, the members put forth various suggestions for promoting trade and commerce in Kashmir.
The members expressed dismay that the government and its ministers were not paying any heed to the genuine demands of the traders.
President KHARA Showkat Chowdhery said: “The business community in Kashmir despite forming the majority portion of the population is being ignored by the government.”
“Whenever we go with our demands to the government, the ministers hardly bother to address our problems.”