Fight over Article 370 a Staged ‘debate’
JKLF will launch ‘Quit Kashmir’ movement, like Safer i Azadi, Signature Campaign and Jail baro Movement: Yasin Malik
Srinagar: Stating that Article 370 has been 98 percent eroded by the successive regimes in the state, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohammad Yasin Malik Saturday said that a ‘staged debate’ is being created to divert the attention of the masses here from the real issue of freedom movement.
Malik while addressing a press conference at a local hotel here also announced the re-launch of the ‘Quit Kashmir’ movement, like JKLF campaigns like safer I Azadi, Signature campaign and jail Baro movement, stating that same is aimed to counter the 370 debate in Kashmir at large and through it trying to change discourse . “yasin said that Deliberate attempts are being made in Kashmir so that attention of the people here gets diverted from the ongoing resistance movement and the impression is being given to Kashmiris that who supports the special status and who is opposing the same.”
Talking a jibe at Kashmir’s mainstream camp, the JKLF chief stated that these parties are responsible for the erosion of 370 at large and the hue and cry is a staged drama and a mandate given to them by New Delhi. “Neither the Indian Parliament nor the government has any constitutional and legal right to erode 370. Its 98 percent has already been repealed by the successive regimes in Kashmir. Sheikh Abdullah in 1951 declared the people here as the Indian citizens. Bakshi after 1953 abolished the permit system under which every person before entering or leaving the state had to attain a permit. Now when Mufti is taking about self rule and own governor of the state, he was the minster in the cabinet of Sadiq when he changed the post of the Prime Minister into chief minister and sadder I Reyasat into governor. During this time, Indian Supreme Court was given the jurisdiction of the state in that era too. In July 23, 1975, special status was blown into pieces when Assembly was given the directive not to pass any law that was concerned to the governor, election commission of India or status of assembly in Jammu Kashmir.”
Quoting Gulzari Lal Nanda, Malik said that Article 370 is a hollow shell. Whether you keep it or not it has been completely emptied of its contents. Nothing has been left in it. JKLF chief added that after the Modi- Sharief meet at New Delhi in the recent past, GOI asked Pak to rectify the wrongs and handed over to them a questioner and here through the mainstream parties staged a ‘futile’ debate on Article 370 to change the discourse of freedom movement to state center relationship.
Malik stated that in 1978, PSA was gifted to the people of Kashmir due to which Lakhs are still languishing in jails. “Ghulam Mohammad Shah introduced TADA in the state when Muzaffar Hussain Beigh was the advocate general here. Now he is singing poetry for the oppressed. He was rather a collaborator in introducing TADA in the state.”
Malik said that in 1986 It was Farooq Abdullah who passed a law that enabled Indian parliament to formulate any overriding the state assembly. it was he who in 2001 implemented black law POTA in Kashmir and is now crying on 370.
We have the two maharajas here, one is of Shiekh family and other of the Mutfi’s, said Malik, adding that the duo have been mandated for six years each in power. “Even during the Dogra regime, the construction on the paddy fields and wet lands was banned but these families sold everything and gave everything to Delhi in lieu of power.”
Yasin Malik said that it was mufti sayeed’s who as home minister of india introduced AFSPA,ARMED ACT and othe black laws and ordered army, crpf, bsf and other forces to occupy lakhs of kanals of land throughout Kashmir. It was he who in 2004 passed a law against the high court verdict that had said that any kashmiri women marrying outside Kashmir shall be entitled to buy land in Kashmir. It was mufti sahib who even handed over screening committee that was being headed by DC until then, to Indian agencies.
Malik said that umer Abdullah who has launced crusade gaiunst india on 370 in 2011 gifted JandK bank to RBI thus eroding the law yet again. While taking jibe at Jammu and Kashmir Bank said that the bank flourished in the state when every other institution suffered at worst. It was in 1990’s when kashmiri people used to trade with only state bank and Punjab national bank, JKLF called upon people to strengthen JandK bank .this made the bank as one of the big banks .yasin said that now the people of Kashmir who made this bank here are being given advances at a very high interest rate while as outsiders are getting benefitted at large. “It is the people here at large who made JK bank a success story. No chairman of the bank can claim that he flourished the bank.”
Malik added that people of Kashmir in the year 2013 had deposited 163067 crores and got 69451 crores as advances. Outsiders deposited 83362 crores and got 97291 crores as advances. “The bank has turned blind eye towards the people. It should be looked into that how many branches the JK bank had prior to 1990. It the resistance movement that took bank to the horizons of success and umer Abdullah regime sold it to Indian reserve bank.
Yasin Malik said that JKLF will not stand as spectators and we will resist this attempt to divert the attention of people and change the discourse of freedom movement and JKLF will re launch quit Kashmir movement like it had launched safer I azadi, signature campaign and jail bharo movements in the past.