Srinagar, Mar 19: CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday flayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for tacking Kashmir through military means only even as he accused his government of having neglected the country’s poor.
Addressing the 11th state conference of the Jammu and Kashmir which began at SKICC here today, Yechury said “Kashmir is crown of India and to safeguard it is the duty of every Indian. If crown has any problem, then it is the problem of the whole country.
“We have been saying it within and outside the Parliament. The PDP-BJP government in J&K is a biggest contradiction. Ever-since Modi government took over, Kashmir is being tackled through military means only,” he said.
CPI9M) general secretary said that he came here twice as a member of Parliamentary delegations. “First time it was when UPA-II was in power. But the recommendations of the interlocutors were never implemented.
“Second time, Home Minister Rajnath Singh led a Parliamentary delegation to Kashmir. When we returned to Delhi, it was discussed that the solution of Kashmir can be achieved through political process and not only through law and order. But not a single forward step was taken.
“Ban on pellet guns was raised in the Parliament and Home Minister made a statement, but later he retracted.”
He said NSAs of India and Pakistan are meeting in third country, “but in Parliament, the government says it can’t hold dialogue with Pakistan.”
Yechury said Kashmir is a political problem and till talks aren’t held with all the stakeholders in the state and with Pakistan, this issue can’t be resolved. “CPI (M) believes that withdrawing of AFSPA has to start for confidence building measure.”
He said the eroded provisions of Article 370 have to restored and then only Kashmir will be real ‘atoot aang’ (integral part) of India.”
He also said that CPI(M) been playing an important role at the national level to thwart the “anti-people policies” of the Modi government.
“When Manmohan Singh-ji was the PM, 49 percent of the country’s wealth was in the hands of one percent people in the country; today it has changed as 73 percent of the wealth in the country is the hands of just one percent people. Only achievement of Modi sahib has been that rich are becoming richer and poor are getting poorer. To increase the profits of MNCs, Modi government is making policies that suite them but are against the interests of the poor,” Yechury said.
“Demonetization exercise’s stated objectives have failed. It was a successful exercise of money laundering where the black money was converted with the help of the government into white,” he said.
Yechury also said “if people of the country want better life, this BJP government has to go. The BJP is communally polarizing the country for electoral benefits. They are raising private armies in the states where they are ruling in the name of ‘Gau Rakhshaks’, and ‘anti-Romeo squads.’
“They kill Muslims and Dalits in the name of ‘Gua Raksha’ and ‘Love Jihad’. And the killers are being projected like heroes. These private armies decide what is right and what is wrong. The Constitution of India clearly states that any adult can marry of his own choice. But now RSS-BJP and Modi Sarkar decide the choice of one’s eating habits, dress code and with whom one has to marry and make friendship. It is fascist mindset.”
Addressing the conference, MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said this BJP government has closed all the doors for Kashmiris.
“When any young Kashmiri boy goes for studies outside the state, he is dragged out of the hostel and mercilessly beaten. A Kashmiri laborer is afraid of going outside. Till there is cancer of RSS and Sangh Parivar in India, life is hell for minorities, Dalits and Kashmiris,” Tarigami said.
“Our request to CPI (M), democratic and secular forces of the country is that if they want to save Kashmir, first India has to be saved from these fascist forces. This poison will spread, and not only will it ruin Kashmir and Jammu, it will spoil the whole country,” he said.
“On behalf of Kashmir and Kashmiris I want to convey to everybody that our whole body is bruised. Yechury Sahib please tell the people of the country about the sufferings of Kashmirs. We are not making any pleas to any king to award us but what every Kashmiri wants is life with dignity. Kashmiris don’t want bullets, ammunition and graveyards but the right to live a dignified life,” Tarigami said.
