Public representatives, not bureaucrats, run democratic system: Azad
Demands restoration of statehood, early elections; says Kashmiris much more pained about civilian killings
Srinagar: Senior Congress leader and former member of Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said in a democracy bureaucrats are meant for official works instead of running a democratic system and stated that statehood should be restored immediately, while elections should also be held as soon as possible.
Talking to reporters at his Srinagar residence, Azad said that nobody is against the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha.
“Restore statehood and let him be the governor of the state as well. In a democracy, you cannot have the rule of officers. In Raj Bhavan governor may be there with all the good intentions but ultimately a popular government is required for the people who can better understand the aspirations and issues of common people.”
Azad said that the development works which are required in the Valley would be best served by elected representatives of the people. “Solution to the problems of the people can be found by elected representatives and not by officers and bureaucrats,” he said.
He also said that during his visit he met leaders and party workers of nine districts of the Valley. “I met hundreds of people here and around 60-70 delegations. It was an eye opener as I came to know about their difficulties and aspirations.”
Talking about the recent civilian killings, he said that everyone he met condemned these brutal killings. “Be it a Muslim, Hindu, Sikhs or Kashmiri pandits, the people of the Valley are more concerned about the killings than rest of the country.
He said that he feels that the entire Valley is unanimously against these targeted killings and of course people of the Valley have never supported militancy as this has pushed the Valley into economic disruptions and backwardness.
He said militants in Jammu and Kashmir have adopted a new modus operandi of killing their targets by using pistols from close range, instead of grenades and landmines.
“There seems to be a shift in the strategy of militants… earlier they would use grenades and landmines. Then they would eliminate their targets in cars… now we are in the fourth stage where they pass close to a civilian target and kill him,” he told reporters.
“People of Kashmir are 10 times more against these killings than people elsewhere in the country,” he said.
