Three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, one from Hizbul killed in encounter in Anantnag, say police: The police had launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Dialgam area.

J&K parties must unite to bring back those detained in prisons outside state, says Farooq Abdullah: The National Conference added that it was essential to exchange ‘free and frank’ political opinions to review the changes in J&K since August.

CBI Officer who scaled 6 foot wall to arrest Chidambram awarded President's Police Medal, but why not awarded the officer who arrested Davinder Singh for sheltering three terrorists at his residence in Srinagar?

The Polit Bureau of CPI (M)demands that the government restore internet service in keeping with the spirit of the Supreme Court judgment. All other curbs should be lifted and detention of political leaders revoked.

REMOVE CURBS IN JAMMU & KASHMIR ***********************Five months after the abrogation of Article 370 and the dismantling of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, the people of Kashmir continue to be deprived of various rights and liberties. Hundreds of leaders and activists are under detention, right to assemble denied and internet shutdown. -CPI (M)

Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA, Kulgam: ‘Evolve a common ground’

Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA, Kulgam:

Kashmiri youth need to have some kind of a relationship with their brethren in the rest of the country. There is a realisation that violence is not an option. Alternatives should be found through debate and discussion. I do not agree that until the issue of self-determination is resolved, everything else can wait.

The application of self-determination matters, but in a context. Today in Jammu and Kashmir it means two things. It means disintegration on communal lines. There should be no bifurcation or trifurcation. Life cannot wait. Issues affecting the common people need to be addressed.

While making serious efforts to find a solution acceptable to all stakeholders, genuine concerns of the common man should be taken up. Not a single week passes without a protest on issues like employment, price rise, and reduction in the supply of LPG cylinders. For those who say these things can wait, it is like giving a sanction to the state to continue doing whatever it wants to.

The level of unemployment has reached alarming proportions and deserves immediate attention with policy initiatives, institutional arrangements and operational strategies. Successive governments have time and again failed to take measures to cope with this problem. With the number of registered unemployed youth crossing the six-lakh mark, Jammu and Kashmir has an unemployment rate of 5.3 per cent; compared with that of its four neighbouring States, this is the highest. If we include those who are either uneducated or have not registered their names with these centres, the number will be manifold.

In the budget session this year, I had asked for particulars of persons officially declared as missing till date, the number of cases in which FIRs had been registered, the action taken to trace disappeared persons till date and details of cases in which compensation had been paid. The reply was that information was being collected and would be placed in the Budget session. It did not happen. I also enquired whether a survey had been conducted to ascertain the number of widows/orphans as a consequence of such disappearances, and if so, the steps taken to rehabilitate them. I was told that no such survey had been conducted.

However, in 2007-08, the Rehabilitation Council of the Social Welfare Department conducted a survey of widows, orphans and handicapped persons rendered so by militancy-related incidents. As per the survey, the number of widows, orphans and handicapped is 36,600. Financial assistance is being provided to them in the form of pension, scholarship and marriage assistance.

In the October session, I again asked for particulars of those officially declared missing until July 2012 and the FIRs registered, action taken to trace the disappeared persons, compensation paid to the victims, number of women rendered widows as a result of the disappearance of their husbands until March 2012 and whether the government was thinking of providing compensation to such victims. I was told that as per the inputs furnished by the District Development Commissioners concerned, 2,305 persons had been declared missing; FIRs had been registered in 182 cases, while missing reports/complaints had been lodged in most of the remaining cases. Ex-gratia relief has been paid in 729 cases, benefit of compassionate appointment has been given in 58 cases and cash in lieu of government jobs has been paid in 65 cases. All-out efforts are being made by the agencies concerned to trace the missing persons.

I was also told that the issue regarding the rehabilitation of wives and children of the missing persons had been deliberated upon in the meeting of the State Rehabilitation Council held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister on August 7, 2012, wherein it had been decided to initiate an exercise to determine the exact number of missing persons, half-widows and their children/dependants, before taking a decision on their rehabilitation.

While separatist voices cannot be ignored, the mainstream voices also have to be considered. We have to evolve a common ground, and independent voices that are not influenced by internal or external considerations have to emerge. Let us identify certain common issues without trying to give up our ideological and political positions. As a party, we were the first to demand the removal of the AFSPA and PSA [Public Safety Act]. I have been a victim of the PSA myself; it used to be called the Preventive Detention Act earlier.

A delegation of the CPI(M), led by general secretary Prakash Karat, met President Pranab Mukherjee on November 17 regarding the harassment of Muslim youth in the country. No doubt, there is harassment by security forces and the police. There is sufficient evidence to prove that. We identified 22 cases which were backed by proper documents. The case of Amir of Delhi is sad. He could not get his job back despite being exonerated by the courts. This creates an environment that frightens the rest.

As told to T. K. Rajalakshmi

JAMMU & KASHMIR - CPI (M) DEMANDS IMPLEMENTATION OF EIGHT-POINT CBMS

ADDRESSING a press conference on August 16, 2011 in Srinagar, CPI (M) state secretary M Y Tarigami said that the central government had announced the appointment of interlocutors to “address the political issues in J&K.” While their work is appreciable during past one year, it is now essential that a political initiative by prime minister himself has to come. The efforts of the interlocutors for resolving political issues can be fruitful only when a dialogue process with forces of dissent in J&K is started by the PM. The 8-point CBM’s announced by the centre on September 25 last year were meant to provide relief and instill a sense of security and confidence in the people of J&K. But it is disappointing to see that most of the people-friendly measures mentioned in the 8-point CBM’s are yet to be implemented. For example:

a. The centre had advised the J&K government to release students and youth who have been arrested or detained for stone pelting and similar violations of law during the Valley unrest, and withdraw all charges against them. But it is unfortunate that, some youth (arrested last year) continue to be either under detention, or cases not withdrawn against them.

b. The state government had been advised to review cases of all PSA detenues and withdraw detention orders in appropriate cases. But not many PSA cases have been reviewed and thus some people continue to be in jails, who otherwise might deserve some leniency.

c. The centre had advised the state government to immediately convene a meeting of the Unified Command and review the deployment of the security forces in Kashmir valley, especially at Srinagar, but not much has been done on this account. Particularly, the security forces continue to be deployed in disproportionate numbers in rural areas of Kashmir. Their heavy presence, (in view of the markedly improved situation, as repeatedly being stated by security agencies) does not go in sync with changed security situation.

d. The state government was advised to review the notification of areas as "Disturbed Areas." But nothing concrete has been done in this regard. The withdrawal of Disturbed Areas notification in the areas where security situation has improved, would have served as an important CBM. But it seems that the important issue has been put at the back burner, despite assurances by the home minister while announcing the 8-point CBM’s last year.

INQUIRY INTO CIVILIAN KILLINGS

Many civilian lives were lost in the last year’s turmoil. The government had announced a probe into some of the killings, but nothing is known about that. The government should inform the people that at what stage the inquiry into civilian deaths is. The complaints about non-cooperation by police or CRPF should be looked into and a fair and impartial probe ensured.

FRESH ARRESTS OF YOUTH

Some newspaper reports suggest police is arresting youth on charges of stone pelting and violations of prohibitory orders. While law should take its own course in case any violations of law take place, but there should not be any rampant arrest of youth. It is alleged that police has conducted nocturnal raids, mostly in downtown Srinagar, in search of some youth. Any action by police which creates panic and harassment among youth or their families should immediately be stopped.

INDO-PAK DIALOGUE

The recent foreign minister-level talks between India and Pakistan is welcome. People of J&K are the biggest beneficiaries of cordial relations between the two countries, hence the people of J&K want an impetus to the ongoing dialogue processes at various levels between the two. Moreover, the two countries have to ensure result-oriented talks which will provide relief to the people of both the countries. CBMs decided in recently held meeting of foreign ministers in New Delhi are quite inadequate, abstractions regarding free travel and trade across LOC must be removed.

HUNGER STRIKE OF CONTRACT LECTURERS

The contract lecturers are on hunger strike since last more than two weeks. The government should give up its stubborn attitude and reach out to the striking teachers. Teachers are building our future, so they should be heard and respected. The government should immediately initiate talks with the striking contractual lecturers and have a compassionate view of their demands.

Tarigami said the arrest of Anna Hazare and the ban on the hunger strike in Delhi is highly condemnable. This is an attack on the democratic rights of citizens to protest peacefully. Corruption is rampant at every level and has assumed dangerous proportions. Along with the law for setting up an independent Lokpal, comprehensive measures to strengthen the legal and administrative frame work against corruption are required both at national and state level.

Courtesy: People's Democracy