Srinagar, Aug 4: Apni Party President Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday said the abrogation of Articles 370 & 35-A on August 5, 2019 didn’t “only snatched the special status of Jammu and Kashmir but also incremented the trust deficit and sense of alienation among the people to an exponential level”.
In a statement issued on the eve of the 2nd anniversary of the abrogation of the special status, Apni Party President said that J&K’s special status was “enshrined within the Indian Constitution while the unprecedented way it was revoked, did profoundly hurt the sentiments of the people of who continue to feel politically disempowered”.
“There exists no substitute to the special status to J&K. But we strongly hope and believe that the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India which is an abode of justice will reciprocate to the people’s collective demand and deliver justice. God forbid, even if the Apex Court’s verdict disregards peoples’ aspirations, the Apni Party will have no choice but to chalk out other peaceful means to pursue this goal with New Delhi,” he observed.
Bukhari said the Apni Party will put in constant efforts to get an early hearing in the Supreme Court petition on the subject. “We believe that the solution to the socio-economic and political problems faced by the people in J&K lies with New Delhi so it will be unwise to disengage or dissociate ourselves from pursuing the redressal.”
He further said that “by now it must have been explicit to everyone in New Delhi that Article 370 was not an impediment in the way of development of Jammu and Kashmir”.
“Unfortunately, we have not witnessed any major development taking place in J&K since August 5, 2019 as was projected by the advocates of abrogation of Article 370. Rather, ways of cultural imperialism have been facilitated by the bureaucratic regimes who seem hell-bent to convert our heritage sites into commercial entities like Mubarak Mandi in Jammu,” he added.
Bukhari said that “though there was a need to do away with some gender issues in Article 35-A, the way this law was completely annulled was totally unjustified and arbitrary in nature”.
Blaming traditional political parties for their policies of deceit and intrigue , the Apni Party chief alleged that it is “not the BJP alone but other political parties who have been pivotal in doing away with the special status of J&K”.
“History bears witness to the facts of how J&K’s political parties have played a collaborators’ role in eroding the Articles 370 & 35-A from time to time for their lust of power,” Bukhari said.
“People of J&K do remember how Kashmir based MPs were given an ample opportunity on August 05, 2019 to speak over the necessity of sustaining the special status of J&K but they miserably failed to utter even a single word about it, ” he said.
“Now today they are shedding crocodile tears and sermonizing on the subject. It’s a shame for them. They should rather confess and apologize to the people for their criminal silence,” he said.
Furthermore, Bukhari urged the central government for an early restoration of statehood to J&K “so that the people enjoy transparent and accountable governance”.
He said that people of J&K “do not doubt the Prime Minister or Home Minister’s intentions vis-à-vis J&K but it is the vested interests of bureaucratic set-up that is coming in the way of realizing the vision and developmental plans of the government of India”.
“Time has proven that the bureaucratic setup can never be a plausible substitute to the elected form of government. It is an elected government that can feel the pulse and take measures to resolve the public grievances in a time bound manner,” he said. He pledged to continue with the party’s efforts to safeguard the interests and rights of the people of J&K and said that Apni Party “pursued and ensured that there was no encroachment on the rights of the people on their jobs and the land”.
Bukhari said that the Apni Party “struggled against a series of executive orders issued from time to time against the interests of J&K people”.
“Apni Party ensured that the rights of people of J&K are protected. Be it protection of jobs, initiation of political dialogue, 4-G internet, release of detainees, new industrial policy, geology and mining rights, forest rights, age relaxation for civil services, partial modification in SRO-202, establishing CAT bench in Srinagar, establishing exam centre for AIBE aspirants, interest subvention, freight subsidy on fruits, asset distribution, re-opening of Mughal Road and Kishtwar-Sinthan Top road…etc and the list of achievements goes on,” he added.