The suicide of a youth from Kulgam has sent shock waves across the political spectrum in Kashmir with calls for booking officers who stopped his father's salary for abetting suicide.
Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari Sunday expressed grief over the heartbreaking incident in which a 24-year-old youth of Kulgam district recorded a video message to invite government attention towards the miseries of his family before committing suicide.
In a statement issued here, Bukhari termed the incident as extremely disturbing wherein a youth in order to draw attention of the people at the helm of affairs towards the sufferings of his family had to give up his life.
"This incident depicts an appalling picture of the level of mental stress and trauma of the families whose salaries have been withheld by an apathetic bureaucratic set-up even in the pressing times of Covid-19 pandemic. I hope the incident acts as an eye-opener and a wake-up call for the government," he said.
Bukhari demanded that a strict action must be taken against those officials whose impervious attitude resulted in this sad incident.
"The youth took his precious life as his father who was a teacher by profession was not paid salary for the last over a year which had created disastrous circumstances for his entire family. The officers responsible for stopping his salary should be booked for abetment in suicide case," he said.
Bukhari urged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to order a thorough probe in this matter on humanitarian grounds and bring to book the officers whose lackadaisical approach forced the youth to sacrifice his life.
He also demanded that the families of the teachers whose salaries had been withheld due to some frivolous reasons should not be allowed to suffer and the departed should immediately release their salaries before they are forced to resort to such unwarranted actions.
Bukhari said that denying salary to government employees for trivial reasons amounts to abuse of human rights as well as the labour laws enshrined in the Indian constitution.
"By withholding the salaries you are not only depriving an employee of his fundamental rights including a dignified livelihood but also snatching right to life of his family members whose welfare depends on the wages of their bread earner," he said.
Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) Chairman Hakeem Yaseen also expressed shock over the circumstances that led to committing of suicide by the Kulgam youth.
In a statement issued here, Yaseen demanded a thorough investigation into the incident to fix responsibility. "Disconnect between common people and the bureaucratic set up has reached an alarming proportion," he said adding that people were unable to get thier problems heard and redressed at an appropriate level.
Yaseen said that there was no accountability in the administration and the "Babus at the helm of affairs were ruling the roast".
"How pathetic is it that a young boy in Kulgam is forced to commit suicide for financial miseries in his family caused due non-payment of salary of his father, a teacher regularised 14 years back," he said.
Yaseen urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to hold thorough investigation into the incident and also overhaul the administrative set up to make it accountable and responsive to the aspirations of the people.
He said that the suicide committed by the Kulgam youth to expose cruelty and biased approach of the authorities at the helm of affairs was "a tip of an iceberg".
Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society Forum (JKCSF) Chairman Abdul Qayoom Wani termed the suicide of Kulgam teacher's son as "conscience-jerking" and demanded a thorough probe into the incident.
In a statement issued here, Wani said the circumstances that led to the suicide of the Kulgam boy, as revealed by the deceased in the video, tell a tarnishing story of apathy on part of the authorities.
Wani appealed the government to appoint a special commission to probe the matter and punish the guilty.
