Communist Party of India (M) senior leader M Y Tarigami today said the ‘rampant arrest’ of people, especially youth, in recent times in south Kashmir and other parts of the valley were ‘atrocious and undemocratic’.
“Such suppressive measures to contain dissent add to thealready existing levels of alienation among the people,” Tarigami said in astatement today.
He said, “Arrests without any solid legal grounds do notaugur well for the state. It has been done before as well, but it has neveryielded anything. On the other hand, it just exacerbates the anger and givesrise to further uncertainty.”
“We have always maintained that dissent should always have aplace in a democratic society. Curbing the dissent and those holding acontradictory viewpoint is not democratic at all. On the other hand, suchsections should be engaged,” he added.
Tarigami said, “Arrest spree under the garb of law and ordermust stop and instead the youth be appealed to follow peaceful means to expresstheir concern for justice and democratic rights. Using force and arrest as toolto silence the dissent will not only damage and destroy careers of our youthbut it will surely prove detrimental results in future.””Hundreds of people, especially youth, arelanguishing in jails and have been detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) andUnlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). In some cases, even after courtsquashed the PSA, detained remain in prison as the police book them under theUAPA,” Tarigami alleged, adding, “This UAPA is being highly misused and itneeds immediate review. The cases of those who have been detained under the PSAand UAPA need to be examined ahead of the Eid.”