AFSPA biggest source of alienation, unrest in Kashmir: Soz

Former union minister Prof Saifuddin Soz today termed the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) as “the biggest sources of alienation and unrest in Kashmir.”

“General is Right – No Hurry to Remove AFSPA. He wants the cup of alienation of Kashmiris to rise to the brim, as if it is not at the brim already!,” Prof Soz, in a statement today, said, adding that, “General Rawat is convinced that the time has not come to think of even amending certain provisions of AFSPA, not to speak of its revocation.”

   

He said, “Since the General is fighting a dirty war in Kashmir, the lethal weapon of AFSPA is needed.”

“Unfortunately for the Union of India, there has hardly been any exercise to understand the level of alienation of Kashmiris, deepened by the AFSPA, which has been in existence for 28 years (promulgated in September, 1990). The then Home Minister, Chidambaram had tried to convince his colleagues during UPA-II that this draconian law had promoted alienation in Kashmir that had led to spells of unrest which the forces had always found impossible to quell,” Soz said.

He said, “The government of India would be well advised to allow Kashmiris to express their suppressed feelings democratically. What happened at Shopian, the other day, when AFSPA claimed two innocent lives is by no means a feather in Army’s cap.” 

“The general run of Kashmiris should also ponder over why the ‘saviours’ in the mainstream Kashmir were vociferous recently on proper time to hold Panchayat Elections,” he added.

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