Srinagar

The 11th state conference of the Jammu and Kashmir CPI (M), which commended at SKICC in Srinagar on Monday, was attended by thousands of participants with red flags in their hands, the spokesman said in a party statement.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury addressing a press conference at SKICC Srinagar on Monday 19 March 2018
PHOTO BY BILAL BAHADUR

General Secretary CPI (M) Sitaram Yechury, CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, member Central Secretariat CPI(M) Joginder Sharma, senior party leaders Sham Prasad Kesar, and Ghulam Nabi Malik were among others who addressed the opening session of the two-day Conference.

The spokesman said that while addressing the conference, Sitaram Yechury said that the Party has been playing an important role at the national level to thwart the anti-people policies of the Modi government. PM Narendra Modi visited the US five times in last three years and accepted all the conditions of imperialist America. The developed countries, including the US, is facing recession from the last one decade and Modi is being asked to make policies which suite their economic interests.

“When Manmohan Singh was the PM, 49 percent of the wealth of the country was in the hands of 1 percent people in the country. Today it has changed as 73 percent of the wealth in the country in the hands of just one percent people. The only achievement of Modi sahib has been that rich are becoming richer and poor are getting poorer. To increase the profits of MNCs, Modi government is making policies that suite them but are against the interests of poor,”Yechury said.

“Demonetization exercise’s stated objectives have failed. It was a successful exercise of money laundering where the black money was converted with the help of the government into white. The four objectives that Prime Minister Narendra Modi detailed in his address to the nation on November 8 — bringing back black money, ending corruption, suffocating terrorist funding and tackling counterfeit currency — have all failed. The only aim was to generate the money and use it in elections. The BJP is spending pumping huge money in elections an the latest example is Tripura,” he said.

“If people of the country want a better life, this BJP government has to go. The BJP is communally polarizing the country for electoral benefits. They are raising private armies in the states where they are ruling in the name of ‘Gau Rakhshaks’, and ‘anti-Romeo squads.’ They kill Muslims and Dalits in the name of ‘Gua Raksha’ and ‘Love Jihad’. And the killers are being projected like heroes. These private armies decide what is right and what is wrong. The Constitution of India clearly states that any adult can marry of his own choice. But now RSS-BJP and Modi sarkar decide the choice of one’s eating habits, dress code and with whom one has to marry and make friendship. It is a fascist mindset,” he added.

“Kashmir is crown of India and to safeguard it is the duty of every Indian. If crown has any problem, then it is the problem of the whole country. We have been saying it within and outside the Parliament. The PDP-BJP government in J&K is the biggest contradiction. Ever since Modi government took over, Kashmir is being tackled through military means only. I came here twice as a member of the Parliamentary delegation. The first time it was when UPA-II was in power. But the recommendations of the interlocutors were never implemented. The second time, Home Minister Rajnath Singh led a Parliamentary delegation to Kashmir. When we returned to Delhi, it was discussed that the solution of Kashmir can be achieved through political process and not only through law and order. But ever since, not a single forward step was taken. The ban on pellet guns was raised in the Parliament and Home Minister made a statement, but later he retracted. NSAs of India and Pakistan are meeting in the third country, but in Parliament, the government says it can’t hold dialogue with Pakistan,” he said.

He said that Kashmir is a political problem and until talks aren’t held with all the stakeholders in the state and with Pakistan, this issue can’t be resolved. CPI (M) believes that withdrawing of AFSPA has to start for the confidence-building measure. The eroded provisions of Article 370 have to restored and then only Kashmir will be real ‘atoot aang’ of India. This BJP government is making the assault on Constitution.

Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said this BJP government has closed all the doors for Kashmiris. When any young Kashmiri boy goes for studies to outside state, he is being dragged out of the hostel and mercilessly beaten. A Kashmiri laborer is afraid of going outside. Till there is cancer of RSS and Sangh Parivar in India, life is hell for minorities, Dalits and Kashmiris. Our request to CPI (M), democratic and secular forces of the country is that if they want to save Kashmir, first India has to be saved from these fascist forces. This poison will spread, and not only will it ruin Kashmir and Jammu, it will spoil the whole country.

“On behalf of Kashmir and Kashmiris, I want to convey to everybody that our whole body is bruised. Yechury please tells the people of the country about the sufferings of Kashmiris. We are not making any pleas to any king to award us but what every Kashmiri wants is life with dignity. Kashmiris don’t want bullets, ammunition and graveyards but the right to live a dignified life,” Tarigami said.

Tarigami said that young unarmed boys were killed in Shopian and police registered an FIR against the army. There was a hullaballoo within the establishment across the country, why an FIR has been registered against the army for killing a Kashmiri.  Only yesterday RSS chief Mohan Baghwat said Kashmiris only understand the language of power. We tell Mohan Bhagwat that Kashmiri will prefer to die, but won’t be cowed by these threats. We accept that gun is not a solution, but let me make it clear to Mohan Baghwat that Kashmiris can’t be treated like cattle. We believe in communal harmony and not today but for centuries. When raiders from Pakistan came to Kashmir in 1947, my Kashmiri Muslim sisters saved Pandit sisters. It is our identity and it is the identity of Lal Ded and Nund Rishi. We are sad that Kashmiri Pandits are not with us.

“We will also appeal our Jammu brothers not to fall prey to these elements who want to divide people in the name of religion and region. Who are the people who are trying to shield the rapists and murderers of 8-year-old Asifa of Kathua? It is the most shameful act and against the human values that using tricolour, some fringe elements in Jammu took a rally in support of the accused. Two senior BJP ministers participated in this rally. Why is CM Mehbooba Ji silent on their participation in the rally? If she could sack Haseeb Drabu sahib, why is she afraid of taking any action against these two ministers?”

“The issue of Jammu and Kashmir is a political issue and needs a credible process of dialogue,”Tarigami said.

The two-day Conference will continue on Tuesday, spokesman added.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here