SRINAGAR: One of Kashmir’s oldest lawmakers, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, has asked Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha to clarify the phrase “my government,” which Sinha used in his speech, so that citizens and lawmakers can better understand authority and powers, thereby reducing ongoing confusion. This, Tarigami said would help lawmakers understand the limits of their authority as members of the now-disempowered legislative body.
Speaking on the motion to thank LG Sinha for his address, Tarigami highlighted recent amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, made days before elections, which altered the allocation of powers. “Now we have a popular government, but we do not know which powers and authority Chief Minister Omar Abdullah can exercise,” Tarigami said. “This needs clarification, and the LG and Chief Minister must sit down and decide who exercises which powers, so we can approach them accordingly,” he noted, adding that the governance structure in Jammu and Kashmir is marked by persistent confusion. Tarigami emphasised that establishing clear rules of conduct in governance should be a priority for the house.
Tarigami also suggested that LG Sinha should have provided insight into developments over the past five years. “At the very least, you could have shared figures, such as the number of applications received by your secretariat from Jammu and how many came from Kashmir,” he asked. “Perhaps you won’t tell us how many you recruited, but you could have disclosed how many were dismissed without notice because their forebears allegedly violated the law.”
“Ask the media people,” Tarigami said, referring to the media gallery. “Newspapers were instructed on the exact size of photographs to be published on the front page, and even colours were dictated.” The Communist leader remarked that for five years, Kashmir was soffocated, adding, “I would have appreciated it if (in his address) there had been a few lines acknowledging that.”
Tarigami expressed concern over the crisis Kashmir is facing. “The rivers are ours, the waters are ours, and, tragically, the darkness is ours,” he said. “Your smart meters are indeed super smart because they distribute no electricity.” He argued that Jammu and Kashmir deserves compensation for the losses it incurred due to the Indus Water Treaty, and that the NHPC must share half of its profits with Jammu and Kashmir.
The Communist leader said that the land, jobs, and rights must be retained by Jammu and Kashmir at all costs.
