Yogesh Sagotra
Jammu, Feb 19: The political activism again gained momentum in Jammu and Kashmir after the interim report of Delimitation Commission came in public domain.
Rejecting the draft report, Apni Party president Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari said that associate members (Member Parliaments from Jammu and Kashmir) of Delimitation Commission from National Conference and Bharatiya Janata Party (B JP) have failed in representing Jammu and Kashmir and all five should resign for deceiving the people.
Addressing a press conference, Bukhari said that NC- BJP in unison is saving their party interests instead of representing the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Union Minister and MP from Udhampur Lok Sabha seat Dr Jitendra Singh had revelled that NC MPs including Dr Farooq Abdullah not opposed the recommendations of Delimitation Commission during its sittings but now NC is enacting drama of rejecting the interim report, which they have been part of it,” Bukhari said.
Bukhari said that the Delimitation Commission did not work properly and missed many exercises to get ground information about the aspirations of people.
“The delimitation commission have not taken the viewpoint of people, which is mandatory for redesigning the political map of Jammu and Kashmir,” Bukhari said adding, that the non seriousness of Commission could be gauged by the fact that in one single day they met delegations from 12 assembly constituencies at Pahalgam.
“It is next to impossible for anyone to do such a hectic exercise and then do justice with the report,” he said.
Questioning the alleged topographical malfunction in Delimitation’s interim report, Bukhari said how it is possible to cover constituencies which remained cut off from the rest of the world for at least six months.
“Had delimitation commission know the topography of Jammu and Kashmir, the picture should be much better,” Bukhari said, adding, “If this report is pro people, we would be the first party to accept and welcome it but unfortunately the entire report was drafted to favour BJP, not nation,” he said.
“The merging of Anantnag Lok Sabha Constituency with Rajouri and Poonch is an example of gross injustice with the people,” he said.
Referring to the illogical Delimitation of Karnah Assembly segment, Bukhari said, “Will voters use flying taxis to cast their votes in constituencies which were created ignoring geographical difficulties and long distances? These areas often remain cut off for six months. How do the people of one area approach their representative? Is it possible?”
Condemning the merging of Suchetgarh constituency with RS Pura, he said that national security was compromised and the political ambition of a political party was preferred which is a cause of serious concern.
On asking that whether Apni Party is challenging the report in court of Law, Bukhari said, “We will deceive our people if I said that we are going to court of law, there is no provision to challenge it in court, it has to be challenged in people’s court, which we are doing.”
Furthermore Bukhari appealed to the government to take real ground assessment from Jammu and Kashmir and address the issues of unemployed youth on priority.
“The treatment with the BSF, CISF aspirants and 60,000 daily wager’s unaddressed regularization issues is unacceptable. The administration must give assurances as soon as possible and the daily wagers deserve to be regularized,” Bukhari said.
“By ignoring the youth and pushing them to the wall, creates a situation when they become drug addicts and motivate towards terrorism for which the responsibility lies with people who are running the country. The government should seriously address the growing unemployment issue,” he added.
The Apni Party president also called the Delimitation Commission’s draft report an imitation of the Dixon Plan aimed to divide people on communal lines.
He said that, “The local bureaucrats of J&K are not being given postings. If they are given postings, they can be able to address the issues of the people. However, the command to run the government departments is given in the hands of non-bureaucrats mostly.”
“The local government officials are sidelined. Besides, there is disappointment and frustration among the businessmen, locals, unemployed youth and it may add to problems. However, the government is not concerned about the growing concerns of the people in J&K,” he said.
In absence of local officials in the government, he said that the corruption level has crossed all limits in J&K and public issues are not being heeded giving rise to the feeling of alienation with the government.
He said that, “no one else has given sacrifices in the country than the people of J&K for the nation.”
Referring to the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, he said that the Kashmiri Pandits are being politically exploited by using them as posters and banners in elections and nothing concrete has been done for their return and rehabilitation.
