BJP’s stubborn attitude makes situation in Valley worse: Tarigami

Srinagar, Oct 25: Questioning the government about an encounter which ended with the killing of seven civilians and two militants, MLA Kulgam and CPI (M) senior leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Thursday alleged that instead of listening to the grievances of Kashmiris and resolving their genuine issue through a credible process of dialogue, the BJP government’s stubborn attempts to subdue political aspirations of people are making the situation worse.
In a statement issued here to the media, CPI (M) leader said that alleged that the response of Government of India by using “disproportionate force compounds to the vicious cycle of violence in the State.
He said that the unarmed innocent civilians killed in Kulgam have deeply shaken whole Kashmir.
“Legitimate question of the people is whether this tragedy could have been averted. The SOP of 2012 makes it mandatory on security forces to sanitize the encounter site before leaving. Why was it not done in Larro, Kulgam?’ questioned, Tarigami in his statement.
He said strong voices are emerging in and outside the state that a credible inquiry should be held to fix the responsibility so that such tragedies could be avoided in future.
He said it remains to be seen if the government will pay a heed to this demand. “Though no amount of money could heal the wounds of the families of the victims, they should be provided jobs under SRO-43 to give them some relief,” demanded Tarigami.
He said what happens in Kashmir today is, of course, a matter of life and death for its citizens. But it is also a test case for the policies of the Government of India pursued in relation with Kashmir, he added.
If addressing the anger of younger generation is any priority for the present administration, then the CPI (M) leader said it must give a clear-cut direction to the law enforcing agencies to desist from using excessive force. Indiscriminate arrests, registering cases and slapping PSAs are not going to solve the problem, he observed.
He said contrary to this, the present dispensation in New Delhi led by BJP continue to refuse to draw lessons from the previous mistakes, but has compounded the problem in the last more than four years and thereby deepened the alienation and mistrust among the people further.
Urging on the importance of holding dialogue to resolve the issue, Tarigami said Modi government consistently refuses to initiate a political dialogue with all the political forces including the voices of dissent. He said it has resulted in a number of young men joining the militants. “For the last three years, there has been a steady escalation in violence. Dozens of unarmed people got killed and a number of people injured. This disastrous policy of the government is alienating more sections of the population and driving number of youth to militancy,” said he.