NC MP Hasnain Masoodi | File Photo
‘There can be no islands of prosperity in a sea of pain, agony’
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Government’s new Industrial Development Scheme in absence of a result oriented peace initiative, is like changing the linen of a hospital bed instead of providing medical care to the patient, National Conference Member Parliament from South Kashmir and Coordinator Peoples’ Alliance For Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi said on Sunday.
Masoodi said that “there can be no “islands of prosperity “ in a “sea of pain and agony”.
In a statement issued here on Sunday the National Conference MP emphasised that the recently announced Rs 28,400 crore Industrial Scheme won’t fetch any results in absence of an aggressive peace initiative to address the political aspirations of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Masoodi reminded the Government that earlier such announcements – Rs 6165 crore package announced by Late Prime Minister Vajpayee in 2002 and Rs. 80,000 crore package announced by Prime Minister Modi in 2015, have not changed anything on ground.
“The alienation, despite such announcements, has been ever increasing and that the unconstitutional measures of 5th August 2019, nothing less than an misadventure, have further widened the gulf” reads the statement issued by Masoodi. He further said that if official statistics of 2020 is any indicator, hundreds of lives have been lost in about a hundred encounters, quite a few in urban areas of Srinagar and Jammu.
Masoodi asserted that the Government does not even, one and a half years after assault on the special status of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, muster courage to restore the Internet at the speed available in other parts of the Country exposing millions of students and businessmen to immense loss and inconvenience.
Observing that the preventive detention law, an anathema to Constitution, continues to be invoked with impunity and young and old are detained hundreds of miles away from their homes,the NC MP said that in prevailing scenario the Industrial Development Scheme, in absence of a result oriented peace initiative, is like changing the bed linen of a hospital bed instead of providing medical care to cure the patient.
Masoodi has askef trade bodies like KCCI, and PHD CCI not to merely parrot the welcome statements made for political reasons or remain confined to OTS, Subsidies and other Incentives but recognise universal role of such bodies and articulate the public sentiment in a lawful, dignified and effective manner.
Justice (Retd) Masoodi called upon the trade bodies to acknowledge the irrefutable fact that peace and development go hand in hand and peace would not be possible without political aspirations respected and addressed.
He said it is to be realised that there can be no “islands of prosperity “ in a “sea of pain and agony”.
He also said “while the Prime Minister, as announced by Home Minister at Imphal on 27th December 2020, “gifted” ILP – Inner Line Permit to Manipur, the Prime Minister painfully without any cause or justification “denuded” Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh of Special Status guaranteed under the Constitution, Delhi Agreement 1952 and Kashmir Accord 1975 taking away land rights, control over resources and employment rights of 1.25 crore Permanent Residents of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and paving way for transfer of thousands of acres land”.
Reminding that under the ILP system a Citizen cannot enter a ILP State without Permit or stay for more than the period allowed under the Permit, justice (Retd) Masoodi said while Jammu and Kashmir had far less autonomy under special status taken away last year. Masoodi has asked the Government of India to undo the 5th August 2019 decisions, restore autonomy provided under Delhi Agreement 1952, initiate dialogue with all the stakeholders for lasting peace and open the historical and traditional routes between all the regions of Jammu and Kashmir to facilitate trade, travel and people to people contact in a sensitive region of South Asia.
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