Shadow Correspondent
Kalakote, Mar 29 :
The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, on Monday continued protest against the unprecedented hike in prices of petrol, diesel and other essential commodities at Kalakote. The protest was organized by Former Legislator from Kalakote and senior Congress leader, Ashok Kumar Sharma and led by JKPCC Chief GA Mir, JKPCC Vice President Raman Bhalla, JKPCC Chief Spokesman Ravinder Sharma, DDC Vice Chairman Shabir Khan, DDC Members Sain Rasheed, Quoom Mir and joined by senior leaders besides hundreds of party workers. Prominent among those present on the occasion include Shakeel Mir, Sajad Tariq, Satish Sharma, Sushil Jamwal, Zahid Sarfraz Malik, Adv. Masood Ch., Som Raj Khajuria, Ram Lal, Pyara Lal, Vinod Sharma, Arjun Sharma, Latish Sharma, Jatin Vishisht, Kewal Krishan, Darwari Lal, Sajad Mirza, Jeet Singh, Nakhul Sharma, Kamaljeet Singh, Makhdoom Shah, Adv. Junaid Hussain, Sanjay Sasan, Happy Sharma, Farooq Ch. Both Raj Sharma, Dr. Digpal, Bashir Ahmed, Gardarli Lal, Mohd Shakeel, Naik Ram Sharma beside others. The Congress workers ranted the air with anti-government slogans, ruing “the skyrocketing prices” of various essential commodities to express their resentment over hike in prices of essential commodities.
Speaking on the occasion, JKPCC Chief claimed that BJP government failed to meet development aspirations of people of J&K. Far-flung and hilly areas lacks proper infrastructure, road connectivity, drinking water and electricity supply,” he said. He demanded early assembly elections and restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. He said that there was no representation to the people of J&K in the government which works without taking into confidence the public representatives. Mir pledged that his party was committed to the welfare of the common people and would strictly follow the public outreach programme in order to listen and redress their grievances. He said there is growing resentment among right-wing activists as well. However, he said that they do not show resentment due to political compulsions. Mir said, Congress Party does not believe in emotive sloganeering; instead we focus on realistic issues that affect day-to-day lives of the common people. People have suffered for long now. It’s time to give peace and progress a chance. Mir criticised BJP dispensation in causing unrest among the educated unemployed youth, farmers, small businessmen and workers and Government failure in providing necessities of life to the people. He pleaded that the good governance is of imperative necessity to serve the people in democratic setup which J&K Government is missing. The BJP has hurt the emotions of common people, mainstream politicians. It will have serious implications, which unfortunately, the BJP government doesn’t understand.
Mir maintained that that the bureaucracy has failed the good governance in J&K. He said people of J&K want restoration of statehood, protection to land and jobs and development. As far as development is concerned, he expressed his concern that the developmental activities were going on at a snail pace.“In absence of an elected Govt, the public issues remain unheard. The administration has miserably failed to perform on the ground and the failure of bureaucracy in the delivery system has crumbled the entire system of good governance,” he added and said that Congress is committed to represent the people of J&K without any bias. We are duty bound to serve people selflessly, he said .He said that the Party will continue highlighting the issues of public concern for their redressal and in this regard, the leaders and workers have been working on the ground to help the needy and poor people. Mir further said that because of the failure of the BJP Government people are suffering badly. He further said that the daily wagers who are working in various departments of J&K Government and have completed the required service period, but are still waiting for their regularization and wages which are pending for such a long time. The Government time and again is ignoring the genuine demands. JKPCC Chief also cautioned the people about the political gimmicks of BJP, saying that only Congress Party can unite and safeguard the interests of people of J&K . Hitting out at BJP for exploiting people for the sake of votes and forgetting all tall promises after coming into power, now they are again trying to mislead people by raking up sensitive issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir.
He also demanded special employment package for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir as the corona pandemic has rendered millions jobless and many families are at the verge of starvation. He said that it is the duty of the government to address the unemployment issue immediately.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla said Govt is only killing and buying time with futile programmes and accused BJP for weakening grass roots democracy after its failure to fulfill the promises made to the general masses. While commenting on the developmental scenario, he said that despite protests even under Covid-19 pandemic, administration has failed to improve delivery system and forcing people of J&K to face many hardships. Former Minister and senior Congress leader, Raman Bhalla on Sunday said the spiraling prices of essential commodities has badly affected the middle classes and the poor families, which refuse to stabilize despite concern shown and promises made by the government.
While alleging BJP for hypocrisy over the inflation, Bhalla said that when the party was in opposition, its front line leaders wasted no time to lodge series of protests at every nook and corner of the country against the price rise of essential commodities but now when the party came in power for the last 6 years, the inflation rate had peaked all time high and broken all records with none of its leaders uttering a word over the soaring prices. Seeking urgent measures to ensure no more job loss because of the pandemic situation, said that unemployment and inflation, which are all time high in India, have pushed people to the verge of starvation where poor are attempting suicides.
Former Minister lamented that unemployment and inflation in Jammu and Kashmir were all time high, financial health of the people was not good while the present pandemic has snatched away the source of livelihood from billions.“Thousands of youth have gone jobless and their families are at the verge of starvation,” he said and demanded emergency measures to ensure no more job loss in all the sectors. He also urged upon the administration to streamline the salaries of all daily rated workers as they had not been paid for months and sometimes years together. The former Minister also demanded recruitment notification for vacancies of all the departments which are lying vacant since long to absorb educated youth that will also help in lowering down unemployment.
Former Legislator, Adv Ashok Sharma while addressing the gathering Sharma added that the condition of Siot-Kalakote road is getting worst day by day enabling the locals suffer a lot, poor quality of drinking water is supplied to whole of the Kalakote Assembly segment and still there are hundreds of houses which are deprived of water facility. The power supply position is also grim. He alleged that Kalakote has been ignored by BJP Government in terms of development. The time has come for over throwing the current, corrupt and dictatorial regime, he exhorted the youth.He appealed the youth to put a united fight for their rights and development of Kalakote. Besides striving for an inclusive growth of Kalakote, the youth also must fight against the fundamentalist and communal forces, he said and added that the time has come to change the political course of Kalakote constituency. Sharma appealed the people to rise to the occasion to defeat those as they have always exploited common masses for the sake of electoral gains and to grab power.
JKPCC Chief Spokesman Ravinder Sharma said that so far BJP has only befooled people with false promises. Being the ruling party at the Centre and having secured heavy mandate in the elections from Jammu region, he blamed BJP for its total failure to address the genuine problems and concerns of the people. He said the Central Government and UT administration took several decisions against the wishes and aspirations of the general people, taking advantage of the situation, forcing people to protest. Accusing the BJP of disregarding the aspirations of the people of J&K and ignoring the burning issues of masses in J&K, he said that BJP had given wide publicity to public issues during 2019 elections with high hopes generated amongst various sections of society which eventually ended in smoke. He said instead of discussing failure in providing jobs, depriving the youth and businessmen of better services, snatching land rights and statehood, BJP only thumping its chest over imaginary development in J&K.
DDC Vice Chairman Shabir Khan urged upon the administration of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to pay urgent attention as the public is suffering badly. He said that the BJP’s claim of providing ‘pro-people’ governance stand exposed as Central Government has failed miserably to address the issues affecting the general public. He castigated the BJP government, saying that the common man is going through the worst sufferings under the current dispensation, which has sold its soul to few businessmen, ignoring the agonies of the countrymen. He said that the country is presently going through a state of crisis .The BJP claims that theirs is a government of the people, for the people. I ask them to explain how it could be a public friendly government when the common man is suffering from these issues for so long now,” he asked.
DDC Members Shah Rasheed, Quoom Mir advised the BJP to stop rhetoric and focus on development and employment in marginalized Jammu and Kashmir. They claimed that Union Govt has failed to reach out to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, initiate meaningful and genuine democratic process in order to fill the political vacuum caused due to their wrong policies and programmes. They said Congress has made immense contribution towards nation building and sustaining peace, amity, harmony, democracy, progress and development of Jammu and Kashmir during most testing times. Not listening to political leadership and aggrieved people is the biggest setback to democratic polity apart from undermining their contribution who stood tall in most turbulent situations, they added.
