JK News Today
Srinagar
While chastising Central government for doing what it did to the Indian Constitution on August 5, 2019 – the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35 A -, All Parties Hurriyat Conference on Thursday suggested creation of platforms to address Kashmir crisis and it be “ allowed to participate in them”
The policy statement read: “ APHC is cognizant hat although we cannot match the muscle of status quo powers, our political education in the last thirty years has been significant and we appreciate all platforms that give us a voice .These platforms must be created and we should be allowed to participate in them – not only to allow our voice as peoples representatives be heard, but because it is just . It is time that the conflict over the state of J&K is resolved so that not just Kashmir, but all of South Asia can look forward to living up to its collective potential.”
It further said : “ Going forward, APHC is convinced that the Government of India must accept the need to address the Kashmir dispute, engage with those who truly represent the political will and aspirations of its peoples, and defuse the building geopolitical pressures in the region along its northern and western borders. APHC urges the government of India to resume engagement with the Government of Pakistan.”
The policy statement was issued on Thursday-coinciding with the second anniversary of August 5 decisions , which dismantled the special status and statehood of J&K two years ago .
It underscored its pitch for engagement “ APHC has had a long-standing policy of engagement in meaningful dialogue among all the stakeholders ,that sees the situation on the ground for what it is, and encourages dialogue rather than armed confrontation. The latter benefits no one and harms everyone. Nor is intransigence and denial a helpful stance. All political prisoners ,including APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq , hundreds of youth and all others arrested arbitrarily or under draconian laws should be released by the government .”
The statement read “ On the completion of two years of abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A of India’s own constitution, and break up of J&K into two union territories , in an attempt to erase its status as a disputed territory, All Parties’ Hurriyat Conference (APHC) reiterates it’s strong resentment and opposition to these unilateral and arbitrary actions.”
It further said that the “ APHC on this occasion would also like to draw attention of the citizens of India and the world at large, that the present Indian Government’s actions of August 5,2019 has only complicated the dispute further ,over the state of J&K. This is illustrated by the fact that it ignited the flames along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) even as some measure of calm has been introduced along the Line of Control. It is worth pointing out that whereas before August2019 New Delhi would argue that Kashmir was the main trouble spot in the state, today it is faced with four trouble spots of Leh, Kargil and Jammu as there is disaffection in these regions too “
It also alleged that “ the Government continues to assault the people of the state by continuing to incarcerate political prisoners and youth, intimidate people by arrests and bringing in arbitrary and anti-people laws, media gags ,arbitrary dismissal of locals from government service, gagging all voices of dissent and continued misrepresentation of the actual conditions in the(former) state.”
