JK News Today

Jammu, September 04

Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari, who has taken the restoration of statehood to J&K in a mission mode , as  part of his campaign on the issue is meeting Lieutenant Governor   Manoj Sinha in Srinagar on Sunday to impress upon him  that how the statehood is one of the biggest imperatives for peace and overall development of the  region and the people deeply hurt by the current status of Union Territory .

His idea of conveying this plea of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to LG is that Sinha, is the top most constitutional functionary in J&K , representative  of the Centre and whose voice and opinion about the  place and people matters the most with  Delhi . Sinha  who has  been in the office for more than two years now- he had assumed the office on August 7, 2020  has come across the  issues facing the people and always worked to get the redressal of the same. While Apni Party , as a  political party, represents the will of the people waiting for the restoration of statehood , it has understood the importance of  activating all the institutions to press the demand , which  is at the core of the current political and human narrative , as it manifests their urges and aspirations in emotional terms as well.

Altaf Bukhari has become face of the restoration of statehood campaign.

This  apart, the sources said , Bukhari would also raise issues of employment opportunities for the youth of J&K, whether they live in Kupwara or  Kathua, or Srinagar or samba,  Anantnag or  Jammu . That is, all across Jammu and Kashmir because unless the youth get  work ,  a vast section of J&K will remain  alienated and that is not good for the health of the place where conflict as such keeps dragging on . In realistic terms, it would be urging the LG to live up to his words and work for the youth of J&K, on whom the future rests.

There also is a possibility that Bukhari would touch upon the  political , social and economic fault lines which if persist can have unwelcome consequences . The elections  are a must . As , he would be reminding  Manoj Sinha who also is a political leader  with many firsts to his credit ,that how important and crucial are the Assembly polls in any part of the country, and more so, in Jammu and Kashmir, a sensitive border region experiencing different forms of turmoil , exported by inimical forces from across the border as also from within,  drawing their benefits from the alienation and widening the same.

Sources close to Altaf Bukhari said that though Apni Party chief believes that it is the Election Commission of India that has to take call on  holding the much-awaited polls I n J&K , but it is equally critical  to note that unless the LG administration gives a certificate of situation conducive for free and fair polls , things cannot move  at the pace the people want.

It may be recalled that Apni Party had passed a resolution to this effect on Friday.