12-28-2012, 07:20 AM
Managed peace in J&K
The year 2012 is being touted as a ââ¬Åyear of peaceââ¬Â because 12.5 lakh tourists and 6.5 lakh Amarnath yatris visited the state during this year. But the fact is that this ââ¬Åpeaceââ¬Â is managed by state oppression. Thousands of youths are in jails on frivolous charges. Every now and then undeclared curfew is clamped on various areas. On several Fridays this year, prayers were not allowed in the Jama Masjid of Srinagar. Muharram processions were also not allowed this year. Separatist leaders like Mir Waiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik and Shabbir Shah etc were frequently arrested during this year. Another separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, remains under perpetual house arrest and has not been allowed to offer Friday prayers during the last three years. In spite of the assurances of Chief Minister Umar Abdullah, AFSPA remains in force. A total of 150 persons are in jails under the draconian Public Safety Act and 840 political prisoners remain incarcerated. AIMMM calls upon the Union government to take a bold step to talk to the separatists. A remarkable gesture will be to lift AFPSA which has no relevance now in view of the official statements that only a few hundred militants remain in J&K.
Amarnath Trust
AIMMM shares the uneasiness of the Kashmiri brothers over the increasing activities and infrastructure building by J&Kââ¬â¢s Amarnath Trust. A new fait accompli is being attempted at the expense of the areaââ¬â¢s environment and peopleââ¬â¢s sentiments. The ever-growing number of pilgrims to Amarnath, from a few thousand in pre-1990 days to around six lakh this year, is disastrous to the areaââ¬â¢s fragile ecology as well as it sends a political message to the Valleyââ¬â¢s Muslim majority. The state government should stop any measures to build permanent infrastructure on the Amarnath route and should limit the visitors to what the areaââ¬â¢s ecology permits. Moreover, Kashmiri Pandits should be appointed on the Amarnath Trust and no land should allotted to it as it will lead to permanent infrastructure
The year 2012 is being touted as a ââ¬Åyear of peaceââ¬Â because 12.5 lakh tourists and 6.5 lakh Amarnath yatris visited the state during this year. But the fact is that this ââ¬Åpeaceââ¬Â is managed by state oppression. Thousands of youths are in jails on frivolous charges. Every now and then undeclared curfew is clamped on various areas. On several Fridays this year, prayers were not allowed in the Jama Masjid of Srinagar. Muharram processions were also not allowed this year. Separatist leaders like Mir Waiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik and Shabbir Shah etc were frequently arrested during this year. Another separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, remains under perpetual house arrest and has not been allowed to offer Friday prayers during the last three years. In spite of the assurances of Chief Minister Umar Abdullah, AFSPA remains in force. A total of 150 persons are in jails under the draconian Public Safety Act and 840 political prisoners remain incarcerated. AIMMM calls upon the Union government to take a bold step to talk to the separatists. A remarkable gesture will be to lift AFPSA which has no relevance now in view of the official statements that only a few hundred militants remain in J&K.
Amarnath Trust
AIMMM shares the uneasiness of the Kashmiri brothers over the increasing activities and infrastructure building by J&Kââ¬â¢s Amarnath Trust. A new fait accompli is being attempted at the expense of the areaââ¬â¢s environment and peopleââ¬â¢s sentiments. The ever-growing number of pilgrims to Amarnath, from a few thousand in pre-1990 days to around six lakh this year, is disastrous to the areaââ¬â¢s fragile ecology as well as it sends a political message to the Valleyââ¬â¢s Muslim majority. The state government should stop any measures to build permanent infrastructure on the Amarnath route and should limit the visitors to what the areaââ¬â¢s ecology permits. Moreover, Kashmiri Pandits should be appointed on the Amarnath Trust and no land should allotted to it as it will lead to permanent infrastructure