“What else do we need to do to prove our allegiance to India? Do we have to die to prove it?” Emotional Sajjad Lone asked the PM Narendra Modi According to sources present there, in the all-party meeting on Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. The People’s Conference leader recalled the days spent in detention and shared with the PM that it was only the Haryana Police Inspector’s personal conduct that stopped him from becoming bitter against the entire Indian nation. According to sources, Lone told the prime minister, “He used to bring me food, accompany me in my solitude.”
Lone was detained under the Public Safety Act in August 2019 after the Center abrogated Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and reorganized the state into two union territories. A year later he was released.
Many others at the meeting shared similar stories of detention, and loss of hope. In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly told the leaders that despite such recent experiences they had gathered for talks, it tells a lot about democracy. According to sources, the PM said, “This is the beauty of democracy that we are all talking about here.”
The detention of political prisoners was a recurring topic of conversation during the three-and-a-half hour meeting. Almost all the leaders of the Valley talked about the need to release the political prisoners and bring back the jailed prisoners outside J&K. Home Minister Amit Shah, in response, presented data which said that out of 16,700 detainees, only 41 remained in custody. According to sources, he announced the formation of a committee, headed by Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, to look into the release of those detained under the PSA and those jailed outside Jammu and Kashmir. “Their cases will be reviewed as per the allegations against them. Some have been accused of conspiracy, others of harboring or perpetrating acts of terrorism. How to bring them back to the jails of Jammu and Kashmir will be considered.”
Pakistan
Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti mentioned Pakistan, but according to sources present at the meeting, she did not reiterate her demand for talks with the neighboring country, which she mentioned while addressing the media in Srinagar on Tuesday. “His statement at the all-party meeting seemed like a justification for his media statement. He said whenever India spoke to Pakistan, it helped Kashmir. He cited the example of ceasefire when India and Pakistan If the ceasefire has been agreed, the lives of Kashmiri people have been saved. When infiltration was reduced, Kashmiris benefited.” The former Chief Minister told the PM that the dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir should be restored. “People are very upset, if they breathe, they put it inside.” very upset, they get jailed even if they breathe),” he told the prime minister, drawing his attention to the detentions and arrests in the Valley.
Sources said that National Conference president Farooq Abdullah also referred to Pakistan when he said the country was opposed to the Abdullah family.
The senior Abdullah was first invited as speaker by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who was conducting the meeting, but the former CM said he wanted to hear others first.
demarcation
While the central government’s assessment is that the delimitation, or redrawing of constituency boundaries, in J&K is a major benefit from the meeting, it appears to have led to some re-evaluation of the strategy by the Gupkar alliance—the withdrawal of mainstream parties from Jammu and Kashmir. A group like PDP and NC. Three National Conference MPs, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mohammad Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi, are associate members of the Delimitation Commission set up last year. However, at the all-party meeting, the Prime Minister said all those who have been invited would play a role in the exercise. This opens up the possibility of comprehensive consultation.
However, CPI(M) MLA from Kulgam Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami told News18 that the logic of making the election conditional for delimitation was questioned in the meeting. “Assam was also to be delimited but you postponed it. Then why should elections in Jammu and Kashmir be made on the condition of delimitation? Why can’t we keep it with the rest of the country?” he asked. Delimitation is to be done in other states in 2026.
Tarigami said the Center should hold elections but the Gupkar alliance’s participation in the delimitation process should not be seen as a “yes/no answer” on which the election would depend.
read all Breaking Newshandjob today’s fresh news and coronavirus news Here
.