SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Chief Spokesperson, Tanvir Sadiq, expressed on Friday that the political vacuum caused by GoI’s unilateral and undemocratic action on August 5, 2019 continues to torment Jammu & Kashmir.
He expressed concern about the central rule in the region for the past five years, stating that instead of bringing the promised development and peace, the actions have disrupted almost every aspect of life.
“Employability of youth, development, accountability, and democracy have become prime casualties of the unilateral and undemocratic measures. The actions, as already forewarned by us, have begun yielding diminishing returns. Projected as a move that would bring development and peace to Kashmir, the actions have pushed the region into a quagmire of hopelessness. The new media policy, out-sourcing of jobs and contracts to locals, soaring inflation, curtailment of ration, drastic hike in the tariff of utility services, and new dismissal rules of employees have resulted in real curbs on the most basic democratic rights such as freedom of expression,” Tanvir said.
Denial of popular, representative government for too long has its inherent negative implications on every sphere of life across J&K, Tanvir said, adding, “The administrative setup in place in J&K lacks legitimate representative character. Bureaucratic rule cannot be a substitute for a representative government.”
Every conceivable factor involved in election arithmetic is being taken care of, from redrawing the boundaries of constituencies to lopsided awards by the delimitation commission, he added.
The situation with regards to democracy in J&K stands incoherent with the country’s Constitution, and there is disquieting evidence of the backsliding of democracy everywhere in Jammu & Kashmir.
Expressing hope in the objectivity, impartiality, and sense of justice and fair play of the honorable Supreme Court that has begun hearing a petition filed by the party through its legal counsel and senior SC advocate Kapil Sibal against the August 05, 2019 actions, Tanvir said, “I am hopeful that the honorable SC will invalidate the center’s actions of August 05, 2019, and restore the constitutional rights of our people that have been decimated and abrogated.”
