People's Democracy

JAMMU & KASHMIR

A Highly Condemnable, Undemocratic Act

THE continuous detention of Mushatq-ul-Islam under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) is highly condemnable. One has to ask the government as to under which law he has been booked again and again.  This was how Mohd Yousuf Tarigami, secretary of the CPI(M)’s Jammu & Kashmir state committee, reacted to the use of PSA against the said detenue consecutively for the 11th time since his arrest. Tarigami said authorities may be disagreeing with the prisoner’s ideology but that never means that his basic and fundamental rights can be muzzled at any cost. In the present case, fundamental rights of the detained Muslim League activist have been stifled beyond the permissible limits under law.  It is unwarranted and undemocratic, the CPI(M) leader said.

Slapping PSA against Mushatq-ul-Islam for the 11th time in a row raises the question as to on what ground he has been detained for so long. The government must come clean on the issue; otherwise it would seem that the authorities at the helm have no sufficient ground to face his proper trial in a court of law. 

Unfortunately, Tarigami said, the misuse of the PSA in Kashmir has contributed negatively by incrementing the level of alienation among the people. The youth have been the worst victims of this imperialistic law. A huge number of people, mostly youth, have been booked even for trivial reasons, which the authorities later failed to uphold in the court.

Arresting hundreds of people every year under the PSA, without bringing any charge against them or without holding any trial, is an uncalled for tendency on the part of the government which needs to effect a course correction.

Even the Amnesty International, a human rights watchdog, has described the PSA as a ‘lawless law.’ Its recent report says the number of people detained under the PSA over the past two decades range from 8,000 to 20,000, with 322 reportedly held from January to September 2010 alone.

It has been a consistent opinion of the CPI(M) that this law has been severely misused to gag the voices of opposition or dissent. Tarigami said authorities have used this law where they knew they could not try people through proper legal channels. The government should take an urgent step on the issue and release all the prisoners who have been booked under this law without any solid reason. 

RESTORE AUTONOMY

INSTEAD OF CRYING HOARSE

It is appreciable that the political leadership of the state of Jammu & Kashmir has taken strong exception to the communal BJP’s call for scrapping of the article 370. However, it is our considered opinion that serious efforts by the same leadership to facilitate the restoration of eroded autonomy to its original level would have been much more significant.

This was what the CPI(M) state secretary, Mohd Yousuf Tarigami, said through a press statement on June 28, on the BJP’s demand of abrogation of article 370 of India’s constitution.

The CPI(M) leader further said it was an admitted fact that while fascist forces have always been trying to scuttle the constitutional guarantees to Jammu & Kashmir, the successive secular regimes in the country have also been responsible for the denial of autonomy to the state and for killing the spirit of article 370. “Even the limited assurance given in the agreement of 1974, was not fulfilled.” There was a reference in the 1974 agreement between J&K and Delhi to “sympathetically considering amendments or repeal of some category of central laws extended to the state after 1953 as the state legislature decides.” Even this was not done.

Tarigami said the stoic silence maintained in this regard and the skin deep faith of political leaders regarding the justification of article 370 is reflected in their lack of conviction to work and press for the demand of restoration of autonomy more vociferously after a regime in Delhi contemptuously turned down the state legislature’s resolution on the restoration of the eroded autonomy.

The statement said, “The BJP’s communal credentials need no authenticity and there is no doubt about the fact that the party is hell-bent to destabilise the country with their fascist agenda. But a question can be asked to those who cry hoarse about article 370: have you ever made a serious attempt to mobilise the opinion in the country for restoration of the state’s autonomy to its original form, which has been eroded during the years beyond recognition and remains in form and not substance?”

It is regrettable that over the years, the provisions of this article have suffered continuous erosion. This has led to a considerable degree of dissatisfaction among the people of Jammu & Kashmir. It is abundantly clear that from 1953 onwards, and especially in the sixties, the process of erosion of the state’s autonomy began rapidly and on a massive scale. The assault on the state’s autonomy has to be and must be undone.

The CPI(M) leader said that the powers that be must understand that Kashmir is essentially a political problem which needs a political solution. They should not remain in any illusion that this problem can be solved by the use of force or by browbeating the people into submission. He expressed the hope that the important stakeholders would understand the dynamics and consequences of this unfortunate problem and explore all peaceful options to settle it. It is our firm belief that restoration of the autonomy and of the state’s special status in its original form is essential and cannot be compensated with any other alternatives.

ASHA WORKERS

HOLD CONFERENCE

On July 16, the ASHA Workers Union of Jammu & Kashmir, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) held a day long conference in Reasi, under the chairmanship of Sunita Bhagat, general secretary of the union. ASHA workers from Katra, Reasi and Pouni blocks in a big number participated in the conference.

Sham Prasad Kesar, state treasurer and senior leader of the CITU, addressed the conference. He asked the state and union governments to concede the just and genuine demands of ASHA workers. These are --- their recognition as workers instead of volunteers, implementation of the Minimum Wages Act in their favour, payment of Rs 10,000 per month, their regularisation as permanent employees, issuance of both woollen and cotton uniforms once a year, timely payment of wages, separate room for them in every hospital, six hours duty, social security benefits like EPF, gratuity and pension etc, supply of special kits, implementation of the 45th Indian Labour Conference recommendations for scheme workers like the ASHA, Anganwadi and mid-day meal workers.  

The conference constituted three block committees of ASHA workers: (1) block committee of Katra, with Reeta Devi as convener and Neelam Devi, Satya Devi, Reeta etc as members; (2) block committee of Reasi with Anita Katoch as convener and Sunita Devi, Naseem, Veena Devi etc as members; (3) block committee pf Pouni with Usha Devi as Convener and Nisha Devi, Bholi Devi, Nitu, Dilshad, Bimla Devi and Sharda Devi as members.

The conveners of these three committees appealed to the ASHA workers to strengthen their union and join the united struggle against the anti-working class policies of the government.