New Delhi: Leader of Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to make any statement on the ongoing Kashmir unrest in the Parliament on Wednesday.
"Prime Minister Modi tweets on events across the world, but he was silent on Kashmir crisis. When something happens in Africa, the Prime Minister tweets about it. But when the Taj of India is burning, the heat is not reaching the central government," Azad said.
“We did not hear Prime Minister's statement on Dalit issues here in the Parliament. We got to hear about his views from Telangana. We have been repetitively demanding that the PM should come and make statements on such issues,” Azad added.
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He also attacked Modi for quoting former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Madhya Pradesh, when he touched upon the topic of Kashmir. "Vajpayee's words do not suit Prime Minister Modi," said Azad on Modi's assertion that his government believes in Vajpayee’s mantra of ‘Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat’.
The Congress leader said that an All Party Delegation needs to be formed to be sent to J&K and that it should be announced in the Parliament. "Everyone in Kashmir is a victim of militancy. Many of us have lost their near and dear ones due to this militancy in Kashmir. There is a difference between communalism and separatism," Azad added.
Azad said that law and order is not the sole responsibility of Kashmir police but that paramilitary forces are also involved in the matter. "You call J&K an integral part of India, but there needs to be integration of the heart. Between people of India & J&K," Azad said.
Referring to Modi's comment that all Indians love Kashmir, the Congress leader said, "One should not love Kashmir for its beauty and nature alone. One should love people out there as well."
"Love the people who live there. Love the children who lost their vision due to pellet injuries...," he said while insisting on a political solution.
Talking about the 33-day-old unrest, Azad said things are not flowing from democracy but through the barrel of "guns, pellet guns". He said there has been curfew for the last 33 days and thousands of people including civilians and security forces have been injured in the violence.
The problem in Kashmir is not a "normal law and order issue" like in any other state, Azad said, while underlining that the Centre should come forward to help the state as it is dependent on New Delhi for everything, including security, development and even salaries.
While talking about the continuing problem of Kashmir, he said a lot needs to be done to strengthen the relationship between the Centre and the state.
He wondered what happened to reports of various committees, including one headed by late Justice Shabir Ahmed, which made several recommendations for strengthening the integration. "The report was submitted in 2009-10. Still nothing has been done," he said.
Earlier, Azad associated himself with the views of BSP leader Satish Mishra on Dalit issue and took a jibe on the Prime Minister for making statement on the issue from Telangana and not in Parliament.
Modi on Tuesday had reached out to the people of Kashmir and indicated his willingness to hold dialogue under the framework of the 'Insaniyat (humanity), Jamhuriyat (democracy) and Kashmiriyat'.
He said that when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister, he had adopted the path of 'Insaniyat, Jamhuriyat and Kashmiriyat' and the present government walks the same road. Azad said several confidence building measures were taken during both UPA-I and UPA-II headed by Manmohan Singh.
Highlighting steps taken then, the Congress said three round table conferences were held between February 2006 and April 2007 in which all shades of political opinion, except separatist Hurriyat Conference, participated. At that time, Azad was the Chief Minister of the state.
He recalled that five sub-groups were set up and several of their recommendations have been implemented. The Congress leader talked about schemes like 'Umeed' and 'Udaan' implemented by the previous government for various sections, including women in the state. He also highlighted steps taken to initiate border trade and laying of railway lines in the Valley.
He mentioned steps taken for creating jobs for Kashmiri Pandits by previous government. He said 5,042 flats were constructed for them. There is 100 per cent occupancy of the flats, he added.
Noting that the state has been witnessing militancy since 1987, Azad said since then paramilitary forces along with state police have been maintaining law and order. In other states, he said only police is responsible for maintenance of law and order. "Militants have no religion," he said.
The Leader of Opposition said that unlike any other member, Modi comes to his Parliament office at 10 am and stays till 6 pm but "we never saw the Prime Minister in the House".
He recalled that earlier Prime Ministers including Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee often to used to come to House whenever there were important debates. "The Prime Minister sits so near to the House (Rajya Sabha)...there were many important debates, including on dalit issue...We are discussing the Kashmir issue for the fourth time, the Prime Minister should come in the House," Azad said.
A Navaneetha Krishnan (AIADMK) said even though he comes from Tamil Nadu, he believes that he belongs to Kashmir and Kashmir belongs to him. He referred to movies, featuring Kashmir, in which his party leaders had acted.
Derek O Brien (TMC) began by stressing that Pakistan should not "meddle" in India's affairs. Comparing India and Pakistan, he said while O'Briens living in India enjoy freedom, the arm of the family which had chosen Pakistan at the time of partition have vanished.
O'Brien referred to Prime Minister's remarks that young persons should have books, laptops and bats and not stones and said if the right steps are not taken, they may throw those things as well. "It is one thing to be in opposition and play 'Rambo' and another to be in government with peace and serenity that governance requires," he said.
He emphasised on focussing not just on Kashmir but on the people of Kashmir. Speaking about the use of pellet guns, O'Brien said that government has given figures as per which 6 people had died in 2010 and 3 in 2016 because of their use. "We need to go beyond statistics," he said, adding talking about lesser figures is like saying we have committed a smaller sin.
He said the committee on pellet guns has been given two months' time, when it should have been given only two days. The TMC MP also said that with greater internet penetration, the situation is changing as opinion is being shaped on the web. Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Wani, whose killing triggered the unrest, could be more dangerous on the internet than he was on the street, he said.
He said the government has repeatedly blocked internet in the valley and it was so even when Home Minister tweeted his appeal. He, however, emphasised that government cannot get young people on its side by blocking the internet.
JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said different states in the past have faced turmoil but the country has successfully dealt with these challenges. He said a resolution should be passed to let the people of J&K know that the entire country is with them in difficult times. He also spoke against the use of pellet guns. "They are our own people and we should bring them back," he said. Yadav also expressed concern about the impact of curfew on the life of daily wage earners.
CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury said: "I rise with a degree of agony, anxiety and anger on what is happening in the Kashmir valley. Why this agony and pain continues unrelenting?"
Contending that there is trust deficit among the people due to a "string of betrayals", he said, "There is a need to address the trust deficit in the valley. Why are the people alienated? We have to address this question."
Yechury said there is a need to start political dialogue and send an all-party delegation to the valley to assure the people that the country is with them. "What is preventing this government from initiating a political dialogue," he questioned while stressing on stopping the use of pellet guns.
Dilip Tirkey (BJD) too stressed on starting a political dialogue as well as sending an all party delegation to the valley. He said there is a need for a "healing touch" and the need of the hour is "dialogue" and not "force".
Munquad Ali (BSP) stressed on providing medicines, food and essential items to the people suffering due to curfew for 33 days.
D P Tripathi (NCP) questioned the delay by the government in holding an all-party meeting on Kashmir and on sending an all-party delegation to the valley.
Quoting a couplet from a poem by famous Bengali writer Nabarun Bhattacharya to describe the Kashmir situation, he said: "This valley of death is not my country, this platform to eulogise hang-mens is not my country, this sprawling cemetery is not my country, this butcher house bathed in blood is not my country. This is the situation in Kashmir."
He said the treatment meted out to Kashmiri students studying in various parts of the country needs to be probed. He called for the government to consider the recommendations made by the Working Group, which was set up during the time of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Nominated member Swapan Dasgupta said the protests and ensuing violence has a "degree of premeditation on part of several people".
Calling to address the issue of "emotional schism" in Kashmir, Dasgupta said what form of political approach should be taken and when is the "pertinent" question. It is important to also note that "false propaganda" is being fuelled from across the border, he said.
