Says NC, PDP lost relevance forever, PSA against leaders ‘unfortunate’
Owais Gul
Srinagar, Feb 24 : A day after resigning from Congress party, the former minister and Bandipora legislator, Usman Majid on Monday criticized the role played by the Congress since last 70 years, adding that it is the party which played key role in trashing Article 370 through “underhand means.” He also said that the continuous internet suspension in Jammu and Kashmir is stopping journalists to raise the genuine voices of people.
In an exclusive chat with wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Majid said that the regional political parties in Jammu and Kashmir including National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have lost relevance forever in the Union Territory, saying that it is because of their misdeeds that Kashmiris are sufferings by one way or another.
He added that the politics of these two parties was only around Article 370 as they were pitching for self rule and autonomy, which is not possible now, therefore the issues they were selling before the people no more exists, saying that these parties have lost the relevance forever.
Majid also castigated the Congress party he was earlier affiliated with from almost a decade said that although this party has been claiming that the bridge (Article 370) between Jammu and Kashmir and Union of India was given by them, but on ground it was the party which eroded it several times in the past.
“The party (Congress) played key role through underhand means in trashing the special status of Jammu and Kashmir (Article 370),” he said, adding that the party is not even making clear stance whether they will restore the special status to Jammu and Kashmir once elected to power again. He also told–KNO that this party (Congress) is not different from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as they are on equal page in every aspect.
“These political parties have landed Jammu and Kashmir into the present mess. These political parties were running the erstwhile State on fake promises and were doing politics of exploitation,” he said, adding these political parties can’t go before the people with different agendas.
He added that the people in Jammu and Kashmir behave well after the abrogation of Article 370, saying that several politicians were put behind bars and PSA was also slapped against some among them, but no one besides their family members came on roads against their detention, which indicated the sense that prevail among the people.
“The situation for these parties could have been different in case they would have spoken truth to the people. Decades ago in 1975, Sheikh Abdullah who is the founder of National Conference (NC) should have told the people that Kashmir can’t be separated from India and Pakistan can’t take us. In case he would have told the truth to the people then situation in 90’s could have been prevented,” he added.
Terming the PSA against the former chief ministers and other leaders including the IAS officer-turned-politician as ‘unfortunate’, saying that different voices is the flowering of democracy and these leaders should be released.
He further added that these leaders as mentioned in the PSA dossiers are not really ‘threat to peace’, but it is a known fact that these leaders have exploited the party.
Asked by the formation of new political party, he said that there is a need to come up as an alternative in Jammu and Kashmir as the people are disconnected with the administration. “After August last year, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is different. People have suffered. Therefore, to come out from the current mess, it was a dire need to come up with an alternative to end the present situation once for all,” he said, adding that like-minded people should join hands to play a crucial role at this juncture.
The people who are coming up with new political podium will only talk of development, restoration of Statehood to J&K, domicile law and others, he said.
“Politics is voluntarily job and those who are calling the new upcoming party as old wine in bottles should not think like this as the leaders have joined hands to help the people, which they (leaders) couldn’t do in the parties they were affiliated with,” he told–KNO.
“After the abrogation of Article 370, BJP claimed that J&K will see new dawn of development. But, nothing is visible on the ground from past eight months,” he said, adding that sending Union Ministers to Jammu and Kashmir won’t yield any result until the government of India look seriously over it and implement the claims on the ground.
“In the beginning, I was thinking that the internet suspension is good to maintain law and order. But, the people behoove good and following which the services should have been restored. The internet suspension has left people suffer as the services are most pivotal in the present era,” he said.
He further stated that particularly journalism community, the proper voice of people is not coming out due to internet suspension. It is the responsibility of every journalist to raise the issues so that administration can take not of it, but the voices are not clearly coming out. Therefore, these services should be restored and GoI should look into the matter,” he added—(KNO)
