Srinagar: Terming pro-India parties like National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party and Peoples Conference as “opportunists”, Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday asked reveal state of safeguards like Article 370 and Article 35A today?
Addressing the Friday congregation at the Jama Masjid, Mirwaiz while commenting on the recent development with regard to pro-India regional parties NC, PDP and PC said that the extreme opportunism displayed by them was “appalling to say the least even at such a time when the whole nation is reeling under worst form of repression and killings and is under assault from all sides by the powers in control.”
“For these parties it has always only been about self serving government formation and rule. Sadly hunger for chair seems to be their only driving force. It made them betray the trust people had placed in them in 1947 when they deceitfully joined hands with India ignoring the wishes and universal principle of people’s will in deciding a nations fate,” he said, adding. “And since then they have not hesitated to collaborate with New Delhi in Inflicting pain and suffering on people as a consequence of our struggle for the realisation of our political will and aspirations.”
Mirwaiz said that these people often justify their actions by saying that they accepted conditional accession to India with safeguards such as Article 370 and 35A in place.
“We ask them what is state of these safeguards today? Have they even been able to defend these before the onslaught of New Delhi. It is the people who keep hitting the streets and paying with their life for safeguarding it,” he said, adding, “What leverage do these parties have before New Delhi to hold New Delhi accountable to the constitutional safeguards for J&K that these parties claim they had negotiated with GoI. None. Because New Delhi finds new opportunists among them, pits one against the other exploiting the weakness of each for chair, while these people keep compromising and yielding ground to New Delhi for the sake chair till things have come to such a pass where our very identity as a people is under great threat.”
Mirwaiz said if one looks back over the past 70 years since 1947 there has been a pattern and policy of New Delhi to rule Kashmir by “proxy through their selected ones first it was late sheikh abdullah removed by late Bakshi then late Sadiq then late Mir Qasim then followed Late Gulam Mohd Shah till When the plug was pulled on Mehbooba Mufti and the recent drama thereof. This is the trajectory of a colonial setup not any democratic process.”
Mirwaiz said “what was more is telling is that despite these pro-India parties constantly pleasing and swearing by New Delhi even at the cost of betraying the aspirations and sacrifices of their own people, they have not been able to even earn New Delhi’s trust , which after 70 years of their loyalty and servitude has branded them as anti national Pakistan agents and terror supporters.!”
“I Wonder if the realisation of the daily struggle and sacrifices of their own people -whom these parties claim to represent, for deciding their destiny will ever hit them and they give up p the politics of sheer opportunism and self interest and have the courage to join in.”
Mirwaiz also paid rich tribute to the six armed youth including Unais, Noor-ul-Haq, Hamza, Luqman and Hurairah killed in Bijbehara early morning. “It is extremely sad that we lose our young men each day. Everyone wants a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute but our youth take to arms out of despair and anger against the extreme repression and injustice people face.”
