Srinagar, September 19 (Scoop News) – Peoples Democratic Party has said the state government was trying to sabotage the upcoming visit of the All Party Delegation arriving in the state on Monday.
Condemning this attitude of the government at a press meet here today the PDP Party president Mehbooba Mufti said in its bid to prevent real situation prevailing here from reaching the high level delegation the discredited dispensation was using desperate and draconian methods against the common man. She said the government has put draconian measures in place with a view to block the access of people to the visiting leaders.
Objecting to the imposition of curfew on a day when there was no strike call and after Saturday’s brief relaxation in the city had passed off without any incident Mehbooba said this was part of the government strategy to further stifle the voice of a people reeling under most atrocious excesses.
She said instead of facilitating the access of common man who is the victim of government atrocities, members of civil society, human rights organizations and the information activists to the delegation it has curtailed the movement of every single soul in Kashmir. The enforcement of the reportedly 72 hour curfew through inhuman methods of beating, abusing and smashing people in their houses is nothing but an attempt to keep the political leaders of the country in the dark about happenings here.
Mehbooba said instead of allowing genuine people, professionals and stake holders to meet the delegation the government was reportedly trying to stage manage fake interactions. She said Ikhwanis, and those living in security camps are being sponsored as proxies of the government to provide an unreal and one sided picture to the delegation. Such methods would render the very purpose of the visit meaningless, she said.
The PDP president said it was her party that had suggested many months back the visit of such a group that could inform the public opinion in the country about the gravity of situation here. But going by the intentions of the government it wants the delegation to have only doctored versions about the situation. That would be a futile exercise and the PDP would have to rethink its decision if the government continues with its barbaric and sinister designs to abort the purpose of the visit.
Mehbooba said the Delegation must try to reach out to leaders of the parties who represent the voice of dissent. Even a unilateral attempt on this front could prove worth while.
The Delegation must try to find out the actual condition of the common people who are reeling under draconian measures. The 100 plus civilian deaths in 100 days are only one indicator of the mayhem caused by the government. The delegation should try to gauge and assess the actual impact on life here which is completely out of gear for more than three months.
Mehbooba said there is an officially enforced virtual economic blockade in place. The farmers are prevented in many areas from harvesting paddy crop. Even their tools are being seized. Fruit picking and transportation is being stalled from all major fruit producing areas like Sopore, Baramulla and Shopian. Supplies of essential commodities are stopped by force. Medical facilities have been shut down even for emergencies.
16 lakh mobile connections in North Kashmir districts of Baramulla Bandipore and Kupwara continue to be disabled for over two months apart from suspended SMS service in entire state. Similarly news blackout continues unabated. All the newspapers and local channels have been closed for over a week now and people are being pushed to an extreme position.
Welcoming the withdrawal of call by Hurriyat (G) about demonstrations outside military establishments, Mehbooba expressed hope it helps in avoiding a confrontation with Armed Forces. It is hoped the government also appreciates this move and lifts the latest siege in entire rural Kashmir carried out on the pretext of preventing trouble she said.
Mehbooba said the present government was like a dead body kept on a ventilator. But as a parting kick it is trying to destroy the place that it was supposed to govern along with its institutions and lives of the people it claims to represent. She said no elected government has ever been as repressive as the Omar Abdullah dispensation. In reply to a question whether she wanted this government to go as a way out Mehbooba said it had run out of all legitimacy and moral authority. “In any case its going or staying seems to have lost significance”, she added.