‘Our agenda is Kashmir issue’: Bar President

‘Our agenda is Kashmir issue’: Bar President

Newly elected Kashmir Bar Association President, Nazir Ahmad Ronga has said that the Bar would continue to fight for the peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute and there was no question of Bar distancing itself from politics.

"I never said the Bar is distancing from the politics of Jammu Kashmir. I was misquoted," Ronga told daily etala’at.

He asserted that Bar would continue to work for the settlement of Kashmir dispute. "This figures at the top of Bar Association’s constitution."

However, Ronga emphasised that apart from fighting for the political rights of the people of the region, Bar also has the obligation for working for the betterment of the society.

"The recent upsurge in the heinous crimes in the Valley has sent shock waves all across. It is duty of every Kashmiri citizen to work for the betterment of the society. This problem needs immediate attention. There is a need for social engineering."

He said that people here were engaged in a blame game for the last 18 years and according to him nobody wants to accept his wrong doing. "We also committed some grave mistakes, which weakened our struggle. Besides, our social fabric was torn apart."

Ronga accepted the failure of Bar in the past. "Previously Bar only resorted to strikes. This shattered our already crippled economy," he said.

Ronga, warned pro-movement leaders to give up their petty interests for the common cause of resolution of Kashmir dispute.

"It is very dark phase in the history of freedom struggle and high time for all the pro-movement leaders to come together and present a united face to India, who in the garb of deliberations, is buying time and confusing the world," he said.

Ronga also denied allegations that the Bar was being run by the moderate faction of All Parties Hurriyat Conference. "Different lawyers subscribe to ideologies of different political groups but the Bar functions only according to its constitution. Almost every pro-movement leader has visited the Court premises. Mirwaiz Umar is the only exception."

Ronga, reiterated that the Bar has remained a single entity and shall remain so while every political party or organisation has split into smaller parties or groups. "Even the Association for Parents of Disappeared Persons broke into two groups. This is very sad."

The Bar president blamed the state government for the recent upsurge in the criminal activities. "Police department and its officers are engaged in the killings of innocents for getting promotions. They are not bothered about the rising criminal activities in the Valley," he alleged.

Javed Shah