Secular Democrats and intelligentsia need to play role in assuaging precarious Kashmir situation: Tarigami

Pulwama/May,12:: Senior legislator and CPI(M) leader Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami Saturday said that there seems to be no genuine effort on part of the present Indian establishment to address the basic and concrete issues, the secular democrats, intelligentsia; broadminded thinkers and peace lovers, need to come out of slumber and raise their voice against the state negligence and negative complacency vis-à-vis Kashmir.
Tarigami said that: “we welcome the efforts by some political and civil society groups, as also by some individual intellectuals to identify the main causes of the present turmoil and to suggest ways and means to address the underlying issues, including various types of grievances expressed by the people. It is hoped  that such efforts will continue consistently and seriously  across the country and will help in delineating a realistic way forward in the resolution of the Kashmir tangle without further dilly dallying. Such efforts are imperative in the backdrop of the sufferings and miseries being faced by the common Kashmiri and heavy impediments in the path of the overall development of J&K state. This will also help in lessening the ever increasing huge isolation and alienation of the masses. We need to kindle a ray of hope in the dark night of hopelessness, which has presently engulfed the psyche of Kashmiri masses.”
“We cannot but reiterate our party’s conviction that Kashmir is essentially a political issue and needs to be dealt with politically. Taking a narrow view of the situation and resorting to unbridled use of force, including crackdowns, search operations, pellet firing and tear gas shelling will not help in the restoration of normalcy. It may, on the other hand prove quite counterproductive. If Kashmir continues to bleed, it is bound to dent the image of the whole country”, Tarigami affirmed.