Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCC&I), the premier trading body of Kashmir, has reduced itself almost to an affiliate of Jammu & Kashmir Government without seeking safeguards for the protection of industrial, tourist, horticulture and trading facilities of Kashmir. Even after the abrogation of article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state into two union territories-Jammu & Kashmir and Ladhak on August 5 last year, the KCC& I continued to hold meetings with the administrative top brass of the Jammu & Kashmir government without seeking safeguards for the rights of the local traders, industrial entrepreneurs and farming communities. The recent meetings of the KCC&I office bearers with the Baseer Ahmad Khan , the advisor to Lt Governor G C Murmu amid intensifying spread of COVID-19 show their tendencies of appeasing people occupying top positions in the G C Murmu led Jammu & Kashmir government. The conduct of a recent meeting with some retired bureaucrats, lawyers and professionals of other relevant backgrounds at a local hotel in Srinagar for a discussion on the preservation of water bodies particularly Dal Lake amid continuing COVID-19 lockdown-phase I was their yet another attempt to appease the top helmsmen of Jammu & Kashmir Government. Amid appeasing policies, the Kashmir Chamber of Industries and Commerce (KCC&I) registered as a company under the companies Act 1956, Government of India, is facing a judicial trial in district court Srinagar over the annual elections held for the election of office bearers and the conduct of annual general meetings. Though KCC&I , the premier trading body could have easily held elections after October last year when valley limped back to normalcy after three months of lockdown but it did not do so amid a legal challenge thrown by some of it’s own members before the court of 4th Additional district and sessions judge Srinagar.
The legal challenge of it’s own office bearers over the annual elections and annual general meetings is in itself an indication that the KCC&I is facing dissidence within the organization and public criticism over it’s recent lukewarm responses on encroachment of the rights of locals over the local mining facilities and other business operations in Kashmir .
Already facing contempt proceedings for violating the court directions according to which the existing bearers have been restrained from all activities including operation of bank accounts, the KCC&I members still continue to carry out the activities in violation of the court directions. The legal challenge of it’s own office bearers over the annual elections and annual general meetings is in itself an indication that the KCC&I is facing dissidence within the organization and public criticism over it’s recent lukewarm responses on encroachment of the rights of locals over the local mining facilities and other business operations in Kashmir . The time when the judgment over both the contempt proceedings and as well as future course of action on election of the office bearers is expected at the fag end of this month as the case is listed for orders in the last week of July, the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry did not dare to show solidarity with it’s former President Mubeen Ahmad Shah after the government filed an FIR against him over his remarks on micro blogging networking site facebook. The actions of the present office bearers of KCC& I in violation of court directions have brought it’s organizational and professional working into disrepute.
