Srinagar/Aug,13 : Member of Parliament from South Kashmir and senior National Conference leader, Hasnain Masoodi has warned people against the attempt planned to divert attention from core challenges of far reaching consequence confronted in wake of abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and downgrading it to a Union Territory in blatant violation of the Constitution and disregard of the binding commitments made.
In a statement issued here on Thursday Masoodi said twin strategies followed to divert attention from abrogation of special status, Reorganization Act and steps like delimitation, domicile law etc taken under the Act, though facing a serious challenge before the Apex Court, are to magnify day to day problems and give the routine decisions colour of achievements and use the response as indicator of public approval of 5th August 2019 decisions and secondly to sow the seeds of despair and disillusionment.
The recent developments on the political horizon of Jammu and Kashmir, the statement said , are part of the second limb of the strategy, adding that ” What is unfolding appears to have been scripted a year back. Masoodi said while everyone is free to take decisions about his life including change in his profession and nobody can have a say or take an exception, but same may not be true when someone quits his position to protest what he calls against “unabated killings in Kashmir”, “ lack of sincere out reach” “ insidious attacks on the special identity” and “ culture of intolerance and hate in the name of hyper nationalism” vows to get justice to the oppressed and promises “change in the wind” and thereafter quits not silently, but to justify his decision, negates and contradicts everything he claimed to stand for, and in the process willfully causes colossal harm and pain to the present generation and generations to come. The stand taken, it is stated, makes the reasons spelt out open to debate. The statement adds that the complaint of being painted anti national doesn’t carry weight as senior political leaders including three former Chief Minister were in the grounds of detention and otherwise painted anti national but nobody quit as they are convinced that their struggle is to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution, no matter how it is painted. It is emphasised that It is the pain for the oppressed and belief in the reasonableness of the cause that makes one stand for people and not the expectation of tears to be shed and slogans to be raised for him. In a land of widespread allegations of unmarked graves, enforced disappearances, hundreds including juveniles detained thousands of miles away from their homes, someone who decides to espouse their cause doesn’t count the tears shed and slogans raised for him, the statement adds . The grievance of no tears, it is stated, makes us recall resignation in protest over 5th August 2019 decisions, of Kanan Gopinathan 2012 batch IAS Officer. He has no regrets and doesn’t complain that no tears were shed for him. It is stated that while legal battle commenced against 5th August 2019 decision is on, a verdict of “national consensus” is regretfully handed down by the someone who commenced it, least realising that Constitution being fundamental law “ national consensus” is subject to the spirit and mandate of the Constitution and not vice-versa. The reasons articulated in support of the decision therefore are fraught with adverse impact on the legal challenge to 5th August 2019 decisions and the spirit of Gupkar Declaration..
In any case, it is stated, just a year back these very people who are now accused of not shedding a tear responded to a fund raising call for the party launched and deposited lakhs within a jiffy and as claimed women donated their much loved and precious jewellery. It is stated that there are no watertight compartments in politics and between the ““stooge” and “separatist” there are hundred shades of a “renegade”; one cannot come to politics of struggle on “deputation” and pack nailing the oppressed for not standing or shedding tears for him.
The statement adds that proposed legal framework to provide for land rights, like domicile law would be meaningless in absence of Constitutional backing as is evident from the challenge thrown to Domicile Order and Procedure and that restoration of 4th August 2019 position is the only way forward. It is stated that if GoI can work out an agreement with Bodo people in April 2020 and give assurances of autonomy including land rights and ILP to the seven North Eastern States there is no reason not to restore special status of Jammu and Kashmir guaranteed in the Constitution and unconstitutionally taken away. The massive disapproval of 5th August 2019 decisions across all the regions, it is stated, leaves rescinding the decisions the only options.
