Srinagar, June 12 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir minister Sakina Itoo on Friday demanded the immediate and complete withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Jammu and Kashmir, saying the government itself has repeatedly claimed that the security situation in the union territory has improved significantly.
Her remarks came a day after union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Centre aims to remove AFSPA from almost the entire North-East by next year in view of the improved security situation in the region.
Jammu and Kashmir Health and Education Minister Itoo said the same principle should be applied to Jammu and Kashmir as well, as the centre has consistently maintained that peace and normalcy have returned to Jammu and Kashmir.
“If they say that the situation has improved, now there is nothing here, now there is no stone pelting, and now nothing is happening, then AFSPA should be removed from here first,” she told reporters when asked about the home minister’s statement on AFSPA.
The AFSPA grants special powers to the armed forces operating in areas declared as “disturbed” and continues to remain in force in Jammu and Kashmir.
On the restoration of statehood, Itoo said the demand was not new, asserting that it was a commitment already made by the centre.
She asserted the ruling party has been consistently pursuing the demand for the past nearly two years.
“For the last 18 months, we have repeatedly raised the issue of statehood before the Government of India. The resolution was passed in the Cabinet and also forwarded to Delhi through the lieutenant governor, but nothing has moved forward so far,” she said.
I too said the National Conference leadership, on the direction of the chief minister, is preparing to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to press for the restoration of statehood.
“We are going to Jantar Mantar to register our peaceful protest so that our right — the statehood which already existed — is restored. We are not asking for anything new,” she said.
Referring to the Centre’s earlier commitments, Itoo said the sequence of “delimitation, elections and then statehood” had already been outlined.
Expressing hope over the restoration of statehood, she said, “We hope that, God willing, the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir will be returned.”
Meanwhile, Itoo also expressed concern over the impact of census-related duties on the education sector, saying the deployment of teachers for the exercise has adversely affected the functioning of schools and students’ education.
“We are suffering a lot. We already have many difficulties and there is a shortage of teachers because no new recruitment has taken place after 2019,” she said.
The minister said schools were being left understaffed as teachers had been deputed for census duties during the ongoing academic session.
“Our mid-session is going on, examinations are ahead and children’s education is suffering,” she said, adding that the government has repeatedly taken up the matter with the concerned authorities.
“We have written many times and will again request them to explore some alternative arrangement so that children’s education does not suffer,” Itoo said.
However, she acknowledged the challenges faced by authorities in assigning staff for census work, saying, “They are also helpless because someone has to be assigned the duty, but teachers hold an important responsibility and students’ education suffers.”
