Remove DAA, AFSPA will go: Tarigami
JAMMU: State Secretary of CPI (M), Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami here Saturday said if the State government is sincere in repealing Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) it should clear the decks for it by removing the Disturbed Areas Act (DAA).
Speaking during the discussing on grants for the departments held by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, MLA Kulgam Tarigami said the CM had been involved in too much talking about the revocation of the controversial AFSPA at different platforms.
“You are heading the Unified Headquarters,” he said. “Who is preventing you from removing the Disturbed Areas Act from certain areas and if you remove DAA, AFSPA will cease to exist.”
Jammu and Kashmir’s DAA was valid until 1998 but after the implementation of AFSPA, J&K was declared a disturbed area by issuing a notification. If that notification is withdrawn, J&K would cease to be a disturbed area.
Tarigami called upon the government to come clear on its communication with Government of India (GoI) about the revocation of AFSPA.
“Why is the State cabinet silent on it,” he said as the chief minister was keenly listening to him.
“Ask them (GoI) to remove it, or to remove it from certain areas or at least remove the harsher clauses from the Act,” he said.
Tarigami said whenever the issue of AFSPA revocation comes up, concern is expressed about confidence of troops.
“What about restoring the confidence of people of Kashmir who are being killed,” he said.
The voice for the revocation of AFSPA is growing shriller in Kashmir with both the mainstream and separatists parties calling for scrapping it.
The Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act, 1990 was imposed in the State on July 3, 1990 and the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1990 two days later.
In 2011, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had said the law would be scrapped within the tenure of his government.
However, Army and Defense Ministry has repeatedly opposed the revocation of this law, which gives unbridled powers and immunity to troops while operating in the State.
Drawing a comparison between the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu and that of Jammu and Kashmir, Tarigami said the resolution calling for the amnesty to the assassins of Rajiv Gandhi was heeded to while the autonomy resolution passed by J&K Legislative Assembly and the stand taken on former Army chief Gen (Retd) V K Singh over his payoff allegations had been rejected straightway.
MLA Kulgam said he believed that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had not even been taken into confidence while taking the decision of hanging the parliament attack accused Afzal Guru.
He said this had “undermined” the dignity of the State legislature.
In 1996, J&K Legislative Assembly had passed the autonomy resolution with a two-third majority but it was trashed by the then Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at New Delhi.
The resolution passed by the J&K Legislative Assembly last year demanding probe by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) against the former army chief has not seen any progress.
Tarigami said though Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had confirmed the killing of five civilians in Pathribal fake encounter, the case had been closed without punishing the guilty on the pretext that it would be demoralizing for the army.
“What about demoralizing of people who are facing injustice after killing innocent civilians,” he said.
About the rehabilitation policy of the Kashmiri youth who had crossed over the Line of Control (LoC) for getting arms training but wanted to return to live peacefully now, Targami said the policy was not picking up.
“You are sincere about the policy but it is so complex that it is going nowhere,” he said.
In November 2010, the government had notified the policy for the return and rehabilitation of such youth.
Although 268 such youth have returned to Kashmir since the rehabilitation policy was announced, most of them had to take the “illegal route” of Nepal and are not covered under the policy.
Speaking during the discussing on grants for the departments held by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, MLA Kulgam Tarigami said the CM had been involved in too much talking about the revocation of the controversial AFSPA at different platforms.
“You are heading the Unified Headquarters,” he said. “Who is preventing you from removing the Disturbed Areas Act from certain areas and if you remove DAA, AFSPA will cease to exist.”
Jammu and Kashmir’s DAA was valid until 1998 but after the implementation of AFSPA, J&K was declared a disturbed area by issuing a notification. If that notification is withdrawn, J&K would cease to be a disturbed area.
Tarigami called upon the government to come clear on its communication with Government of India (GoI) about the revocation of AFSPA.
“Why is the State cabinet silent on it,” he said as the chief minister was keenly listening to him.
“Ask them (GoI) to remove it, or to remove it from certain areas or at least remove the harsher clauses from the Act,” he said.
Tarigami said whenever the issue of AFSPA revocation comes up, concern is expressed about confidence of troops.
“What about restoring the confidence of people of Kashmir who are being killed,” he said.
The voice for the revocation of AFSPA is growing shriller in Kashmir with both the mainstream and separatists parties calling for scrapping it.
The Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act, 1990 was imposed in the State on July 3, 1990 and the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1990 two days later.
In 2011, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had said the law would be scrapped within the tenure of his government.
However, Army and Defense Ministry has repeatedly opposed the revocation of this law, which gives unbridled powers and immunity to troops while operating in the State.
Drawing a comparison between the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu and that of Jammu and Kashmir, Tarigami said the resolution calling for the amnesty to the assassins of Rajiv Gandhi was heeded to while the autonomy resolution passed by J&K Legislative Assembly and the stand taken on former Army chief Gen (Retd) V K Singh over his payoff allegations had been rejected straightway.
MLA Kulgam said he believed that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had not even been taken into confidence while taking the decision of hanging the parliament attack accused Afzal Guru.
He said this had “undermined” the dignity of the State legislature.
In 1996, J&K Legislative Assembly had passed the autonomy resolution with a two-third majority but it was trashed by the then Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at New Delhi.
The resolution passed by the J&K Legislative Assembly last year demanding probe by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) against the former army chief has not seen any progress.
Tarigami said though Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had confirmed the killing of five civilians in Pathribal fake encounter, the case had been closed without punishing the guilty on the pretext that it would be demoralizing for the army.
“What about demoralizing of people who are facing injustice after killing innocent civilians,” he said.
About the rehabilitation policy of the Kashmiri youth who had crossed over the Line of Control (LoC) for getting arms training but wanted to return to live peacefully now, Targami said the policy was not picking up.
“You are sincere about the policy but it is so complex that it is going nowhere,” he said.
In November 2010, the government had notified the policy for the return and rehabilitation of such youth.
Although 268 such youth have returned to Kashmir since the rehabilitation policy was announced, most of them had to take the “illegal route” of Nepal and are not covered under the policy.
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