KPSS denied permission to meet P Chidambaram
Baba Umar
Srinagar, Sept 20: The civil society members that also included representations from trade, transport and tourism-related bodies Monday rejected to accept incentives and economic package from New Delhi saying the government should instead work towards the permanent solution of Kashmir conflict.
In a meeting with all-party delegation being led by Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram at SK International Convention Centre (SKICC) here, the civil society groups proposed Geelani’s five-point formula to diffuse tension, however, they said no commitment was made by the delegation members over the statements made. The meet also saw boycotts from several agencies while Kashmir Minority Front (KMF)—an amalgam of valley-based Christians, Sikhs and Pandits- was denied permission by the government to meet the all-party delegation. In his short speech, President of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI), Nazir Ahmad Dar said New Delhi can diffuse the ongoing tension if it solves Kashmir problem in its historic perspective and not with the symptomatic treatment. KCCI demanded impartial investigation into the killings of over hundred people during past several month and severe punishment to guilty armed forces personnel. “ We also sought de-militarization of State, revocation of black laws like AFPSA, Disturbed Area Act and Public Safety Act and upholding human rights of Kashmiris,” he said. KCCI, in the beginning of its observation, rejected to accept economic packages from New Delhi to compensate the losses incurred by traders. Nearly 40 lawmakers from all major national parties are in the city to find ways to diffuse the current unrest that has claimed over 100 lives of people besides business losses worth crores of rupees. Making a demand for a result-oriented dialogue to solve Kashmir conflict, President of Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), Shakeel Qalander added to the demands made by KCCI by saying that investigation into custodial deaths and disappearances during past 22 years by authorities should be probed thoroughly and guilty punished. The FCIK president said the truth and reconciliation commission should be ordered by New Delhi to probe all killings which could pave way for the lasting solution of Kashmir. “We also demanded release of all political prisoners and youth who have been arrested recently and sustained result-oriented talks with relevant leadership,” he said. GM Dugg who represented Tourism Alliance told Rising Kashmir that there was no immediate response from the delegation members on the presentation made by the alliance. “Their reaction wasn’t satisfactory. They just heard us till our time was over. There was no commitment on whether our demands, before Kashmir conflict is finally settled, are met or not,” he said. Kashmir Hoteliers and Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF), Houseboat Owners Association, Travel Agents Society of Kashmir (TASK), Travel Agents Association of Kashmir boycotted the meet. JK Yateem Trust and JK Yateem Foundation also boycotted the event. In his 15-minute-long statement, President of another hotelier’s body, Kashmir Hotels and Restaurant Owners Association (KHARA), Siraj Ahmad told the delegation to stop linking Kashmir unrest with Pakistan or any outside state agency. He said, the current unrest is purely indigenous “and it is a people’s reaction to long pending unresolved Kashmir dispute and killings.” Ahmad, who represented Kashmir Economic Alliance comprising representation from Kashmir Manufacturers and Traders Association (KMTF), several transporters’ association, flour mills owners’ union demanded from the delegation members that “the occupational troops should be called back, prisoners should be released and end of demeaning Kashmiri youth by linking stone pelting as a Pakistan-sponsored activity.” Siraj, however, said the delegation members that include Home Minister P Chidambaram, gave a dictatorial listening to his statement. “They reduced our time from 30 minutes to 15 minutes and there was no reaction or commitment over addressing issues which I raised,” he said. Kashmir University Teachers Association (KUTA) Vice President, Ehtisham Ahmad told Rising Kashmir that KUTA had boycotted the meeting and the teachers who were present in the SKICC were stage-managed by the state government.“Those who were there were not among us,” he said.A similar accusation was also made by Kashmir Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPPS) President Sanjay Tickoo who was to lead KMF but was denied permission by the Divisional Commissioner’s office.He said, “National Conference and Congress members didn’t want me to expose what has been happening to Kashmiri’s from past several months. That’s why they refused to entertain our request.”
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