“Everyone aspires to visit Kashmir studded with breathtaking mountains, lakes, rivers and orchards at least once in life. But present day rulers are forgetting that Kashmir, heaven of natural beauty, is also inhabited by people. Muslims, Sikhs, Bouddhas and Hindus were all living in complete harmony in Kashmir before 1947. In fact, Kashmiri people had given the notice of quit Kashmir to British rulers much before independence. Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu Kashmir intended to keep Kashmir an independent state and therefore, kept touch with rulers of both India and Pakistan as well. Kashmiri people decided and chose to stay with India, when Pakistan sent army to annexe Kashmir by force and an understanding with India was reached. This understanding includes autonomy of Kashmir along with article 370 to prevent ultra-rich from other parts of the country from purchasing lands of Kashmiris and ejecting them. Muslims in sizeable numbers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Hyderabad chose to go to Pakistan to live as Mohajirs, but Kashmiris refused to accept the two nation theory of Mohammed Ali Jinnah and decided to stay with secular and diverse India. Therefore, neither there was any large scale migration from Kashmir nor it became possible for Pakistan to annexe Kashmir. Pakistan could not integrate its eastern province. Majority of Kashmiris shall never think of going with Pakistan. Our Party’s cadre shall oppose tooth and nail, risking their own lives, only handful of those Kashmiris who think that way”, stated emphatically Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, Central Committee member of CPI(M) and MLA of Jammu and Kashmir, while speaking at a public meeting in Mumbai in a hall overflowing with members and sympathisers of the Party.

While addressing the meeting organised by Mumbai district committee of the Party on current situation in Kashmir, Tarigami further said, “Communal polarisation is on the rise today in once completely secular Kashmir and the opportunist BJP-PDP state government is responsible for it. This government has become totally ineffective today in Kashmir. Industrial development did not take place in Kashmir in the last 69 years. Tourism sector, orchards and government sector are the only outlets of employment for Kashmiri people. Kashmiri youths are striving and struggling to acquire modern education and jobs. Even Kashmiri unorganised worker also aspires and dreams of education for his children. But their aspirations are getting crushed in the absence of development. By following the divide and rule policy, the rulers at the centre and in the state are channelising discontent amongst people in a wrong direction by polarising people on communal lines, which is creating a favourable situation in the state for secessionists and cross-border terrorists operating with the help of Pakistan”. He said, “Kashmir is bleeding today.

Day to day life of people was disrupted due to imposition of curfew for many days. People could not celebrate festivals. Administration is alive and functioning to some extent with the help of army. However, children aged 10-12 years, their brothers and parents have been condemned as terrorists due to misuse of Armed Forces Special Powers Act. This has created an overwhelming feeling of frustration and alienation among Kashmiri people, especially in youth. “The need of the hour is to attain an all-round development of Kashmir to create ample job opportunities for people to lead an honourable life and strengthen the values of secularism. A dialogue with all the stake-holders should be initiated to include them in the process of development. Instead of humiliating every Kashmiri person by asking him whether he agrees to maintain Kashmir as an integral part of India, the people of Kashmir should be showered with love and faith by the people of this country by supporting their democratic struggles for their just demands concerning development and their day-to-day life. The working people of Mumbai shall certainly extend such a support”, by expressing this confidence in the working people of Mumbai, Tarigami concluded his address. Dr S K Rege, secretary of Mumbai district committee delivered the introductory speech in the meeting. Mumbai district secretariat members Sonya Gill and Shailendra Kamble welcomed Tarigami. Mahendra singh, Central Committee member of the Party, while presiding over the meeting delivered the concluding address by extending wholehearted support of the Party members and sympathisers in Mumbai and working people of Mumbai to each and every democratic struggle of Kashmiri people for their genuine demands. The meeting concluded with resounding slogans of long live secularism; long live democracy and socialism andlong live national integration.