Security up in J&K, but no curfew
PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE for Gupkar Declaration asserted that the Centre by abrogating Article 370 damaged the very bond of the erstwhile state’s ties with the Union of India.
Security across Jammu and Kashmir has been beefed up further on the eve of the second anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state. Last year, the authorities had imposed a curfew in Srinagar whereas strict security restrictions remained in force elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley on the first anniversary of the Centre’s contentious moves of August 5, 2019.
The official sources said on Wednesday that even though no curfew or security restrictions would be put in place this time, the J&K police and Central armed police forces including CRPF have been asked to remain alert and take necessary preventive measures to ensure peace.
The police termed a statement tweeted in the name of separatist patriarch Syed Ali Shah Geelani and which asked the people to observe general strikes on August 5 and 15 as fake and warned stern action against those recirculating it.
The police said in a tweet, “As per family sources of SAS Geelani, the tweet is fake and issued by someone from Pakistan. Police is taking action against those who are circulating it to instigate violence. Case FIR under relevant sections of
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act stands registered in Police Station Budgam.”
Kashmir watchers say that not much has changed on the ground in J&K after the erstwhile state was stripped of its special status and split up into two Union Territories two years ago except that the Centre has directly or through the local administration introduced several new laws and altered many existing ones during this period, much to the displeasure of local political parties--mainstream as well as separatist. Also, the August 5, 2019 decisions are responsible for increasing the feeling of alienation among the people, they assert.
However, senior BJP leader and Union minister of state at the PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh, said that August 5, 2019 “marked the dawn of a historic resurgence, rejuvenation and redemption”.
He added, “The gravest blunder of postIndependence India stood corrected, and an anomaly was set right. J&K joined the mainstream journey of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s, New India.”
People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an alliance of J&K’s mainstream opposition parties and their allies from the national Left parties, disagreed and asserted that the Centre by abrogating Article 370 damaged the very bond of the erstwhile state’s relationship with the Union of India. It said that the August 5, 2019 decision was actually an “unprecedented assault” on the Constitution.
The alliance said that repealing Article 35A not only made the status of J&K’s permanent residents redundant but also snatched their rights on jobs and land arbitrarily.