Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 19: National Conference has reiterated its demand for the revocation of AFSPA and said that an unprecedented 71% reduction in incidents of armed violence from 2008 till date merits the revocation of the Act from the State.
Speaking to his colleagues, senior party activists, office bearers and party workers at NC Headquarters at Nawa-e-Subah Complex in Srinagar, NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said that the Omar Abdullah Government had achieved tremendous success in bringing down violence in the State despite all odds and challenges. He said that this reduction was mainly due to the policies of reconciliation and rehabilitation heralded by Omar Abdullah for the last five and a half years.
“The youth have responded to Omar Abdullah’s outreach and empathy by joining him midway in renouncing violence and making initiatives of reconciliation successful. The 71% reduction in armed violence is a clear indicator of the increasing normalcy in the State which has come about due to sustained efforts of political reconciliation, good-governance and an increasing positivity in the political narrative of the State”, the NC general secretary said.
Demanding the phase-wise revocation of AFSPA, NC general secretary said that it was very important to augment the spirit of reconciliation by ensuring that the common man reaps the political dividends of normalcy. “This to a great extent has happened within the State through unprecedented good governance, record tourism inflow and a very positive growth in the economic parameters in the State like the GSDP and per-capita income which have increased to all-time highs. Now the Central Government needs to understand that the most important dividend of normalcy that it can offer to the common man in J&K is the revocation of AFSPA and Disturbed Areas Act enacted in the State by then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed”, Sagar said.
He said that it was the Omar Abdullah Government that ensured the dismantling of hundreds of military bunkers that were turned into concrete structures by the previous PDP Government. “Hundreds of bunkers were dismantled and removed from our roads. Hundreds of schools, Government buildings, hospitals and hotels were vacated from the occupation of security forces. This has provided an enormous impetus to the tourism industry and has also upheld the tenets of justice and rights of property of the citizens of J&K”, Sagar said.
Sagar said that Omar Abdullah had always highlighted the need for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission for J&K to investigate incidents and allegations of human rights violations including the mass massacres and genocides during Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s tenure as the Home Minister of India, irregardless of who the alleged perpetrators are. “In the same spirit, Omar Abdullah ensured the passage of the Rehabilitation Bill in the Legislative Assembly despite tremendous opposition by PDP. This was done to facilitate the return of young men who had crossed over the Line of Control and were not involved in acts of militancy. The success of this initiative can be measured by the fact that more than 300 young men have returned to Kashmir through Nepal since the Rehabilitation Policy took effect. This is a very important milestone that signals a movement towards reconciliation and normalcy”, NC General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said.
Also present on the occasion were senior National Conference leaders Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Nasir Aslam Wani, Ali Mohammad Dar, Shameema Firdous, Haji Mohammad Ashraf Ganai, Peer Afaq Ahmed, Ali Mohammad Dar and various District and Block Presidents of the party.
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