Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 5: The Communist Party of India Marxist CPI(M) in its 24th Party Congress held at Sitaram Yechury Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu has demanded immediate granting of full Statehood to Jammu & Kashmir as a step towards restoration of special status.
In this regard a resolution was passed which among other things also demanded restoration of democracy in J&K, protection of land and job rights, restoration of civil, and Trade Union rights. release of political detenues and journalists and ensuring freedom of the press.
It also demanded end to indiscriminate arrests of youth on baseless charges.
The CPI(M) during the 24th Congress appealed to all secular and democratic forces to stand in defence of the legitimate and Constitutional rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
It said the unconstitutional and disastrous decisions of August 5, 2019 – nullifying Articles 370 and 35A – along with a series of arbitrary legislations and humiliating actions, have dismembered and downgraded the historic State of Jammu & Kashmir. The snatching away of Statehood and bifurcation of the State into two Union Territories has created a deep political void and intensified the sense of uncertainty and alienation among its people.
Civil liberties, human rights, and democratic freedoms continue to be eroded. Arbitrary arrests under draconian laws like the UAPA and PSA have become a disturbing norm. Hundreds of political activists and journalists remain incarcerated inside and outside Jammu & Kashmir. Youth are being denied job opportunities under the pretext of security verification, while passports are withheld on flimsy grounds.
Jammu and Kashmir was enjoying special rights of protection of land and jobs since Maharaja Hari Singh’s rule when non-residents of this region were not allowed to purchase land and get jobs. There are numerous provisions of this nature which give such rights to the people in certain other states as well. But these protections for land and employment for permanent residents of J&K were arbitrarily stripped away, exacerbating insecurity among the populace.
The State’s economy continues to deteriorate, with the grand promises of development, investment, and job creation proving hollow. Daily-wage workers face irregular payments, and key sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, handicrafts, and transport are in deep crisis. Apple growers, in particular, are grappling with mounting challenges. There remains a lack of legal guarantees like Minimum Support Price (MSP).
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