Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 26: The General Category People’s Front Jammu Kashmir (GCPF-JK) Aarakshan Virodhi Mach today organised an event to honour the young martyrs who lost their lives during the anti-Mandal Commission agitation of 1990.
Paying tribute to the martyrs, Prof Yash Paul Sanson, President of the Front, highlighted the historical context of the 1990 events. He emphasized that the sudden acceptance of the Mandal Commission report by the Prime Minister in August 1990 without consulting his Cabinet colleagues had ignited nationwide student protests, resulting in tragic incidents including self-immolations and clashes with the police.
Sanson urged today’s youth to carry forward the legacy of the martyrs by opposing caste-based discrimination perpetuated by Government vote-bank policies and advocating for equality, justice, liberty, and dignity.
General Secretary Som Nath Sharma condemned the implementation of the Mandal report as a deliberate act to deprive people of their basic rights and stressed the need to eradicate inequalities and injustices.
Ram Paul Seth, founder President of Aarkashan Virodhi Manch, called for continued sacrifices in the pursuit of justice, equality, dignity, and liberty. He lamented the absence of true leaders who champion human rights in the nation.
The participants were encouraged to join a protest against the SCs/STs Atrocities Act and caste-based reservation at Jantar Mantar on October 2nd, 2023, organized by the Rashtriya Jatigat Aarakshan Virodhi Party (RJAVP).
Jagdish Dogra, a prominent social worker, expressed concerns about the misuse of the stringent SCs/STs atrocities Act by some elites to settle personal grudges. He called for a focus on equality and justice for all as a fitting tribute to the young martyrs.
The event concluded with a two-minute silence in honor of the martyrs.
Others who attended the event included VK Sharma, Gopal Dass Verma, Deepak Khajuria, and Bhushan Pargal.
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