Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 2: The Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) today reiterated its shutdown call for September 7 – the day Kashmir valley was hit by worst flood of the century- against the failure of Government to rehabilitate deluge victims.
KEA, which is an amalgam of various trade bodies, criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not keeping his promises which he had made to business community of valley in Srinagar about rehabilitating flood-affected people.
“All sectors of the economy will observe complete shutdown on September 7. Government of India (GoI) has not released any substantial package to the flood-affected people of Valley. We are bound to protest and make world community know how we are made to suffer by Indian government,” the chairman of KEA Showkat Chowdhary said while addressing a press conference here.
He said the shutdown call of KEA has been supported by traders, transporters, hoteliers, restaurant owners, educational institutes, contractors and others. The KEA said that the business community will observe September 7 as “black day” — as a mark of protest against GoI. “Now a year has passed, government of India has not released the rehabilitation package of Rs 44000 crore proposed by the State government. We will also assemble at Ganta Ghar, Lal Chowk to organize a rally and also observe this day as black day,” the KEA chairman said.
The KEA said the valley business community has now “rejected” the coalition government of PDP and BJP. “Kashmiris did not vote BJP but PDP so that valley people are not discriminated. But after joining hand with BJP, PDP had thought of getting help from central government led by BJP. However, it is not clear that BJP doesn’t want economic prosperity of the Valley. We, therefore, reject this coalition,” Chowdhary said.
KEA also announced that it would organize seminar on September 4 and 5 about the losses various sectors including horticulture, traders, tourism, and transport sectors have suffered. KEA alleged that GoI has taken valley’s economic prosperity hostage by not allowing international aid for flood affected.
“If India did not have funds to rebuild Kashmir after it witnessed worst ever floods in a century it should have allowed international aid to pour in Kashmir. But it showed its hollow hegemony and let people suffer. The economy of the state has crumbled and people are not able to pay debt,” the KEA chairman said.
Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Sadiq Bakal, the president of Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) said they will observe complete shutdown “to show the world that they are not happy with the GoI plan with the Kashmir”. He said PM Modi announced Rs 1.25 lakh crore package for Bihar but ignore Kashmir where large scale devastation occurred due to floods.
Chairman Houseboat Owners Association (HBOA) Mohammad Yousuf Chapri also spoke on the occasion and appealed people to observe complete shutdown on Sep 7.
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