News Analysis India

Tag: Hasnain Masoodi

  • J&K MP Hasnain Masoodi wants Centre to start ‘peace offensive’

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: With security officials concerned over possible effects of the changes in Afghanistan in militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference MP Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi has advised the Centre to launch a “peace offensive” to prevent any impact of the Taliban.

    Talking to The New Indian Express, Masoodi said, “The Centre should launch a peace offensive in J&K. It should go for dialogue, respect the wishes and aspirations of J&K people and restore the rights of people. The Centre should restore the August 5, 2019 Constitutional position of J&K.”

    On Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the MP said, “In Afghanistan, it is not a mere change of power, it is a huge ideological shift with a new approach and mindset. It is likely to have an impact not only there, but it will have underground rumblings in many parts of the world”.

    He said since J&K is already a hot spot, there may be some spill over of what is happening in Afghanistan. “People are alienated and there is a big gulf. When PM Modi talks Dil ki Doori, it means there exists a Doori (gulf). The government has made the ground fertile for germination of seeds. They said things are normal but that is not the case”.

    Masoodi said after Article 370 revocation, the government gave an impression that people in J&K were living in the Stone Age.

    “They are giving wrong information to the country. Development cannot be anything by itself unless you address the aspirations of people. Peace and development go hand in hand. We want development with dignity and one cannot have dignity unless you restore the rights of people.”

    Told that the Centre has been saying Article 370 won’t be restored, Masoodi said, “We hope it will be.”

  • Leaders using sub judice argument as cover to avoid raising Article 370, says NC MP Hasnain Masoodi

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: Taking a dig at leaders of Congress and the Peoples Conference, who are hesitant to take a clear stand on Article 370 by claiming that the matter is ‘sub-judice’, senior National Conference (NC) leader and MP Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi said that the arguments advanced by these leaders is “specious and evasive”.

    “The pendency of petitions in the Supreme Court challenging August 5, 2019 decisions does not stand in the way of the Government of India to undo injustice and evoke a constitutionally suspect law,” Masoodi added.

    Masoodi said the “perpetrator of an unconstitutional act, notwithstanding challenge to the act, is always free to reverse the decision and restore majesty of law and constitutional supremacy.”

    “It also does not either forbid a person, group of persons or a political party from articulating its viewpoint or taking a stand on the matter,” he said.

    Many Valley based leaders including former J&K Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Altaf Bukhari of Apni Party and Sajjad Gani Lone of Peoples Conference are hesitant to take clear stated on Article saying that Article 370 is a ‘sub judice’ and it can only be restored by the Supreme Court.

    Masoodi said the leaders take cover under the argument to create an impression, though deceptively among the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, that the leaders are with their aspirations but cannot voice theirs viewpoint and at the same time convey to  forces inimical to aspirations of the people, that the leaders by avoiding to take a stand are facilitating implementation of their agenda.

    Masoodi said pendency of as many as 144 petitions against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) did not make political parties feel dissuaded from making CAA an election issue, vocally opposing the CAA in poll campaign and promising “no CAA in Assam if voted”.

    “Same is true about Farm Laws where though the constitutionality of the laws is going through judicial scrutiny, the parties are vying with each other to support the farmers agitation and  call the challenged laws as ‘black laws to economically exploit the peasants and agricultural labourers”, the National Conference MP said.

    Masoodi reiterated NC’s stand that the restoration of August 4, 2019 constitutional position alone would lead to durable and lasting peace in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and fulfil aspirations of the people.

    On August 5,2019 The Union Government scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcated the J&K state into two UTs. 

    Many petitions were filed in the Supreme Court challenging the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A and bifurcation of the state.

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  • Government realised its mistakes in J&K: NC leader Hasnain Masoodi

    Express News Service
    Senior National Conference leader and MP Hasnain Masoodi in an interview told Fayaz Wani that the Centre’s invite to mainstream political leaders of J&K for an all-party meeting (APM), to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24, is a significant development. He said the move indicates the Centre has realised that the August 5, 2019, decisions have not achieved anything on the ground. He asserted that his party leaders would raise the demand of restoring Article 370 at the meeting.

    Why is the invitation for the meeting on J&K significant?It is very significant because till yesterday they were abusing and labelling us as “Gupkar Gang”, and now, they have approached us for a dialogue. It is a good realisation. It indicates that the government of India has gone for some kind of appraisal and it must have realised that the decisions of scrapping Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into two UTs have not achieved anything on the ground.

    Will the NC only talk about the restoration of statehood or delimitation as well in the APM?That is not possible. We are trustees of the aspirations of the J&K people. The NC is not just a political party but a political movement. The NC is a grand-old party, and we have rendered a lot of sacrifices. We respect the interests and aspirations of people and will go accordingly.

    Will your party raise the Article 370 restoration demand?We are committed to Article 370 restoration. Whatever we say it would be focused on August 5, 2019, decisions. We want permanent, durable and lasting peace in J&K, and to achieve that, we cannot go for ad-hoc experiments. There can be lasting peace in J&K when the aspirations of people are addressed. Our agenda is very clear – we should be given back what was snatched away from us without consulting us.

    Will PAGD leaders collectively or individually raise their issues at APM?I am the coordinator of the PAGD. First, the parties, which have received the invites, will discuss it with their members and leaders for their views. After the party-level talks, the PAGD leaders would meet and discuss the united strategy. The PAGD leaders would meet ahead of the June 24 meeting with the PM to discuss the joint strategy.

    It is being said internal and external factors are the reason behind the Centre’s invitation? How do you see this?I think it is everything put together. The world has now become a global village and it reacts to whatever happens. The Kashmir issue was discussed at G-5 and they have also issued statements. Now, the LoC and IB in J&K have fallen silent after India and Pakistan in February agreed to adhere to the November 2003 ceasefire. There is total calm and peace along the borders. Have the two countries agreed to adhere to the border ceasefire on their own? Besides, there have been some other developments on the India-Pakistan front. A lot of things are happening on the backchannel.

  • BJP repeating mistakes committed by Congress in 1984: National Conference

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: The National Conference has alleged that what Congress did in 1984 by toppling the then Farooq Abdullah government by using money power, the BJP is repeating the same in 2021 by manipulating the results of the recently-held District Development Council (DDC) chairmen elections. 

    While referring to the defections and cross-voting in the recently-held DDC chairmen elections, senior NC leader and MP Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi told The New Indian Express that the BJP is evidently and openly manipulating the DDC chairmen results.

    The six parties Gupkar Alliance, which had emerged as the single largest group with 102 out of 280 DDC seats, lost in Budgam district, where it had got a majority. In Shopian, where along with lone Congress member it was in a position to form DDC, it lost to Apni Party after defections and cross voting.

    Masoodi, who is an NC Lok Sabha MP from south Kashmir, said BJP is repeating the same mistakes of Congress from did in 1984.

    “The Congress engineered defections in NC to topple the then Farooq Abdullah government in 1984. But did that solve anything? Did that end the aspirations of people here,” he said.

    The Congress had toppled the then Farooq Abdullah government in 1984 with the help of 14 disgruntled NC legislators led by Farooq’s brother-in-law Ghulam Mohammad Shah, who was appointed as chief minister and his government lasted for about two years.

    Masoodi further stated that 1984 is the start of all bad things in J&K and “whatever ill Kashmir is facing today, it all started in 1984.” According to him, in 1984, people realised that democracy is a myth and New Delhi can change the mandate and undermine democracy on its own whim.

    “People lost faith in democracy because of 1984. If we get popular votes despite facing opposition and get a required number of seats, still there is no guarantee that through manipulative practice the mandate cannot be undermined,” Masoodi said.

    “They (BJP) are persuading and encouraging people to vote against the party and against the symbol on which he/she was elected. They won’t achieve anything from it. It is again a setback.”

    The NC MP said Congress could not achieve anything in 1984 except undermine democracy. “They ignited the fire and we are facing its consequences even today,” he said.

    In his speech in parliament, NC president and three-time former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah also alleged that BJP is repeating 1984. “I have seen it in 1984 when 14 of our people were purchased and a new government was formed. It lasted for two years and collapsed. Same thing is being repeated again today,” he said.

    The NC president alleged that democracy is being subverted as police and civil officials are attempting to manipulate the election results. “After successful conduct of DDC polls, the DCs and police officers are now attempting to manipulate the process,” Farooq had said in Lok Sabha.