News Analysis India

Tag: People

  • PLA rekindles cycle of violence in Manipur by killing Colonel, wife and son

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: The People’s Liberation Army (PLA), one of the most violent groups in the Northeast, has rekindled the fire of insurgency in a more or less peaceful Manipur. 

    Saturday’s attack in Churachandpur, carried out by the militant organisation, has put not just Manipur but Northeast on the boil again. 

    A reprisal attack by the security forces on the violent insurgents is now a certainty because not only a senior Army officer was killed but also his wife, son and four other personnel.

    The grouping to which the PLA belongs – CorCom (Coordination Committee – is itself a powerful body of seven militant outfits of Manipur’s Imphal Valley that operates from the soil of Myanmar in coordination with other militant groups from the Northeast. 

    Manipur has over 40 insurgent groups but a large number of them have been lying low for a long time following their signing of separate suspension of operation agreements with the government.

    Those which are still wielding the gun carry out the attacks periodically but not on Saturday’s scale.

    People following the insurgency movement of Northeast say the rebels carry out such attacks to make their presence felt.

    ALSO READ | Strongly condemn attack on Assam Rifles convoy in Manipur, says PM Modi

    “They were lying low. This is an opportunist kind of an attack where they are trying to announce they are still alive,” Pradip Phanjoubam, Editor of Imphal Review of Arts and Politics, said.

    Phanjoubam insisted that a serious effort should be made to solve the problem.

    “If you make a right kind of an effort, there could be a solution to the problem. But the effort is not forthcoming,” he said.

    There was a time when insurgency-related violence was common in Northeast but now, most states are peaceful.

    ALSO READ | Manipur attack again proves Modi govt incapable of protecting nation: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi 

    Mizoram no longer has this problem. The attacks by the militants have also ceased in Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. 

    Cold Facts

    Five martyred soldiers and a wife and son

    1. Colonel Viplav Tripathi, wife and son 2. Rifleman Suman Swargiary3. Rifleman Khatnei Konyak4. Rifleman RP Meena5. Rifleman Shyamal Das

    The militants used an Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) to hit Colonel Viplav Tripathi’s car, and followed it up with firing from close range. The militants were fully aware that the Colonel’s family were travelling in the car. 

  • Ground reality belies BJP govt’s claims of development post scrapping of special status of J&K: Gupkar Alliance

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: The Gupkar Alliance on Friday said Article 370 was not an impediment to the development of Jammu and Kashmir. the six-parties alliance further asserted that the ground situation belies BJP government’s claims of development post abrogation of the special status of J&K.

    “The claims of the BJP government that the abrogation of Article 370 and downgrading of a state with special status into two union territories has paved the way for new industries, created new employment opportunities, decreased terror incidents, brought an atmosphere of peace and security, nurtured democracy, eradicated corruption, brought new Central laws for the betterment of people in this region are nothing but a concocted and fabricated stories while the ground situation belies these claims,” read a statement issued by Gupkar Alliance spokesman Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami.

    Referring to a recently released report by the Union Home ministry titled “The dream of one nation, one law, one symbol fulfilled: After effective removal of the provisions of Article 370, the picture has changed: a new start in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh”, the Gupkar Alliance said the reality is that there is a systematic disempowerment of the people that will continue through the bureaucratic rule.

    “The projects mentioned in the booklet are mostly approved by the earlier governments but are shown to be the outcome of abrogation of Article 370. Reality is that Nashri Tunnel, Zojilla Tunnel, establishment of 50 degree colleges and various medical colleges are projects approved much before the abrogation of Art 370,” the statement said.

    It further said the BJP government is boasting of the implementation of various laws, like Land Reforms and RTI Act which is claimed to have been effective now.

    “This is a blatant lie as Jammu and Kashmir was a pioneer in implementing the revolutionary land reform laws which no other state has done except Kerala to some extent. Similarly, the erstwhile state’s own RTI Act was stronger than the Union law,” the statement said adding, “Without knowing the facts of the matter, BJP leaders had maintained that people of J&K had no access to information under the Right to Information Act until Article 370 was read down.”

    On unemployment, Gupkar Alliance said, “J&K lags far behind and has assumed the highest unemployment proportion as compared to pre-August 2019 period. The unemployment rate is highest in India in the last 45 years and in J&K it is worse than that.”

    It further said before abrogation of Article 370, not only had J&K kept pace with the other states in improvement in human development indices (HDI) but some of the indicators pertaining to literacy rates, marriage and fertility, child sex ratios and school attendance rates for girls over six years of age were relatively better than those for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

    The Gupkar Alliance spokesman said it is really baffling and misleading to claim high moral ground in implementing the PM Kisan Scheme and PMAY. “J&K is getting benefitted the same way as other states and UTs”.

    Referring to the implementation of Jammu & Kashmir under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Scheme, he said the simple question is what relevance it has with abrogation of Article 370. “This scheme is in vogue in the rest of India as well. So attributing this to abrogation of  Article 370 is not correct.”

    On the opening of bank accounts for women being referred to as a success story by the NDA government, Gupkar Alliance said, “Even before the NDA assumed power, government data reveal that significant progress was made in Jammu and Kashmir in the past one decade. States were ranked on the basis of the extent of financial inclusion for women and household autonomy. The NFHS-4 (2015-16), which collected data on women with bank accounts, found that at the all-India level, the percentage of women with bank accounts increased from 15.5 per cent in 2005-06 to 53 per cent in 2015-16. In Jammu and Kashmir, the percentage of women with bank accounts increased from 22 per cent to 60 per cent, which, if anything, compares well with the all-India average and appears to be better than the increases in Bihar, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and even Karnataka. In fact, the figure for Jammu and Kashmir was ahead in social indicators as that of Gujarat in 2015-2016, whose model of development has been held as a beacon by the BJP, worthy of emulation by other States.”

    Terming the slogan of “development”,  as a red herring, Gupkar Alliance spokesman said, “Why then has the central government done what it has? The common answer is that it has been a long-standing demand of the Hindutva elements, with an eye no doubt on altering the demographic composition of the only Muslim-majority state in the country, rather like Israel is doing on Palestinian lands.”

    “In fact, this government being the product of a Hindutva-corporate alliance, almost everything it does also caters to a pro-corporate agenda, apart from promoting Hindutva. Opening up Kashmir to its corporate patrons, not so much for expanding the volume of productive economic activities but for land acquisition for real estate development or for sheer speculation on land price, is also an added incentive. Such real estate development adds little to the level of employment; but it subtracts employment if the land was being used for some productive activities before,” he said.

    “The presence of Article 370 was not an impediment in the overall development of the State as claimed by the government. All government data and surveys indicate a marked improvement in almost all human development indices in the State,” added the spokesman. 

    The six parties Gupkar Alliance comprising NC, PDP, CPI, CP(M), JKPM and ANC have vowed to fight for restoration of J&K’s special status.

  • Chinese PLA transgressed LAC in Uttarakhand’s Barahoti sector in August: Sources

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI:  Close to 100 soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) transgressed the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Barahoti sector in Uttarakhand last month, people familiar with the development said on Tuesday.

    The transgression took place on August 30, and the Chinese troops returned from the area after spending few hours, they said.

    The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel are deployed in the area.

    The people cited above said as part of a tit-for-tat strategy, Indian troops carried out patrolling.

    There was no official comment on the Chinese transgression.

    The incident comes amid a continuing standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in a number of areas in eastern Ladakh though both sides completed disengagement in two sensitive locations.

    The people cited above said minor transgressions have been taking place in Barahoti because of differing perceptions about the LAC by both sides.

    However, what surprised the Indian officials was the number of PLA personnel who transgressed on August 30.

    The Chinese side has also significantly ramped up infrastructure development along the LAC in the sector.

    India has been maintaining a strict vigil along the nearly 3,500-km LAC following the eastern Ladakh standoff.

    The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year in eastern Ladakh following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.

    Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in the Gogra area last month.

    In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement.

    Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector.

  • Harsh Ladakh weather affecting Chinese troops? PLA installs modular container-based accommodations at LAC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: China has put in place new modular container-based accommodations for its troops in several high-altitude forward areas on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in response to Indian deployment in the region, people familiar with the developments said on Monday.

    The shelters were installed in locations near Tashigong, Manza, Hot Springs and Churup among others, in reflection of simmering tensions between the two sides in the region, they said.

    The people cited above said China’s People Liberation Army has been feeling the heat of the Indian response to its “misadventure” in the region last year and that the Chinese military has been forced to go for long deployments and boost infrastructure in the region.

    They said the Indian response to the Chinese actions last year, particularly after the Galwan Valley clashes, surprised the neighbouring country and that it deployed troops in areas where it never used to earlier.

    “Our strategy is hurting them. They are reacting to our response. We have forced PLA to go for forward deployment and boost infrastructure,” said one of the people.

    They said the new deployments are appearing to be affecting the morale of the Chinese troops as they were not used to operate in such difficult terrain.

    The new container-based accommodations were built in addition to the additional military camps that the Chinese military had set up following the escalation in tension between the two sides last year.

    The people said India is also ramping up construction of tunnels, bridges roads and other critical infrastructure in eastern Ladakh and other areas along the nearly 3,500-km LAC.

    They said China is also significantly enhancing its airbases and air defence units near the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

    The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    The border row escalated after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 last year.

    Twenty Indian Army personnel laid down their lives in the clashes that marked the most serious military conflicts between the two sides in decades.

    In February, China officially acknowledged that five Chinese military officers and soldiers were killed in the clashes with the Indian Army though it is widely believed that the death toll was higher.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in Gogra area last month.

    In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement.

    Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector.

  • PLFI leader, two accomplices held in Jharkhand

    By PTI

    CHAIBASA: Three members of outlawed People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI), including an area commander, have been arrested in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, and a huge cache of arms and ammunition seized from their possession, a police officer said here.

    The state government had announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh on any information that led to the arrest of the PLFI area commander, Sujit Kumar Ram alias Sahu ji, district Superintendent of Police Ajay Linda said on Saturday.

    Acting on a tip off, a police team raided a newly built house at Borotika village in Anandpur police station area and arrested the PLFI leader and his accomplices — Raju Bhuiyan and Mahavir Singh, the SP stated.

    “During interrogation, Sujit, a resident of Khunti district, confessed that he served as the area commander of the outfit, and his accomplices, both 19 years of age, were local residents. Sujit was wanted in at least 10 criminal cases,” he said.

    Among the things recovered from their possession were three rifles of .315 bore, 34 live cartridges, a country-made pistol, a double-barrel gun with eight rounds of cartridges and PLFI leaflets.

  • PAGD meeting underway to discuss way forward for restoration of J-K’s special status

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) began a meeting here on Tuesday to discuss the prevailing situation in the Union Territory and have wider consultations on the way forward for restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

    The PAGD is an alliance of six mainstream political parties seeking the restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir which was revoked by the Centre in August 2019.

    The meeting started at alliance chairman Farooq Abdullah’s residence at Gupkar here at 11 am.

    Apart from the heads of the constituent parties, several middle and lower rung leaders are also participating in the meeting.

    Speaking to reporters outside Abdullah’s residence, senior vice president of Awami National Conference — which is a constituent of the alliance– Muzaffar Shah said the agenda of the meeting, apart from the restoration of the Article 370, is to launch a mass contact programme.

    Asked about the reports of the administration having denied permission for the meeting, he said a democratic meeting cannot be denied.

    “We are holding a democratic meeting and the government can’t stop us from doing it. We will discuss how to reach out to every region’s aspirations,” Shah said.

    Earlier, a leader of the alliance had said that the meeting would be different from the earlier ones.

    “This time it is not only the top leadership of the constituent parties which has been invited for consultations, but the middle rung leadership as well,” he had said. The meeting has been called to discuss the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir and “have wider consultations on various issues”, he added.

  • Crack in Opposition unity? Sajad Lone, National Conference spar over Article 370

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: People’s Conference on Saturday said the silence of opposition parties on Article 370 — abrogated by the Centre — is tantamount to an endorsement of the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir special status.

    The party’s statement came a day after a virtual meeting of the leaders of 19 opposition parties demanded the release of all political prisoners in Jammu and Kashmir, restoration of its full statehood including J-K cadre of central services and the conduct of free and fair assembly elections at the earliest.

    “The meeting of 19 opposition parties by selectively parroting the demand for statehood and criminal silence on Articles 370 and 35A has endorsed the revocation of the special status of J-K,” J-K People’s Conference (JKPC) spokesperson Adnan Ashraf Mir said.

    “In a statement issued after the meeting, there was no mention of repealing the decisions taken by the BJP government on August 5th 2019,” he added.

    Mir said the opposition has “buried” the demand of the people of J-K of bringing back Articles 370 and 35A and the domicile rights of the erstwhile state.

    “Two senior leaders (NC president) Farooq Abdullah and (PDP president) Mehbooba Mufti attended the meeting. They failed to convince the opposition parties to put restoration of Articles 370, 35A and domicile rights on their agenda. Why did these senior leaders attend the meeting when they could not persuade the opposition parties about the demands put forward in the Gupkar Declaration?” he asked.

    The Centre had abrogated the J-K’s special status under Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

    The JKPC spokesperson said “constructive ambiguity” was a better option than “criminal unambiguity” expressed through silence of the 19 opposition parties.

    “The fact of the matter is that the easiest way to restore Articles 370 and 35A is through Parliament. The court process is time-consuming. The BJP has, in past, made it clear that they will never restore the special status of J-K. The stance taken by opposition parties after the meeting makes it clear that they will not restore J-K’s special status in Parliament,” he said in a statement.

    Asserting that both the PDP and the NC have “endorsed” the stand of the opposition parties through their participation at the meeting, Mir alleged that Abdullah and Mehbooba have nailed the coffin of the special status of J-K.

    “It seems NC and PDP are over enthusiastic to jump into the frame and be seen courting the national opposition. But at what cost? To find a seat on the high table, Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah have traded off their demand for restoration of peoples’ rights and most importantly betrayed the commitments made to people of J&K.”

    “If these 19 opposition parties will not support the demand of the people of J-K, then what is the fun of attending such a meeting?” Mir asked.

    He said both the NC and the PDP will have to explain that if both the spectrums of Indian polity — the ruling party and the opposition parties — are against the restoration of special status then who will restore it in Parliament.

    “The current ruling dispensation is not exactly known for its tolerance. On one hand, Mufti-Abdullah breaks bread with an opposition group that does not have the exigencies of being in power.”

    “Yet they refuse to endorse the stand of people of J-K. If this is the stance of these parties out of power surely they will be more hardline when they are in power,” he said.

    Mir said JKPC has always maintained that there is a national consensus on Article 370 between the Left, Right and the centrist parties.

    Earlier, JKPC chairman Sajad Lone, in a series of tweets, said the leaders from J-K should either get the national opposition endorse the demand for the restoration of Article 370 so that there is some hope in the future or just keep out of the united platform.

    “No mention of Article 370 in opposition parties’ meet. In wonderment how can J and K leaders justify their presence in the meeting if they could not convince the leaders to talk about 370. BJP’s anti-370 stance is clear. What is the national opposition stance,” Lone said on Twitter.

    Lone asked why the leaders from J-K were becoming a part of a process “which endorses don’t talk about Article 370” discourse.

    “Wow so (yo)u become a part of a national opposition which abandons 370 and (yo)u irk and irritate a ruling party, not known for tolerance and hence put even statehood at risk.”

    “For heaven’s sake. Let us at least resolve that if we can’t facilitate we will not impede either. Leaders from J and K should either get the national opposition endorse demand for 370 so that at the national level there is some hope at a future date or just keep out of it,” he said.

    The National Conference (NC) on Saturday denounced the jibe taken by the People’s Conference at a meeting of Opposition parties convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi as unfounded and out of sync with reality.

    The People’s Conference, led by Sajad Lone, said NC president Farooq Abdullah and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, who attended the virtual meeting on Friday, failed to convince the Opposition parties to put restoration of Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution and domicile rights on their agenda.

    In a joint statement, NC’s segment in-charges from Kupwara district, including Choudhary Muhammad Ramzaan, Mir Saifullah, Qaiser Jamsheed Lone, Kafeelur Rehman and Shafqat Watali, said the “rants” against the party president are coming from a person “who is hopelessly inconsistent in his views”.

    “Known for changing narratives, his (Lone’s) only permanent character is that of a pendulum, which keeps on swinging from one extreme to another. From joining the PAGD to leaving it, he has only damaged the cause of restoration of Articles 370 and 35A,” they said.

    The People’s Conference said the leaders from Jammu and Kashmir should either get the national Opposition to endorse the demand for the restoration of Article 370 so that there is some hope in the future or just keep out of the united platform.

    However, the NC leaders said neither they nor other like-minded political parties need Lone’s certificate on their commitment to fight for the restoration of Article 370.

    “In fact, he (Lone) needs to come clear on his deserting of the cause and subsequent unabashed lapping up with the RSS in Pahalgam recently,” the joint statement said.

    Reiterating the party’s stand on restoration of “abridged democratic and constitutional rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir”, it said the NC never claimed a national consensus on restoration of Articles 370 and 35A.

    “There are parties who support our stand but others who do not and we continue to engage with all of them to convince them,” the NC leaders said.

    They said it is unacceptable to be lectured by a party led by an individual who left the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) and abandoned the struggle against the Centre’s August 5, 2019 decision to abrogate the provisions of Articles 370 and 35A and bifurcate the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories.

    “His (Lone’s) dithering approach gives slip to his dishonesty about the cause. He has never been honest either to his supporters or the general public. His singular act of deserting the PAGD was the biggest blow to the unity that had been forged to fight for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s dignity. He has been rewarded for this by being invited to the high table of RSS-backed conferences in Jammu and Kashmir,” they said.

  • China sees decline in numbers of suitable youths joining military

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Chinese military is facing a big problem in finding eligible candidates to serve the forces. Keeping this in view, the selection marks have been decreased.

    For the first time, the military also drafted a plan for the People’s Liberation Army soldiers.

    “The National Defence University which used to recruit candidates for the military academies and schools has lowered its eligibility criteria to 573 marks from the earlier of 600 marks,”  a source said, adding that this was done after a decrease in the trend for suitable candidates was seen, added the source.

    China aims to modernise the PLA by 2035 and turn it into a world-class force by 2050. Although the country follows the conscription policy, the recent requirements have brought in merits and a selection criterion for the specialized jobs in the military.

    China has been reforming its military for a decade now. It has already reorganised the entire country into five theatre commands. Also, the concepts of informatisation and Strategic Support Force have been implemented which requires candidates who are academically sound, said the source.

    ALSO READ | China allows couples third child amid demographic crisis

    Another step taken for the first time is a wartime conscription plan in which the veterans will be on priority. “The Ministry of Veterans Affairs issued a draft regulatory change in July this year which has proposed changes in the conscription regulations with first time spelling out how the authorities will enlist the veterans and the conscripts.”

    The State Council or the Central Military Commission will issue the mobilization orders thereby drafting the veterans for the government and military to serve at various levels.

    China has been facing the problem due to its one-child policy and the conscripted force where, as per an Army officer, most of the soldiers try to finish off their tenure to leave for better avenues, thus leading to a morale and motivation issue.

    China’s one-child policy, implemented in 1979 and withdrawn in 2016, had exacerbated the practice of sex-selective abortion in favour of boys.

    Also, as reported earlier by The New Indian Express, since May 2020 when the standoff began in Eastern Ladakh, the Chinese started focusing on Tibetan youths to make up for the arising issues in finding the soldiers suitable to serve at high altitude on a prolonged deployment.

    The first two batches have been enlisted with the first one with the 100 soldiers deployed into the strategic Chumbi valley which lies in between Sikkim and Bhutan.

    Currently, the Indian Army and China’s PLA are in a tense standoff posture at various points along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.

  • Delimitation exercise in J&K has to happen quickly so that polls take place, says PM after all-party meet

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the ongoing delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir has to happen quickly so that polls can be held to install an elected government that gives strength to its development trajectory.

    In a series of tweets after a three-and-a-half-hour-long meeting with 14 political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir, Modi said the deliberations were an important step in the ongoing efforts towards a developed and progressive Jammu and Kashmir where all-round growth is furthered.

    “Our priority is to strengthen grassroots democracy in J&K. Delimitation has to happen at a quick pace so that polls can happen and J&K gets an elected Government that gives strength to J&K’s development trajectory,” he said.

    The prime minister said it was the biggest strength of Indian democracy that people can sit across a table and exchange views.

    “I told the leaders of J&K that it is the people, specially the youth who have to provide political leadership to J&K, and ensure their aspirations are duly fulfilled,” he said.

    The prime minister chaired the meeting at his official residence here.

    During the three-and-a-half-hour-long meeting, almost all the 14 leaders from Jammu and Kashmir demanded that its statehood, which was removed in August 2019, should be restored, he said.

    According to official sources, the main focus of the meeting was to strengthen the democratic process and the prime minister said that the government was fully committed to it.

    This is the first interaction between the central leadership and the mainstream parties since August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated it into union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

    Modi stressed that holding assembly elections, just like the successful conduct of the District Development Council polls, is a priority and that the polls can happen soon after the delimitation exercise, the sources said, adding that by and large most participants expressed willingness for it.

    The prime minister stressed that an atmosphere of safety and security needs to be ensured for all sections of society in Jammu and Kashmir and he wanted to remove ‘Dilli ki Duri as well as ‘Dil Ki Duri’ (distance from Delhi as well as distance of heart), according to the sources.

    “The meeting was very cordial and very positive, very dignified. We all agreed that we must work for the democracy. The prime minister has assured that he will do everything to make Jammu and Kashmir a zone of peace rather than a zone of conflict,” People’s Conference leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig told reporters after the meeting.

    Baig said the government side conveyed that the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after the completion of the ongoing delimitation process.

    “We were conveyed that the delimitation process will be completed first and thereafter a call will be taken on holding the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

    However, he said, no time frame has been given on holding the polls.

    “Almost everyone at meeting raised the demand for restoration of statehood of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said, adding the prime minister carefully listened to every issue raised by the political leaders.

    This is the first interaction between the central leadership and mainstream parties since August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

    The four former chief ministers of the erstwhile state who participated in the discussions were Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.

    Four former deputy chief ministers were in attendance too – Congress’ Tara Chand, People’s Conference leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig and BJP’s Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta.

    CPI-M leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) chief Altaf Bukhari, Sajjad Lone of the People’s Conference, J-K Congress head G A Mir, BJP’s Ravinder Raina and Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh also formed part of the delegation.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, and Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh were in attendance too.

    Today’s dialogue came seven months after the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

  • Intra-party consultations on for second day in J&K over invite for PM meeting

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: With the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) scheduled to meet Tuesday, intra-party consultations in Jammu and Kashmir continued for a second day Monday to discuss the Centre’s invitation for an all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 24.

    The PAGD — a six-party alliance of mainstream parties which came into existence after the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 — will meet at National Conference president Farooq Abdullah’s residence Tuesday to discuss the invite.

    While PDP has authorised its president Mehbooba Mufti to take a final call on the party’s participation in the all-party meet, the grouping is expected to come up with a joint strategy after the meeting.

    The PM’s meeting with the political parties from Jammu and Kashmir is part of the Centre’s initiatives to bolster political processes, including holding assembly elections, in the union territory.

    The National Conference (NC) said on Monday it was good that the Centre had realised that things will not work in the union territory without the local mainstream.

    “We have been saying that nothing has changed on the ground for the last two years. It is good that they have this realisation that things will not work here without the local mainstream. All their huge promises have turned hollow on the ground and nothing has been achieved,” NC provincial president, Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani, told reporters here.

    Wani said the change from “demonizing” the mainstream parties in J-K to inviting them for talks was good”.

    “It is a good change. As much and how much you can demonise the mainstream of J-K, you cannot do without it because the mainstream in J-K has always proven.”

    “For that matter, the NC, being the premier political party of the erstwhile state, has that grassroots reach, without its involvement in such kind of dialogues and such kinds of conference, you cannot go ahead,” he said.

    Other PAGD constituents — the CPM, CPI, People’s Movement and Awami National Conference — have not said much about the meeting.

    The JK Pradesh Congress Congress (JKPCC) organised a virtual meeting of its senior leaders with former Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and AICC incharge JK affairs Rajni Patil.

    The local Congress leaders shared their views on various aspects of the issue and gave their inputs about the current situation and the sentiments and aspirations of the people in Jammu and Kashmir, a party spokesman said.

    He alleged the Central government has always acted in an “undemocratic and unilateral” manner without taking on-board the people especially the mainstream forces who have always fought against the designs of anti-national and anti-social elements.

    People’s Conference’s Sajad Lone, who has had a ‘blow hot blow cold’ relation with the Centre since 2019, welcome the Prime Minister’s initiative, expressing hope the engagement would evolve into something much bigger and facilitate a return to democracy and empowerment of the people of the union territory.

    After a meeting on Monday, the party said there is a need for involving all stakeholders to script a new social contract between Delhi and the people of J-K.

    A party spokesman said the meeting discussed in detail the overall political scenario and ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir besides emphasizing the need for the political class to play a constructive role vis-à-vis ending the prevalent logjam and finding durable and democratic solutions to all the challenges facing the people of J-K.

    “The participants expressed their appreciation for the initiative of the Prime Minister and hoped that this engagement would evolve into something much bigger and facilitate return to democracy and empowerment of the people of J-K,” he said.