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| MoS Manohar takes a rational line Congress joins hands with separatists, demands disbanding of VDCs | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 17: The minorities and nationalist sections of society in Jammu & Kashmir were expecting that the Congress party, which has been sharing power with the NC for years now, would condemn the Kashmiri separatists and all others in Kashmir who have intensified their hate-campaign against the Village Defence Committees (VDCs) since the August 9 communal onslaught in Kishtwar, but it has not happened. On the contrary, the Congress has come out openly against the VDCs and, like the separatists, demanded disbanding of the VDCs.
It was none other then former Minister and Member AICC Abdul Gani Vakil who demanded immediate disbanding of the VDCs while addressing party workers convention at Nowpora Sopore on Saturday. "Since the Chief Minister is claiming that militancy is on decline, therefore it is inevitable to review the role of VDCs, particularly in the backdrop of the Kishtwar incident as people all over the State have been claiming that there is now no relevance of VDCs as people has lost faith in them," Vakil said.
Vakil not only asked the government to disband the VDC’s forthwith, but also, like the Chief Minister and Kashmiri separatists, spoke for Pakistan. "Strong Pakistan is in our interest but at the same time our neighbor should not divert attention of its citizens by resorting to cease fire violations on LoC rather should concentrate in redressing basic problems of their people. Pakistan will achieve nothing in becoming trouble fomenter for India which only will ultimately result in exhausting its own resources which could be used for betterment of common masses there," he said.
Former Cabinet Minister, who belongs to the Ghulam Nabi Azad camp, was highly critical of the VDCs and supportive of the pro-Pakistan and terrorist Hurriyat Conference. He termed as "commendable" the role played by the "Hurriyat leaders during communal tension in Kishtwar" and asserted that the Hurriyat's role "unambiguously helped the State in containing and curbing the violence from spreading to other areas and Hurriyat never made any effort to fuel the fire which could have been detrimental to the State as well as to country". Vakil urged the Government and people to "endorse and appreciate the positive gesture of Hurriyat" and appealed to them to "respond in the same spirit". In fact, he urged the Government of India to talk with the Kashmiri separatists suggesting the dialogue between the government and separatists will "benefit poor masses in this trouble torn State and will help them to come out of this conflict".
It now appears that the NC, the Congress and the separatists are on the same page as far as their attitude towards the VDCs, which have been playing very important role in combating militancy. The Early Times contacted a number of senior Congress leaders to ascertain their views on the VDCs as well as their take on the Vakil's line, but all, barring MoS Manohar Lal Sharma, thought it proper not to speak on the issue citing one reason or the other. Manohar Lal Sharma, on the other hand, not only opposed the demand seeking disbanding of the VDCs, but also told Early Times that the "VDCs needed to be further strengthened". He was very categorical. In fact, he contradicted Vakil and took a line taking into consideration the prevailing situation in the militant-infested state. |
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