| Altaf Bukhari-led team to call on Modi-Shah over statehood, domicile rights | | |
Jammu, Jan 30
An informal meeting of some of the senior political leaders, academicians, legal luminaries, social activists and some like-minded people took place in Jammu on January 29, 2020.
The meeting took stock of the present socio-economic and political situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Declaring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as unprecedented, it said the situation needs to be addressed through extraordinary measures.
"It was seriously felt that people of the Jammu and Kashmir are caught in a difficult day-to-day situation and have been left at the mercy of an unresponsive administration."
The demands put forth by a group of political leaders led by Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari before the Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu on January 7, 2020 were also taken up for discussion.
Some of the measures taken up by the government in light of its memorandum-like release of some political prisoners, restoration of 2G-mobile internet service were termed as "insufficient".
The participants in the meeting demanded a time-bound implementation of other demands put forth before the Lieutenant Governor which are within his jurisdiction.
The meeting also underlined urgency for release of all political prisoners, including three former chief ministers, lawyers, businessmen, trade leaders and youth, irrespective of their political affiliations, who have been under detention in J&K or rest of the country.
The meeting vehemently advocated for full restoration of mobile Internet speed as well as broadband services in Jammu and Kashmir.
Taking serious note of the present dismal economic situation, an immediate relief for the Agriculture, Horticulture, Handicrafts, Tourism, Hoteliers, Business, Trade, Houseboat owners and Transport community in Jammu and Kashmir was demanded in the meeting.
The participants in the meeting also expressed their concern with regard to interruption in implementation of other demands put forth in their memorandum and chalked out a future course of action for a vigorous follow-up through all available channels.
"It was unanimously decided that a group of the members led by Mr. Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari should call on the Honb'le Prime Minister and the Honb'le Home Minister of the country and pursue other demands like restoration of Statehood, Purpose Oriented Domicile Rights (for Land and Jobs) etc. which fall within the jurisdiction of the Government of India and the Parliament.
"The meeting also evolved a consensus for a need to provide the people of Jammu and Kashmir with a viable, democratic political alternative. Hectic deliberations were also held to reach out to the people for mobilizing a democratic grass roots movement aimed at developing strong local structures on the ground.
"During the course of meeting two committees were framed. One that will deliberate on the nuances of constitutionality required for formation of any political set-up. The second committee will reach out to the intellectuals, academicians, social activists, chamber of commerce, tradesmen and other representatives of the society to explore all possibilities through which the people of J&K are taken out from the socio-economic and political quagmire."
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