Sagar seeks end to policy of disenfranchisement in J&K

SRINAGAR, October 04, 2021: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar on Monday said that trusting the people of JK with democracy, and basic fundamental rights can go a long way in healing their wound and cleaning the cobwebs of mistrust between Srinagar and New Delhi.

He said this while addressing a meeting of senior party functionaries and workers at party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha. “The absence of democracy and a long spell of bureaucratic rule has obstructed the development prospectus in the entire region. The airdropped coterie of officials at the helm of power in JK seems to care little about the issues concerning the people,” he said.

 “It was claimed that the post abrogation era will iron out all issues and put the region on the track of “development and prosperity” but in reality the region has been plunged into an abyss of chaos and uncertainty.  The morass that the entire region finds it in belies those claims. The local administration has become slack and is not living up to its obligations. It is our educated and skilled youth who have particularly been at the receiving end of all this,” he said.

Pointing out to the extensive puff-jobs and window dressing of incumbent administration, Sagar said people are suffering on different accounts ranging from inflation, development deficit, to rising unemployment and administrative inertia. “Denying genuine democracy, fundamental rights, press freedom and equitable development to people in J&K is what J&K has seen post august 2019,” he said.

While alluding to the plight of skilled and well educated unemployed, Sagar said that the educated youth of Kashmir see an uncertain future in wake of absence of any effective job policy, absence of private sector and failure of the government on its promise of accelerating the recruitment process in JKSSB and JKPSC. “Jammu and Kashmir is undergoing a youth bump, where nearly 70% of the population constitutes youth. However, the majority are unemployed. The scenario has aggravated due to the absence of any policy intervention from the government since 2015. The appalling policy of August 5 has further compounded the woes of our youth upon whom the other avenues of employment were also closed post august 5, 2019,” he said.

On the occasion, he impressed upon the divisional administration to ensure all basic and effective amenities at all the major shrines in Kashmir, particularly Asar-e-Sharief Hazratbal in view of the forthcoming Eid-e-Miladun Nabi (SAW) observance.  (PTK)