The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — As tensions rise between the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) over seat sharing in the upcoming elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has intervened to facilitate dialogue between the two long-standing rivals in Jammu and Kashmir's political arena.

Sources told the news agency KNO that the NC remains firm on retaining all seats it won in the previous LS polls, including the contentious Anantnag constituency, while the PDP seeks to contest from its former stronghold in South Kashmir.

Despite the PDP's willingness to support the NC in other constituencies, the deadlock persists over Anantnag.

Concerns mount within the India alliance as the NC and PDP struggle to find common ground, prompting calls for intervention from outside parties. Rahul Gandhi, informed of the impasse, has been urged to mediate between the two factions.

It was informed further that Rahul Gandhi may speak with both Omar and Mehbooba to end the impasse and finalize the candidates between the two parties for coming LS polls.

Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, a leader of the CPI-M, emphasizes the urgent need for reconciliation, urging both parties to prioritize the welfare of the people over internal disputes.

“It is imperative for these parties to set aside differences and work together for the greater good of Jammu and Kashmir,” Tarigami said, urging direct dialogue instead of public posturing.

SRINAGAR — Petitioners, who had petitioned against the abrogation of Article 370, are mulling to file a review petition in the Supreme Court.

On December 11 this month, the Supreme Court upheld the Government of India’s decision to scrap the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, which had granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) and senior CPIM leader Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami told the news agency KNT that all the petitioners and those who backed them are in discussion and hopefully, a review petition will be lodged in the Supreme Court against its recent verdict.

In response to a question, Tarigami said, “It’s not only about the PAGD leaders but also about those who were petitioners and who had petitioned against the Centre’s action. Everything is being evaluated and hopefully, a review petition will be filed in the apex court,” he said.

“We are seeking justice and want the apex court to reconsider its decision. The abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was an assault on the people of the region,” he said.

Tarigami said that after discussing the matter with legal luminaries, it was felt that there is room for a review petition before the apex court.

People can differ but judgment was unanimous: Justice SK Kaul

The unanimous judgment on Kashmir was the opinion of five judges and people can differ, Justice (Retd) SK Kaul, who was part of the constitution bench that delivered the verdict, has said.

While talking to a media outlet, he said, "I believe that if five judges have taken a unanimous decision, then at least it is the opinion of these judges that what was done was correct and in accordance with the law.”

The verdict of the five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud earlier this month, had disappointed in Kashmir Valley.

Speaking about the issue, which he insisted deserved to be put to rest, Justice Kaul, who retired on December 25, said the issues which came before the bench could be broadly divided into two questions -- whether Article 370 was a temporary provision and whether the Centre had stuck to the correct legal procedure.

Whether the "shell" of the "slightly different procedure" used to assimilate Jammu and Kashmir to India should stay or go was a political decision, Justice Kaul said. Now the decision for full assimilation has been taken, it was the "correct legal position," he said.

"On the question of process, the court took its call looking at the ground reality -- that there was no state assembly at the time and the power rested with the Centre. The people are entitled to a different opinion of it, so what," he said.

On whether it was a temporary position, all five judges had agreed it was, going by the incorporation and the chapter where it was made.

Asked how he felt about the situation since he felt the pain of Kashmiri Pandits -- the judge is from the erstwhile state -- he said it was essential to acknowledge that "there is something wrong".

Citing the South African model, based not on retribution or revenge but an acknowledgement of wrongdoing and a system of apology, he said it was what people needed to move on.

"There is a legal aspect and a societal aspect. There should be an end to this conflict. 4.5 lakh people were compelled to migrate. Their story was never told. If we have to proceed further, it is necessary to acknowledge there is something wrong. A person who has felt the pain 30 years ago, should feel that someone recognises their pain," Justice Kaul said.

On December 11, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment, upheld the Centre's decision to scrap the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, which had granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

SRINAGAR — Various parties across Jammu and Kashmir today set up a 14-member committee to chalk out the future strategy on the issue of any attempt at manipulation and inclusion of non-locals in the revised electoral rolls of J&K.

Senior Political Leader M Y Tarigami said Senior National Conference leader and Member Parliament Hasnain Masoodi will be convenor of the committee and includes senior leaders of PDP, DSSP, DS Sabha, ANC, CPIM, Shiv Sena,
IDP, JKPM,

He added that "As decided in the meeting attended by senior leaders of various political parties under the chairmanship of Dr Farooq Abdullah at Jammu on 10th September, 2022 to set up a committee to chalk out future strategy on the issue of any attempt of manipulation and inclusion of non-locals in the revised electoral rolls of J&K."

After mutual deliberations and consultations, the committee consisting of following leaders has been constituted with Justice Hasnain Masoodi MP as convenor.

The members include Raman Bala INC, Sheikh Ab Rehman former MP, Rattan Lal Gupta JKNC, Hasnain Masoodi JKNC, Dr Mehboob Beg PDP, A S Reen PDP, Gulchain Singh Charak DS Sabha, Chowdhary Lal Singh DSSP, Manish Sawhney Shiv Sena,Hari Singh CPI(M), G.M Mizrab CPI, Muzaffar Ahmad Shah ANC, I D Khujuria IDP and. Dr. M Hussain JKPM.

JAMMU — People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) will hold its second meeting at the Jammu residence of the National Conference president and Lok Sabha member Dr Farooq Abdullah on Saturday in an attempt to garner the support of more political and social parties against the inclusion of non-locals in Jammu and Kashmir’s electoral roll.

Senior CPI (M) leader M Y Tarigami, who is also PAGD’s convener and a spokesperson told the news agency KNO that the agenda of the meeting is already in the public domain.

“There is no clarity on Chief Electoral Officer statement regarding 25 thousand new voters and right to ordinarily residence. "We will get first-hand information from party colleagues who recently attended the All Party Meeting in Jammu,” the spokesperson said.

“We believe that inclusion of non-locals in the electoral roll is not required as many states reserved rights for native only but it seems that government unnecessary trying to divide between non-locals and natives," he said.

Tarigami said that the meeting will take place under the leadership of PAGD president Farooq Abdullah at his Jammu residence and almost everyone including former minister and president Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party Choudhary Lal Singh, Harsh Dev Singh of AAP, Balwant Mankotia group, Ghulam Nabi Azad’s fraction were invited in the meeting.

Tarigami maintained that each and every section and political social group is invited except the BJP. “We did not invite BJP, because it is part of the system,” he said.

“All-party meeting is part of the ongoing consultations to come out with a joint strategy to stand united against any move to include outsiders in the electoral rolls in a bid to influence election results,” Tarigami said.

This will be the second time that the PAGD is holding its meeting on the issue. Earlier, the alliance had convened a similar meeting in Srinagar on August 22, which was attended by the Congress, Shiv Sena and the Akali Dal (Mann), besides all of its constituents.

PAGD, an amalgam of five political parties – NC, PDP, CPI(M), CPM and Awami National Conference is campaigning for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status within the Indian Constitution.

The BJP has been critical of the PAGD and has accused the NC, Peoples Democratic Party and other parties of spreading propaganda to poison the minds of the people over the issue of inclusion of non-local voters in the revised electoral rolls.

The controversy erupted after Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar said the Union territory is likely to get around 25 lakh additional voters, including outsiders, after the special summary revision of electoral rolls, which are being held for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration, however, had issued a clarification, saying the reports were a misrepresentation of facts by vested interests and the increase in numbers will be due to the voters who would attain the age of 18 years by October 1, 2022.

SRINAGAR — Chief Electoral Officer, Hirdesh Kumar on Wednesday said residents of J&K who are working outside can register themselves as service voters, similarly people from other states working here like in Army, outside workers have the option to register themselves as voters here.

"This option was earlier also available with them," he said while addressing a press conference at Nirvachan Bhawan here and announced the launch and schedule of Special Summary Revision in Jammu & Kashmir.

It was told that in continuation to its earlier notification dated June 29, 2022, the Election Commission of India has further notified the schedule of Special Summary Revision with reference to October 1, 2022, as the qualifying date in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

According to the schedule, Integrated Draft Electoral Roll would be published by all Electoral Registration Officers on September 15, 2022. The period between September 15 and October 25 has been earmarked for filing claims and objections and all disposals in this regard would be completed by November 10.

Checking of health parameters and obtaining the Commission’s permission for final publication, updating the database and printing of supplements are to be done by November 19, 2022. The Final Electoral Roll would be published on November 25.

Those present during the press conference also included Additional Secretary, Sandish Kumar Gupta; State Nodal Officer, SVEEP, Akhtar Hussain Qazi and Joint Director Information Jammu, Sapna Kotwal.

The Chief Electoral Officer reiterated that any person attaining the age of 18 years on or before October 1, 2022, and is otherwise qualified to be enrolled as an elector in the Electoral Roll, can apply for his registration during this special summary revision.

Hirdesh Kumar said, "Pre-revision activities as well as post delimitation follow-up work is going on in the UT, wherein the existing electoral roll is being mapped into the newly delimited Assembly Constituencies as per the Delimitation Commission’s final order made applicable by the Union Law Ministry with effect from May 20, 2022. As part of the pre-revision activities, the process of rationalisation/re-arrangement of polling stations, removal of discrepancies of demographically similar entries/similar photo entries, duplicate EPICS, preparation of supplements and integrated draft roll is also going on at present."

The Integrated Draft Roll, with reference to October 1, 2022, as the qualifying date, would be published by all EROs of the UT on September 15, 2022, marking the formal beginning of the revision activities.

The Commission has extended the period for filing claims and objections from 30 days to 40 days: from September 15, 2022, to October 25, 2022. During this period, special camps would also be organised by CEO Jammu and Kashmir on weekends for which the date will be publicised separately.

Objections could be filled through multiple platforms - offline by submitting a hard copy in prescribed format before ERO/AERO or concerned BLO and online objections and claims could be filled by logging into https://ww.nvsp.in portal or by downloading Voter Helpline App (VHA).

The final electoral roll after due disposal of all claims and objections filed within the stipulated time period would be published on November 25, 2022.

BJP welcomes granting of voting rights to non-locals

BJP spokesperson J&K, Altaf Thakur welcomed the inclusion of non-local people working in Jammu and Kashmir as service voters.

"Welcome the induction of 25 lakh new voters, especially the youth in the new voter list. Democracy flourishing in J&K. Also, a great step by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for giving voting rights in Assembly polls to non-local labourers, those who have come for studies, and those here for security puposes. Regional parties feeling the heat of real democracy," he said.

All other parties resent granting voting rights to non-locals

As the Chief Electoral Officer of J&K Hridesh Kumar allows voter rights in J&K for every citizen of the country posted or working in the UT, the political parties have expressed their strong displeasure over the move.

Reacting to the statement of the Chief Electoral Officer of J&K that every citizen of the country staying in J&K can have voting rights in Assembly elections, J&K Peoples Conference President Sajad Gani Lone today said that such a step would be a replay of 1987.

Taking to the micro-blogging platform Twitter, Sajad Lone said, “This is dangerous. I don’t know what they want to achieve. This is much more than mischief. Democracy is a relic, especially in the context of Kashmir. Please remember 1987. We are yet to come out of that. Don’t replay 1987. It will be as disastrous."

"GOIs decision to defer polls in J&K preceded by egregious gerrymandering tilting the balance in BJP's favour & now allowing non-locals to vote is obviously to influence election results. The real aim is to continue ruling J&K with an iron fist to disempower locals," PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said.

"Is the BJP so insecure about support from genuine voters of J&K that it needs to import temporary voters to win seats? None of these things will help the BJP when the people of J&K are given a chance to exercise their franchise," says former chief minister Omar Abdullah.

"I express my serious concern over the Government of India's move to influence EC to allow non-locals to vote in J&K. Politically motivated step, disappointing, very unfortunate, should not happen. GOI should respect the emotions of JK People rather than disempowering them politically. I would suggest GOI to desist from doing such undemocratic exercises," said senior Congress leader G. A. Mir.

"What CEO has said amounts to disenfranchising the people of Jammu and Kashmir further. The delimitation process through the Reorganisation Act was an attempt to change the electoral demography of the region. In the absence of any representative government in J&K, the Union government has been exercising undiluted control in the region through a bureaucratic structure since June 2018. Today’s statement of CEO is a brazen assault on the legitimate aspirations of the people," said CPIM leader and PAGD spokesman Mohammad Yousuf Taragami.

SRINAGAR — The Kashmir Pandits continued their protests for the fourth consecutive day in Vessu area of Qazigund against innocent killings in Kashmir.

Protestors on the occasion, while talking to the news agency— Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that the government is issuing statements on their own without taking Kashmiri Pandits on board.

They must take Kashmir Pandits on board before taking any decision and issuing statements, they said, adding that they must be posted in Jammu till any concrete road map won't be formed by the government when all six lakh Pandits will return to Kashmir at a time.

“Posting us at DC offices is not a solution as we have to reach there and reaching there won't be safe for us,” they added.

Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Gh Nabi Azad talked to protesters on phone and assured them that he is going to take up their issues with the Centre and their all genuine demands will be accepted.

PAGD spokesperson and CPIM leader M Y Tarigami, who visited Vessu Qazigund on Monday, requested protestors not to leave Kashmir as it is not the solution and it is the duty of everyone to protect everyone.

On the occasion, Tarigami said that it will be a festival for both Pandits and Muslims when both communities will live together here safely.

“Keep government assurances aside, the need of the hour at present is that Pandits need assurances from the Muslim community about their safety. All civil society members and common people must come forward to assure Pandits about their safety to keep enemies of brotherhood at bay,” he said.

SRINAGAR — People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration on Sunday urged Kashmiri Pandits not to leave Kashmir, adding that they share equal pain and will together bear this tragedy.

The appeal by the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) came after the conglomerate met Jammu and Kashmiri Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhavan here.

The meeting was over the issue of security of Kashmiri Pandit employees in the aftermath of the killing of Rahul Bhatt which has sparked protests by community members.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, the spokesperson of PAGD, M Y Tarigami said that the Valley is as much the home of Kashmiri Pandits as it is of Kashmiri Muslims.

Tarigami said that if Kashmiri Pandits want to leave Kashmir in the wake of Bhatt’s killing, then what about the families of slain Kashmiri Muslims. “If Rahul was killed, Riyaz was also killed. Where will Riyaz’s family and relatives go? You do not have to leave your home. This is your home, this is my home. We will bear this tragedy together and try to safeguard each other,” he said while referring to Kashmiri Pandits.

Tarigami said that PAGD raised the issue of the transfer of the employees to safer places. However, there is no possibility of their transfer outside Kashmir.

PAGD told a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits who visited them that they will not let them leave Kashmir and today, LG also agreed to that in the meeting, Tarigami said, adding that the meeting with LG was useful and productive.

Tarigami further said that PAGD told Sinha that sufficient protection must be provided to the employees at their workplaces as well as wherever they live and all possible assistance be provided to them so that they live here with a sense of security.

SRINAGAR — Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Saturday decided to meet Lieutenant Governor Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha to raise the demands of Kashmiri Pandits with regard to their safety and security in the Valley.

Talking to the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the spokesman of the conglomerate, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami, said that a group of Kashmiri Pandits met the constituents of PAGD including Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Tarigami and Muzaffar Ahmad Shah today at the Gupkar residence of National Conference (NC) president.

"The Kashmiri Pandits discussed the security-related concerns with the conglomerate and even appraised them of leaving Kashmir," he said, adding that the PAGD members however told the delegation that Kashmir belongs to them also and leaving the home place is not a solution.

“There are genuine demands of Kashmiri Pandits as they feel unsafe even in the offices now,” he said.

Moreover, the PAGD spokesman said that the conglomerate has decided to meet Lieutenant Governor in this regard and has also requested an appointment so that the matter with regard to a secure environment for the Kashmiri Pandits will be discussed with him.

“There are tall claims from the government about normalcy in Kashmir, however, the situation on the ground is quite contrary,” he said.

SRINAGAR — CPI (M) senior leader and former Kulgam legislator, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami on Monday said that the Panchayati Raj system is not new in Jammu and Kashmir, but it existed even before the partition here and that the government must not push the people towards the wall.

Addressing a press conference at his Gupkar residence, Tarigami, as per the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that the Prime Minister has made an appeasing statement for the youth, but questioned why several youths were put behind the bars ahead of the visit.

“The Prime Minister has made tall claims to appease the youth, but it won’t serve the cause as there is a need to change the ground situation. What matters for the youth is to provide them employment, ensure a free atmosphere for them and give them security,” he said.

“I want to inform the government that the anger is increasing and don't push them to the wall. Also, don’t consider silence as normalcy,” Tarigami said.

He added that the government is beating the drums with regard to the Panchayat Raj system here, but the fact is that it is nothing new in J&K as such a system was already existing in the Union territory even before the partition.

Tarigami further added that the government at present is claiming the new Kashmir, but the fact remains that this all existed in 1944, which is the outcome of the people's movement.

He added that the implementation of GST was a big blow to the federal structure of India. “The government has claimed that the States will get their share under GST, but nothing has been given to the States so far,” he said.

Tarigami further said that the situation has changed on the ground as the Governors at present have become parallel centres in States, especially the places where Opposition governments exist.

He further stated that the Prime Minister in a meeting of J&K leaders said ‘Doori Door Karni Hai’, but unfortunately, nothing happened on the ground.

About the present power scenario, Tarigami said that the government should intervene and that 50 per cent of electricity being generated from J&K should be given to the consumers here so that the people could heave a sigh of relief.

“At present 45 per cent of electricity supplied to different states is being generated from J&K and the government should intervene to provide at least 50 per cent to the consumers here,” he said.