People of Kashmir can’t be suppressed: Apni Party as police foils protest march

They were protesting against the draft proposals of the Delimitation Commission. However, a posse of policemen stopped the protesters just outside the party office and did not allow them to move towards Lal Chowk.

J&K Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari with his supporters stage a silent protest against the draft recommendations by the Delimitation Commission in Srinagar (Pic: ANI)

Srinagar: Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari, also a former minister, along with party leaders assembled at the party office at Sheikh Bagh area in Srinagar and tried to take out a protest march towards Civil Secretariat. They were protesting against the draft proposals of the Delimitation Commission.  The Jammu and Kashmir police on Wednesday, however, foiled the protest march, when a posse of policemen stopped the protesters just outside the party office and did not allow them to move towards Lal Chowk.

Altaf Bukhari slammed the police's action and said that unlike what's claimed - that there's freedom of speech and rights in Kashmir - that's actually not the case as they are not allowed to protest peacefully. Bukhari said, “We don’t accept the Delimitation Commission's proposal. It’s ironical that they say there is freedom here. But what kind of freedom is this, what kind of democracy is this when we are not allowed to stage peaceful protest?" Bukhari also said that the media has been gagged and demanded that they "want freedom of the press”. 

Rejecting the enquiry report of police on Hyderpora operation, Bukhari said, “In Hyderpora, an enquiry is still going on, but they have given clean chit. What type of enquiry is this? Already people of Jammu and Kashmir had little faith in these enquiries. We demand that those killers be booked. How do we believe a police enquiry? I want to tell those in Dehli that people of Kashmir can’t be suppressed.”

A similar protest was held at Jammu, where a silent march was led by Party Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir, who was accompanied by Party leadership belonging to the Jammu division. The party leadership also submitted a comprehensive memorandum wherein the demands with regards to safeguarding the rights of the people of J&K were propounded.

Addressed to the Lieutenant Governor of 'UT of Jammu and Kashmir, this is what the memorandum says:

Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party on 29th December 2021 carried out a silent protest march registering its dissent with regards to the recent Delimitation Commission report, terming it unscientific and in violation to the laid down parameters in the corresponding order. Earlier, the Party had welcomed the Delimitation Commission and even interacted with their delegation while suggesting certain requisite changes. We believed that the process would be factual and transparent however the recent proposed report is visibly disproportionate and encourages the doubts of favouritism towards a specific political party.

This (Delimitation panel) report defeats the very idea of a secular India and compromises on the rules guiding the process involved in territorial delimitations of Assembly constituencies as mandated by the Election Commission India and the constitution.

Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party takes a strong exception to such unprincipled edicts that primarily are aimed to disturb the harmony in J&K where people of different religious beliefs and ethnicities have continued to live together in peace. However, Apni Party will never allow these schemes to succeed as we believe in the idea of equal representation and development of all the regions of J&K. Therefore, we urge the Central Government to intervene in this matter that poses a threat to the integrity and soul of our constitution.

On Real Estate Summit

Pertinently, Apni Party has always welcomed the prospective initiatives that are incorporated to uplift the regional economy and benefit the local inhabitant of J&K. But the Real Estate Summit held in Jammu undermines the Domicile Law that has been introduced to safeguard the rights of the natives of J&K.

Such moves require majoritarian consent of the locals which can thereafter be implemented by a government elected by the people. The local population has a deep resentment over these arbitrary laws which routinely gives them an impression of disempowerment and adds further to the feeling of alienation.

Apni Party is resolute in its demand that these decisions fall specifically under the domain of an elected government while the current administration must focus on safeguarding the rights of the people, curbing spiking unemployment rates and inflation in the Union Territory.


Freedom of Press

Moreover, Apni Party demands that the Government should desist from censoring the media in Jammu and Kashmir and should encourage the constructive criticism that is essential for bolstering democratic values.

The Constitution of India guarantees the ‘Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression’ which needs to be put in practice in letter and spirit. The media outlets and press are facing immense hurdles in reporting from ground and numerous policies are being introduced every now and then which impedes it to function properly.

Apni Party stands resolute with the Press and for their rights to express fair opinions and constructive criticism.  

Therefore, Apni demands that while carrying out the delimitation process and implementing other laws to the region of Jammu and Kashmir, the secular fabric of the country must be kept intact.