Terrorists failed as Kashmiris refused to be divided after Pahalgam attack: CPI(M)’s Baby

Srinagar, Jun 11: Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary M.A. Baby on Wednesday demanded a special session of Parliament to discuss the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam and other key issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the attack was a serious attempt to divide the people of India on religious lines, but the people stood united. “Terrorists failed in their objective because both the people of Kashmir and the rest of India refused to fall into their trap and stayed united,” Baby said while speaking to reporters after holding a party convention at Tagore Hall, Srinagar.
He said this is the time to reflect on the serious security lapses that led to the killing of innocent people.
The CPI(M) leader said the government must answer how such a security failure took place. He reiterated the demand for a special session of Parliament to discuss this incident, review lapses, and ensure accountability. He added that the fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir cannot be successful unless the democratic rights of the people are restored.
Baby added, “In a recent meeting of top security officials, even the elected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was not allowed to participate. The meeting was chaired by the Lieutenant Governor, who is a central government appointee, not an elected representative of the people. This shows the disrespect for democracy and raises serious concerns among the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said such actions create feelings of exclusion and alienation.”
Baby added that the CPI(M) delegation, which included MPs from West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and other states, visited Uri and nearby areas to assess the ground situation, and they met the relatives of Nargis, a woman killed in a recent attack.
He said they found severe damage to homes and workplaces due to shelling. While the actual loss in each case is estimated at over Rs 10 lakh, the government is giving only Rs 1.3 lakh as compensation, he added.
“The compensation is meagre and completely inadequate,” Baby said. He demanded that the government revise the compensation amount and ensure it matches the real damage suffered by the people.
“We have asked the affected families to write down their losses and the damage they have suffered and reports to be submitted to Comrade (Mohamad Yousuf) Tarigami – MLA Kulgam, who will hand over those reports to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, who will raise them in the upcoming sessions of Parliament,” he added