Srinagar, Apr 28: The people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have been the victims of violence, and their representatives, are the real stakeholders and must be included in the decision-making process to combat terrorism effectively, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and MLA Kulgam, Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami said on Monday.
He was speaking during a special one-day Assembly session convened to pass resolutions paying homage to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The CPI(M) leader said trust must be built with the victims to ensure meaningful progress. He said, “In the mind of a terrorist, he doesn’t consider who is a Muslim and who isn’t. If that were the case, then Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir (Moulvi Muhammad Farooq) and others wouldn’t have been targeted. In the eyes of a terrorist, terror is everything.
He added, “If you, for the sake of votes, speak about Hindu-Muslim divides and attempt to create terror, then this House should send a clear message to them and be responsible citizens. The safety of this nation and the safety of its people is the duty of all of us.”
On the alleged harassment of Kashmiri students outside J&K following the Pahalgam attack, Tarigami said, “It is the responsibility of every citizen, of every government, to protect Kashmiri students.”
On the demolition of terror suspects’ houses in Kashmir, the CPI(M) leader said, “Bulldozers are being used, houses are being demolished. This is not the way to fight terrorism. The government at the Centre had announced in Parliament that the ecosystem of terrorism has collapsed in Kashmir. What has collapsed in Jammu and Kashmir is something else — there has been a revival of terrorism. Who will be held accountable?”
Recalling poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, he said, “Bol ke lab azad hain tere” (Speak, for your lips are free)… “Someone can silence my voice, cut my body, shoot me, or kill me, but even then, my right to speak remains enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.
Referring to the Supreme Court of India’s verdict regarding demolitions, he said, “The Supreme Court has ruled clearly on this issue. If a son commits a crime, how can the father be held responsible?”
“If a terrorist is born in a house, what is the fault of his neighbour? Why should his neighbour’s house be damaged?” Tarigami asked.
