Shri Provash Ghosh, General Secretary, SUCI(C), has issued the following statement today:–
We vehemently condemn the most cowardly killing of a civilian by Indian Army allegedly during a fake encounter on 21st August, 2017 in Kupwara district of Kashmir. The bullet ridden body was spotted by the police in the Hafruda forest range of Handwara in Kashmir. Such ghastly killings should be stopped immediately. The Central and the State Governments must probe into the said incidents, arrest the army/police personals who are the main culprits of such so called operations and give them stringent punishment.
While it is imperative on the part of the Central Government to immediately take necessary political initiative to diffuse the prolonged explosive situation in Jammu and Kashmir and regain the confidence of the aggrieved and agitated Kashmiri people because of persistent violation of the special rights granted and promises made during the time of accession of Kashmir to India after independence, the government instead has been further complicating the issue by responding positively to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Supreme Court for repealing of Section 35A of the Constitution which empowers the Jammu and Kashmir state’s legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and provide special rights and privileges to those permanent residents. Such a move initiated by some misguided people getting tacit support from the ruling party is clearly providing a handle to the separatist-fundamentalist forces who, taking advantage of the mounting discontent and wrath of the Kashmiri people against the government of India for genuine reasons, are fuelling anti-India sentiments and trying to mislead them with provocative slogans and acts like shutting down the state on the day the supreme court hears the PIL. This evidently would worsen the situation further and cause more violence, loss of life and property and most importantly alienation of the Kashmiri people from India.
We, therefore, demand of the government to dissociate itself from the move to scrap section 35A, restrain Army from precipitating uncalled for action thereby making the Kashmiri people more hostile, repeal the black AFSPA and create positive environment to win back the confidence of the Kashmiri people to restore peace and normalcy in the valley without any further loss of time.
We also call upon all right-thinking democratic-minded conscientious people to condemn such ghastly killings of civilians as well as provocative moves to further aggravate the already explosive situation in the valley and close their rank to force the BJP-led Central Government desist from indulging in such wanton killings and to ensure that the contemptuous move to abrogate section 35A of the constitution is withdrawn forthwith.
