NEW DELHI: The Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party has issued a tersely worded statement saying that the people of J&K are being treated as occupied rather than as citizens. The statement was issued in its monthly newsletter and posted on its PDP’s social media platform handle ‘X’ (Formerly Twitter).
The statement has been issued in the backdrop of developments related to Supreme Court of India verdict on Article 370 of Indian Constitution that granted special status and autonomy to J&K. The SC decision put its stamp of approval on the orders of the central government stripping the former state of its special status and autonomy and its dismemberment into two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The statement says, specifically, that the people are grieving over the Supreme Court’s recent 370 verdict and reeling under lengthy power-cuts in metered and non-metered areas but with the discovery of lithium mines reserves in Kashmir, “a feeling of doom has gripped the region”.
Mehbooba Mufti also reposted on her personal handle on ‘X’ and said, “The journey from citizens to Salves! Why Kashmir is grieving, worsening power cuts and how unabated mining will destroy our ecology and environment. “Speak Up”.
The Journey from Citizens to Slaves! Why Kashmir is grieving, worsening power cuts and how unabated mining will destroy our ecology and environment. Read PDP’s monthly newsletter Speak-Up.
“As Indian companies gear up to bid for the treasure trove of Kashmir’s lithium mines, a feeling of doom has gripped the region. If mining contracts are given to outsiders, limitless mining will inevitably damage the ecology and economy, but not before displacing local populations. The extraction of lithium not only contaminates fresh water sources, but its harmful toxins also leach into fertile lands, making them unsuitable for agriculture. And after causing all this damage, the economic benefits will go to outsiders,” the PDP statement has said.
The statement comes four days after the Supreme Court’s verdict that ruled the Union government’s reading down of Article 370 as constitutionally valid. It also validated carving out Union Territory of Ladakh but not that of Jammu and Kashmir. It left this question open taking into account the statement of the Solicitor General that statehood to J&K would be restored soon.
“What is the difference between an occupation and a government? What does a citizen have that a slave doesn’t?” #jkpdp ‘Speak up’ December 2023
Text of the statement:
What is the difference between an occupation and a government? Current events around the world have brought this issue to the forefront, and the answer is rather simple. Before we delve into that, the Supreme Court has given the final verdict on Article 370, and once again, Kashmir is grieving. To quote Arab poet Ansar Yawar, “expecting a solution from those who created the web is like a bug asking the spider for its freedom, not realizing the purpose of the web.”
On a bright sunny day in New Delhi, HM Amit Shah found himself mourning the loss of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Instead of ruminating over Jawaharlal Nehru’s “blunders,” the BJP needs to ask themselves what they have done for the Indian Kashmir since they came to power in 2014. Other than dividing up our land and resources for their cronies and using their brute majority in Parliament to airdrop laws to disempower our people, what has BJP done for us? Perhaps they regret losing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir because they couldn’t treat it like the spoils of war. A quick lesson in history would tell them that it is because of Jawaharlal Nehru that Kashmir acceded to India.
During the winter of 2023, Kashmir has been facing the worst power cuts in more than 20 years. Despite the installation of smart meters, most Kashmiri homes don’t have electricity for more than a few hours per day. Even hospitals have not been spared. Kashmir needed S00 MW of power to meet the current curtailment schedule of 8.5 hours and 4.5 hours for non-metered and metered areas, respectively. After begging GOI, we were given 293 MW, of which 80 MW was given to Ladakh. That us with less than balf of what we needed. J&K has 21 power projects that could not only meet our needs but generate a surplus of 900 MW, but because of the disproportionate power sharing agreement, we receive less than half of the power we generate. In the past, we purchased power from the Northern Grid, but in the absence of a local government, GOI has failed to do the same. It’s laughable that BJP expects the world to believe 80 percent of Kashmiris want to continue living like this.
As Indian companies gear up to bid for the treasure trove of Kashmir’s lithium mines, a feeling of doom has gripped the region. If mining contracts are given to outsiders, limitless mining will inevitably damage the ecology and economy, but not before displacing local populations. The extraction of lithium not only contaminates fresh water sources, but its harmful toxins also leach into fertile lands, making them unsuitable for agriculture. And after causing all this damage, the economic benefits will go to outsiders.
So, once again, what is the difference between an occupation and a government? What does a citizen have that a slave doesn’t? A government strives to empower and enrich, whereas an occupation’s aim is to disempower, dispossess, and exploit. But when you find yourself asking this question over and over, it’s quite possible you already know the answer.
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