Kulgam, December 5: Extending support to farmers’ protest across the country, CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami today said Jammu and Kashmir being agricultural state will suffer immensely due to the new farm bills introduced by the BJP government at the Center.
While addressing a party convention in Kulgam, he said, the CPI (M) condemns the malicious campaign launched by the Modi government against the farmers. We back farmers’ demand to scrap the three pro-corporate farm laws rammed through undemocratically by the BJP central government in parliament in September 2020. We also demand repeal of the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020, which will greatly hike power tariffs not only for farmers but for all rural and urban consumers in the country.
Agriculture is the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy and these new farm bills will hurt the interests of farmers in the region like in rest of the country. Around 70% of the population in J&K gets livelihood directly or indirectly from the Agriculture and allied sectors and such bills will have a direct impact on them. Whatever is being witnessed in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi these days is similar to a government waging war against its own people and its own farmers. The repression of the BJP government is unprecedented, but the resistance of the peasantry is incredible. It is a gift of the Modi government to farmers, who are providing food security to the nation.
J&K farmers are also in solidarity with the protesting kisans and we stood in solidarity with them and with their genuine demands.
On the ongoing district development council (DDC) polls in J&K, he appealed to the people to come out and vote against the divisive and communal politics of the BJP. Abstaining from voting will harm the interests of people of J&K as history and experience sufficiently demonstrates that neither voting nor the boycott changed the political course of Kashmir. However, the boycott of elections virtually leads to disempowerment of people which is the reason that the political parties in J&K decided to participate in these polls though announced abruptly.
BJP leaders are claiming that due to decentralization of policies and resources govt is working on gross root level, which is mere a hoax. Over decentralization, local bodies cannot be adequately empowered with political and economic autonomy untill and unless the central government adheres strictly to the principles of federalism. It has to vacate the unwarrented and unconstitutional encroachments, it has made on the domain of the states. Major thrust has to be given to work for decentralization of functions and authority to enable the common people to participate in the governance and exercise their democratic rights fully.
He said that on one hand the BJP government talks about ‘development’ and ‘redresal’, but on the other people are suffering as their lives have been made miserable. Only development in the region since last August is that police stations and jails are full. Draconian laws like UAPA and PSA are being used indiscriminately while harassment of common people at the hands of security agencies is a routine affair. There is also a perception that investigating agencies are being used by the BJP government for partisan purposes.
Others who spoke on the occasion include Mohamad Afzal Parry, Mohamad Yousuf Lone, Ghulam Mohiudin and Zahoor Ahmad Rather.
