JAMMU, DECEMBER 13: To have people from Jammu division also join their fight for getting back statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and also its special status under Article 370 and 35A, leaders of mainstream political parties from Kashmir who form constituents of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration have started visiting Jammu so as to talk with members of the civil society here.
“There is a strong feeling in PAGD that there will be no forward movement without representation from Jammu, or without any credible dialogue with the cross section of people including civil society in Jammu,’’ said CPI (M) leader and former MLA M Y Tarigami while talking to media persons here on Monday. Tarigami also happens to be the spokesperson of PAGD.
Pointing out that one shall learn a lesson from farmers who hailed from different states and with different ideologies joined hands forcing the government to withdraw Farm laws, he said “Kashmir cannot march ahead without Jammu and likewise Jammu too can’t ignoring Kashmir including Ladakh’’. “We have to move together over the issue as this is for us an Article of faith,’’ he added.
The CPI(M) leader said that people in all the regions are linked with each other through their history and they have common interests as well, the CPI(M) leader said “we have to identify the areas where we can agree and we have every right to disagree as well’’. While disagreements are there, there can be possibilities of agreement as well, he said, adding “we must explore those possibilities where there are some sort of commonalities which can be abiding force for all of us to move together so that some relief is provided to the people of Jammu as well as of Kashmir’’.
When asked about growing differences between various constituents of PAGD especially National Conference vice president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s accusations that PDP’s decision to forge alliance with BJP resulted in abrogation of Article 370, Tarigami said “we have not merged together so we have every right to differ on certain issues’’. “While as there are some commonalities which unite us together and that is why I have come here to request civil society and political activists here,’’ he said, adding “we can carve out some plan, right plan on common issues where we can have united approach’’.
Later, Tarigami called on Prof Bhim Singh, president of J&K National Panthers Party and discussed the initiatives proposed by recognized political parties in J&K. The CPI(M) leader assured his full cooperation in having a united fight for restoration of statehood to J&K and holding of assembly elections without delay.