“RSS-BJP combine using the land row to whip up communal passions”
UPA government urged to initiate dialogue
with Sangharsh Samiti
NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Thursday accused the RSS-BJP combine of utilising the Amarnath land row in Jammu and Kashmir to “whip up communal passions” in a bid to consolidate its ‘Hindu vote bank.’
“Communal passions are being sharply aroused with rumours spreading like wildfire about the Hindus not being allowed to undertake the yatra. Likewise, extremist elements in the valley are also whipping up passions,” an editorial in the coming issue of the party’s weekly organ People’s Democracy said.
The editorial warned that such a conflagration with a very dangerous potential to undermine the unity and integrity of India was being created to reap electoral and political benefits.
It cautioned that the Amarnath row may create a “fertile ground” for cross-border terrorism to raise its “ugly head.”
The editorial said a similar decision in 2005 to rescind the order of transferring forest land to the Amarnath Shrine Board did not create any controversy.
“The fact that it [decision to revoke transfer of land to the Board] has led to a raging agitation today clearly points to the fact that this has been mounted keeping in view the coming elections to the State Assembly in October and the general elections in early 2009.
“In the interests of our country’s unity and integrity, in the interests of our country’s communal and social harmony and in the interests of safeguarding and strengthening the secular democratic character of the modern Indian republic, it is imperative that the incendiary flames of this communally-charged movement be doused urgently,” it said.
With the participation of the BJP leadership, the UPA government must immediately initiate a dialogue with the Sangharsh Samiti. The agitation must be suspended till a solution was found, the editorial suggested.
The CPI(M) also discounted the “widely circulated belief” that the land allocated to the shrine board was withdrawn under pressure from the people of the Kashmir valley. “Ownership of the forest land cannot be transferred under law. However, the government can permit a change in the land use. Earlier, the State government had allocated some land to the Board to provide facilities to the yatra pilgrims. Since this had become a controversy, the new Governor of the State [N.N. Vohra] withdrew his predecessor’s decision with an assurance from the State government that it would undertake the responsibility of providing all the required facilities for the pilgrims,” the party said.
“These are, indeed, being provided now by the Jammu and Kashmir government and the yatra continues to proceed smoothly today,” it said.
Shujaat Bukhari reports from Srinagar
CPI(M) State secretary M.Y. Tarigami on Thursday described the present situation in Jammu and Kashmir as highly critical and called for isolating the communal forces.
In a statement, Mr. Tarigami said communal forces with vested interests were exploiting the passions of the people for electoral gains. He appealed to the people to remain calm and uphold their age-old traditions of tolerance and brotherhood.
Condemning the attacks and assaults on “innocent Kashmiri drivers, minorities of Jammu” and the economic blockade of Kashmir, Mr. Tarigami asked the State and the Central governments to ensure quickly the safety and security of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
He also urged that complaints of partisan and complacent attitude of some officers should be looked into and the guilty, if any, be punished.
He appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to look into complaints of harassment of Kashmiri truckers and looting of the trucks and punish the guilty.
Senior National Conference leader and former Minister, Mian Altaf Ahmed, said in a statement that the State government had miserably failed to provide adequate security and safety to the Gujjars of Jammu region. The State is passing through a phase of chaos and lawlessness which is dangerous for our pluralistic society.
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