President of All India Kisan Sabha, the farmers’ wing of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, Dr Ashok Dhawale has said that the RSS-backed Hindutva government of India took the decision of abrogating special status of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on 5 August 2019 on communal lines and since then the Kashmiri people are facing gradual disempowerment.
Dr Ashok Dhawale addressing a conference in Srinagar said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had snatched the rights of the Kashmiri people in August 2019 by abrogating Articles 370 and 35A. He added that these Articles provided constitutional guarantees to the Kashmiris’ rights, land and jobs.
“The decision of August 5, 2019 was taken on communal lines. Kashmir was targeted because it is the only Muslim majority region across the country [India]. Modi, Shah and Mohan Bagwat [RSS chief] are following the British policy of divide and rule politics to create wedge between Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and others,” said Dhawale. He said that AIKS rejects New Delhi’s decision of August 5, 2019 and stands in solidarity with the people of IIOJK.
Dhawale further said, “Apple farmers have suffered a lot due to official apathy. The administration closed the (Srinagar-Jammu] highway for 15 days”. He said they will continue to support the Kashmiri farmers, towards whom the authorities have been apathetic. He said they will support the struggle of people in Jammu and Kashmir, especially the farmers, in their struggle for their rights. He said their rights have been violated in the last few years.
Dhawale is visiting Kashmir as part of program to mobilise support for the upcoming India-wide stir. The farmers’ body, which has as many as 1.36 crore members in 25 Indian states, reiterated the call for protests in front of Raj Bhawans (governor houses) across India and IIOJK on November 26 urging people to participate in the protests. The day will mark two years since tens of thousands of farmers arrived at the Singhu and Tikri borders of Delhi to successfully campaign for the revocation of farm laws passed by the BJP government.—KMS
