SRINAGAR In occupied Kashmir, the visiting Indian ministers in their outreach programme received a cold response from the people of of the territory. Five Indian ministers have been visiting different parts of the Kashmir Valley during the past few days as part of the Narendra Modi government’s mission Kashmir to reach out to the Kashmiri people to garner support for his recent antiKashmir moves. The minis ters could not draw crowds as repeal of Kashmir’s special status and its division into two union territories weighed heavy on the minds of the masses. “We were verbally told by the local administration last week to meet the ministers for addressing local issues, but we do not want to meet them,” said a resident of Baramulla. “It is better to keep a distance from them under present circumstances,” he added. The people of occupied Kashmir have been unaware of and indifferent to the visit of the Indian ministers. The two places – Srinagar and Ganderbal – which the ministers visited, there were mostly BJP workers, panchayat members and government officials. The officials are taking care to prevent discussions on revocation of Kashmir’s special status, although the calls for protecting the rights of permanent residents over land and jobs are being frequently raised. “The entry of common people to the venues is being barred. The audience is approved by the officials, lest there is any embarrassing question,” an official said. It is to mention here that 36 Indian ministers have been visiting different areas of occupied Kashmir since last Saturday. Of these ministers, only five are visiting the Kashmir Valley. And out of total 59 programmes in entire occupied Kashmir, the ministers are scheduled to attend only eight programmes in the valley.— KMS
