Jammu: The Lone CPI(M) MLA, Mohammad Tusuf Tarigami, Thursday demanded land and jobs rights for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir as were guaranteed by the erstwhile Dogra Maharaja Hari Singh.
He said this in the Assembly during the discussion on the motion of thanks on the Lt. Governor’s address.
Tarigami said the original constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir should be restored, and there was no example in Independent India when a state was reduced to the level of a union territory.
“This is important to protect the interests of the people,” he said
He also opposed the remarks made in the House Wednesday by BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma regarding the restoration of the July 13 holiday as the Martyrs Day. ’
He said he regretted the remarks made by the BJP leader as Tarigami said, “Knowing history is very important for my colleagues in the Assembly”.
The CPI(M) MLA said the Dogra rule in J&K came into being in 1846 by the Treaty of Amritsar when Kashmir, with its 5,000-year-old history, was ‘sold by the British. ’
He also referred to the supreme sacrifice made by Bhagat Singh, who fought against the British rule in India. In the same breath, Tarigami criticised the BJP for what he called ‘undermining the legacy of Dogra rulers and the struggles of historical figures like Zorawar Singh.
He questioned the rationale behind the separation of Ladakh from Jammu and Kashmir. “Why was Ladakh separated from Jammu and Kashmir? This is the question I ask the BJP,” he said.
The BJP MLAs responded to Tarigami, saying that Ladakh was separated from J&K due to the discontent of the region with the Kashmir administration.
Tarigami appreciated the historical role of Jammu and Kashmir in maintaining peace during times of communal strife. “It is a known fact that when the entire country was burning in communal flames, it was Kashmir alone that remained peaceful.”
He praised the role of National Conference (NC) founder Sheikh Abdullah and the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir in implementing historic land reforms that benefited farmers from both the Jammu and Kashmir regions.
“Today, you demand the removal of Sheikh Abdullah’s birthday from the list of gazetted holidays, but it was he who ensured a dignified living even for the poorest of the poor, whether from Jammu or Kashmir,” he asserted.
Addressing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Tarigami acknowledged the limitations of the current administration, stating, “People know that you [CM] cannot even transfer a constable from your office. However, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are not seeking charity but rather the restoration of their rights and dignity. Our rights should be restored by the Constitution of India. Let us demand in unison, irrespective of party affiliations, that we want the same state that was founded by the Dogra rulers, and we want our job and land rights back,” Tarigami said.
Tarigami, as the lone CPI(M) MLA in the 90-member J&K Assembly, supports the Omar Abdullah-led NC government
The NC has 42 MLAs, BJP 29, Congress 6, the Independents 6, People’s Conference (PC) 1, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) 1, PDP 3, the CPI(M) one and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) one.
Five Independents later joined the NC, and one of them, Satish Sharma, is a Minister in the cabinet.
Congress supports the government from outside, as does AAP and CPI(M).
IANS
