‘The government’s action has broken the backbone of Kashmir’s economy’

Interview with Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, CPI(M) MLA for Kulgam.

MOHAMMED YOUSUF TARIGAMI, four-time MLA from Kulgam in Kashmir, says that regional leaders must get their act together and resist the “undemocratic ways” of the Union government. Excerpts from an interview.

When Article 370 was revoked on August 5, 2019, one of the narratives that the government and a section of the media floated was that this decision would help eliminate terrorism. Do developments of the past one year support the government’s argument?

The government has been trying to showcase the large-scale elimination of militants as victory over militancy. This is a mechanistic assessment that does not take into account the real enablers and triggers for militancy. The question that needs to be asked is, how many of the now eliminated militants joined militancy after August 5, 2019? If you look at the data, it becomes clear that the government’s unilateral decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status has failed to thwart recruitment into the militant ranks.

Kashmiris feel pushed to the wall, and there is a systematic violation of people’s rights. The government has been relaying messages that are aimed at humiliating the people. Is there an example anywhere in the world where armed conflict was contained by suspending people’s rights and stripping them of their dignity? Despite the government’s triumphant declarations, the fact is that Kashmir has been rendered a fertile ground for those who stand for violence rather than those who advocate dialogue, normalcy and the operation of democratic processes.

The BJP and the RSS maintain that Article 370 was an impediment to economic development. Has its abrogation given the economy of Kashmir a boost?

The spurious claims made by the government become apparent when one looks at tourism, horticulture, agriculture or any other sector of the region’s economy. Where are the tourists? Is there a robust market for the local handicraft? Do artisans have adequate work? When was the last time paddy growers in Jammu or orchardists in Kashmir had a brisk sale of their produce? The government’s August 5 action of last year broke the backbone of Kashmir’s economy. Cultivators and apple growers suffered losses in the millions due to the long and intermittent blockade of highways and the prevailing atmosphere of violence and other disturbances. There was no procurement by the government.

The government might hide behind the excuse that the situation in Kashmir is not conducive to pushing investment, but what about Jammu, which is a peaceful region? How many new projects were announced after August 5? How many ongoing projects were completed? Whereas several States provided relief to migrant labourers as per their limited resources after the coronavirus erupted, in Jammu and Kashmir the community has been left in the lurch.

What is the current state of mainstream politics in Kashmir? Will it be easy to hold elections in the politically fractious Union Territory once delimitation is complete?

It is apparent that the political and electoral processes in Kashmir are at a standstill and that is the outcome of the Centre’s deficient, exclusivist policies vis-a-vis Jammu and Kashmir. The government claimed on August 5 that it was committed to integrating Kashmir. But the question is integration with whom? When there is a political va