Flood Relief – Kashmir’s not beggars, Mirwaiz to India
Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman and head of Mutahida Majlis Ulema, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Sunday while touching on economic difficulties faced by the people of Kashmir said, “It has been the policy of New Delhi right from 1947 to paralyze and make Kashmir’s dependent economically. Kashmir’s were never allowed to become self sufficient and any move in this direction was always sabotaged.”
Addressing a gathering at Khwaja Naqashbandh Sahab, Srinagar, he said that Hurriyat Conference along with fighting for right of self determination for Kashmiris is always advocating for the economic freedom and self sufficiency for the people of Kashmir.
Expressing his anguish and deep concern over the fact that instead of compensating the flood effected valley of Kashmir where the estimated loss was between Rs 80,000 to Rs 100,000 crores, government of India has granted a meagre Rs 1600 crore which amounts to rubbing salt on the wounds of Kashmiris and is the worst example of retribution against Kashmiris.
The Hurriyat (M) chairman said Kashmiris were not beggars asking for doles but were demanding their just share for money “since most of our economic resources have be usurped by government of India.”
He said that economical resources were in plenty in Kashmiris and if utilized properly, “we would not be only economically prosperous, and self sufficient but we would lend help to our neighbors as well.”
Mirwaiz said government of India has usurped our all economic resources and exploitation of these resources continues at every level. “Even if we just talk of our water recourses, we have a capacity of generating 20,000 MWTs of hydro electric power which is worth Rs. 60,000 crore annually in the same manner tourism, handicrafts, horticulture, agriculture and other sectors of economy have huge potential of making Kashmir prosperous,” he said.
Ridiculing the government of India and state government for not providing adequate funding for the relief and rehabilitation of flood affected people, Mirwaiz said, “Then they should allow the international economic assistance and investments into Kashmir.
By denying every means of flood package to Kashmir, the anti-people policies of government Kashmiris were coming to fore and was highly condemnable in all terms.”
Mirwaiz called upon the state govt to return the ‘ridiculous’ package of Rs 1600 crores.
