Intensifying mass resistance against the ‘anti-people policies’ of PDP-BJP combine in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference on Tuesday took out a rally here register protest against failure of the government on all fronts.“This sea of people is reflection of the disenchantment over abject collapse of administrative edifice and verdict against the irresponsible and insensitive government”, Provincial President Devender Singh Rana said while addressing the protesters near Civil Secretariat with police barricading the rally.The rallyist crossed several barricades while giving stiff resistance and braving mild cane charge to reach the Civil Secretariat. But the police put a strong posse near the seat of power and halted the rally of agitated National Conference workers, mostly women and youth. They raised slogans against the ‘reckless government’ and carried placards depicting governmental failures on developmental front and jeopradising peace and normalcy.
Earlier, the rally took off from the National Conference Headquarters, Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan with enthusiastic party workers braving the scorching summer heat and raising slogans against anti-people, anti-youth, anti-peace and anti-development policies being pursued by the insensitive and irresponsible coalition government. The rally passed through Residency Road, historic heritage Raghunath Bazar, City Chowk and Shalimar. The high point of the rally was the presence of youth and women, who have suffered the most under the insensitive dispensation.The Provincial President held the government squarely responsible for creating mess in just over three months of taking over the reins of administration and putting the state virtually at the brink of collapse. He said the engine of development is gaining rust and the atmosphere of peace and tranquility has become a fact of the past. “What really are you doing after making lot of promises and showing dreams to the people”, Rana asked the government, advising it either to perform or perish. He said the public patience and resilience should not be taken for granted.
“What looks a subtle resistance this time can burst into volcano if the government goes ahead with its dangerous policies of antagonizing youth, putting brakes on development, showing scant concern towards normal functioning of the utility services and vitiating the atmosphere”, he maintained.“After historic and massive rally led by Working President Omar Abdullah in heart of the Srinagar city, first in the past twenty five year, the current rally is a public judgment on performance of the coalition government”, Rana said, adding that this resistance is not going to end.Rana elaborately dwelt on the problems faced by the people with special reference to those living in the Jammu region. He said the power and water supply is erratic while the condition of roads has become vulnerable due to negligence thus putting the lives of pedestrians and commuters to grave risk.
There is no semblance of the government as demoralized, defunct and rudderless administration putting an unsuccessful front to meet the aspirations of the people. ‘How can you live in such a scorching heat without minimum possible electricity and drinking water”, he quipped and asked the government to put its act together and get going in the governmental business rather than indulging in deviatory and diversionary tactics.Echoing the concern demonstrated by the people, former minister and Sr State Vice President Surjeet Singh Slathia lambasted at the government while accusing it of suffering from performance inertia. “This is a syndrome which can’t be corrected”, he said and accused the PDP and BJP of indulging in jugglery and competitive anti-people constituencies. He said that there seems to be pattern in persecuting the people by denying them minimum basics, least to speak of giving fillip to developmental tempo, which had been the hallmark of Omar led government.
Rana and Slathia said the peoples’ resistance movement will now move to urban areas, which have suffered the most during the past three months. They said the promises with regard to flood relief, succor to border dwellers, employment to unemployed and overall development have turned fake and cruel joke. “The ideologically divergent coalition partners are addressing to their particular constituencies and thus whipping up passions by generating controversies over the contentious issues”, Rana said while adding this is going to be the last thing which people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh will accept. He said National Conference has galvanized the disillusioned people to take the movement initiated by Omar Abdullah to logical conclusion.The different segments of the rally were led by party leaders Dharmveer Sing Jamwal, District Urban President, Ajaz Jan, Dr Kamal Arora besides senior National Conference leaders Syed Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari, Rattan Lal Gupta, Th Kashmira Singh, Sheikh Abdul Rehman, Babu Rampal, Bimla Luthra, Master Noor Hussain, Sheikh Bashir Ahmad, Surinder Singh Bunty and Anil Dhar.