Four time MLA from Kulgam, Jammu & Kashmir talks to Pranjal from NewsClick on the 2016 Kashmir upsurge. On July 11, 2016 days after the mass protests following the shooting dead of Burhan Wani, Tarigami had first spoken to Communalism Combat and NewsClick in an audio interview from the Valley. (Dont Treat Kashmiris Like Terrorists)
Over the past weeks, the state of Jammu & Kashmir has seen mass protests and a heavy-handed response from the Government of India. Newsclick spoke to CPI(M) MLA from Kulgam, Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami on the unrest in the state, while he was on a visit to the capital.
In the interview, Yousuf Tarigami categorically states that the issue of Jammu & Kashmir is a political one and should be treated as one. The removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the de-militarisation of the Valley are key to any lasting solution to the Kashmir crisis. The Indian government needs to urgently hold an all party dialogue including all the stakeholders within the state and also including, Pakistan.
Tarigami, a four time MLA from Kulgam also expressed disappointment in the fact that the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi has maintained a marked silence not only on the crisis in Kashmir but also on such matters of grave concern as the increasing attacks on Dalits across the country. The CPI(M) legislator stated that the contradictory ideological positions within the BJP-PDP coalition in the state of J&K are also to blame for the failure of the administration in handling the recent protests.
In the eighteen minute long conversation, Tarigami further observes that the upsurge needs to be seen in context of a longer history of neglect shown by the Indian state towards the people of Kashmir. Unfortunately, the government of India, even under previous administrations, has failed to treat Kashmiris on par with other Indians. The youth in the state are also victims of perennial unemployment and absence of opportunities. The politician and lass leader, Tarigami has cautioned that if meaningful political dialogue is not taken up on a priority basis, there is every likelihood that the situation in the state could worsen.