Srinagar: Terming the implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Jammu Kashmir as inhuman and anti-people law meant to engulf Kashmiris in problems by denying them ration, Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday said this law which has reduced the ration quota of the people from 35 kg per family to 5 kg per person was designed at starving the people to Kashmir.
Addressing the Friday congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, the Mirwaiz said the government first reduced the kerosene oil quota of Kashmir, which witnesses chilling cold winters, by 8 lakh litres and now also decided to give subsidy only on LPG or kerosene oil to further complicate the matters for the people.
Calling for rollback of this anti-people act at the earliest, he said in a state with a population of 1.35 crore people, the government had decided to give ration to only 95 lakh people while a whopping population of 40 lakh would be rendered food-less.
He said people of the state were already getting less rice supply than the supply that is needed.
“Jammu Kashmir is only getting 3,25,270 quintals of rice against the need of 4,75,000 quintals in a state where rice is the staple diet of the people and by further reducing the quantity of the ration, the government was creating a crisis-like situation,” the Mirwaiz said and demanded 11 kg ration per person to every family on the previous pattern, which is being followed by different states as well.
Mirwaiz said that its ironical that instead of focusing on ways and means to provide food and adequate ration to the people, in the winter months the Govt. is planning on spending millions in organising Music Festivals and Gala events in the garb of promoting tourism on New Year’s eve.
Taking note of the Service Selection Boards’ scrapping of Urdu language for the Revenue department exams for Naib Tehsildar and Patwari posts, he said this was totally unacceptable as Urdu is the state and official language of Jammu Kashmir and blamed the Peoples Democratic Party-led coalition government for being under the influence of the rightwing and communal organizations like Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang (RSS) which were trying to abolish Urdu and promote other languages.
Asking the government to come clean on the status of Urdu language in the state, he said the language was being targeted under a well-planned conspiracy and the state government had already started eroding the language by removing it from curriculums. Mirwaiz promised to fight the government tooth and nail over this issue.
Expressing concern over the enforced disappearance of three youth from Kupwara who were arrested by Territorial Army, the Hurriyat Chairman said the families of these youth are worried about their safety knowing how ordinary civilians have been detained by Indian forces in the past and subjected to custodial disappearances or killed in fake encounters after labeling them militants. Mirwaiz castigated the authorities over maintaining a criminal silence over this matter.