Enough is enough, don’t make Kashmir battle field for petty politicking: Tarigami cautions BJP

Srinagar Jan 18:Hundreds of CPI (M) activists from across the valley today staged a protest demonstration at Partap Park Srinagar carrying banners and placards against the price rise, power failure, non-availability of essential commodities. The youth who were pro-active in raising slogans were demanding guarantee of livelihood to the educated unemployed youth.

Addressing the rally, State Secretary CPI (M), Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said that under the deregulation system, in the space of one month, the prices of petrol has been increased twice by Rs 2.96 and Rs. 2.52 per litre. The deregulation of prices is meant to help private oil companies and put people at the mercy of a market controlled by the oil MNC’s and domestic corporate houses. The economic policies of the government have pushed more than 50 per cent of population into extreme poverty, Tarigami said and added that the government’s recent decision of opening up the retail sector to big MNC’s further ignited and worsened the situation for common people.



Terming the BJP’s flag hoisting Yatra as mere hoax, Tarigami observed that Kashmir has turned out to be a big industry for vested interest and some political parties at the national level, instead of responding to the ground situation are busy in making political profit out of the people’s sufferings. He cautioned that such disruptive attempts can only result in further deterioration in the situation. Some people are desperately trying to divide the people of J&K and exploit our rich diversities for divisive purposes, he said and stressed on people of the state to foil such designs and remain united.




Maintaining that the relentless rise in the prices of essential commodities, particularly food items, has hit the people hard, The CPI (M) leader said that the wage earners and the urban and rural poor are finding it difficult to provide food for their families. The prices of onions and other vegetables have become prohibitive. The food inflation rate in the last week of December stood at 18.32 per cent. The government is continuously weakening the universal Public Distribution System (PDS), it failed to legislate comprehensive food security laws and launching a de-hoarding drive against the black-marketers. Forward Trading and relaxation of Essential Commodities Act are the key causes of the current spell of price rise, he said and urged upon the government to create mechanism against unscrupulous traders, who create artificial scarcity in a bid to jack up prices.