The Panthers Party Submitted Two Memorandums

By Farooq Ahmed Dar

A Delegation of JKNPP led its Chairman Prof. Bhim Singh comprising Shri B.A. Kathu, Advocate, Vice President, Shri Farooq Ahmed Dar, General Secretary, Mohd. Yusuf Ganai, Vice President and Shri Manjoor Ahmed Naik, Secretary-Public Relations met full Election Commission of India comprising of its Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. N. Gopalaswamy and two other ECs namely, Mr. Navin Chawla and Mr. S.Y. Qureshi in Nehru Guest House, Srinagar, this morning in connection with the possibilities of holding Assembly elections.

The Panthers Party submitted two memorandums (A+B) which are reproduced as follows;

1. The JKNPP is making the following submission to the Hon'ble Commission with a hope and trust that the Commission may be pleased to intervene so that the Delimitation of the Assembly Constituencies is held forthwith without any delay as has been done in case of Lok Sabha Constituencies and in the rest of the country.

2. The Panthers Party is a nationalist, democratic and secular political voice of the people of Jammu and Kashmir which stands for upholding the integrity, sovereignty and secular unity of the country at all costs. To achieve this end there is an urgent need to preserve democratic institutions and parliamentary democracy so that popular rule is established at the earliest. For this reason the JKNPP strongly advocates for holding the election by November this year so that the popular democracy is restored in the state and a government of the people representing all the regions of the state is established without any delay.

3. There is an urgent need to redress the grievances of the ST and OBC classes. Delimitation is mandatory in law so that the new classes which have been inducted into ST category may find their genuine reservation in the Assembly and in the Council.

4. The percentage of SC has also been increased as is evident from 2001 Census. It is essential to hold Delimitation of the Constituencies so that the SC also finds their genuine and equitable share in the Assembly.

5. There is an urgent need for adjustment of the boundaries of the existing Assembly Constituencies within the territorial jurisdiction of each District.

6. Any delay in holding Assembly elections may send a distorted signal to the enemies of peace and democracy in the state. Some elements aided and abetted by foreign agencies to sabotage peace in J&K and have been described by Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan as off-shoots of terrorism need to be checked in the bud. Any laxity on the part of EC in holding Assembly elections on the due date shall be construed as weakness and not strength.

7. The Hon'ble Election Commission may remember that in 1996, Election Commission was reluctant to hold election to the State Assembly when the Panthers Party knocked the doors of the Supreme Court of India to seek direction to hold election. The then Prime Minister, Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao supported this petitioner in his mission. Elections were held in 1996 on the intervention of the Supreme Court of India and that was the wisest decision on the initiatives of the Panthers Party.

8. The Panthers Party makes a humble submission that come what may the elections should be held in time in the interest of democracy, rule of law and to curve terrorism in the state.

9. The Election Commission is requested to ensure that a composite administration is set-up in J&K to hold election by providing appropriate security to the candidates and to the political leadership to mobilize the public opinion.

10. The Panthers Party has already accepted the challenge of the Hurriyat leaders and invited them to face the Panthers Party on the electoral platform in Kashmir Valley.

11. The people in J&K and in the Valley as well are secular, democratic and committed to uphold the cause of brotherhood. They only deserve justice. In this regard we hope and trust that all those candidates who are contesting from jails should be released during the electoral campaign in the interest of democracy.

We are proud of the Election Commission of India on its commitment to hold free and fair polls in the country. In Jammu and Kashmir we have been witnessing unfortunate situation and events because of some undesirable political groups who have been trying to misuse power and indulging in rigging the polls.

1. It is desirable rather urgent that the former Chief Minister and the former Ministers are asked to vacate the government houses immediately lest they misuse the facilities available in the government houses including telephones.

2. The former ministers including Chief Minister have been residing in the same houses they were allotted in their capacity as Chief Minister or ministers in Jammu, Srinagar and in Delhi.

3. That the government vehicles provided to them as Chief Minister or ministers should be withdrawn without any delay and they should be provided with the facilities available to other candidates and former legislators.

4. That the former Chief Ministers should be stopped from laying foundation stones of the government buildings or houses in the government land.

5. That same security cover should be provided to the leaders and district presidents, block presidents and state office bearers of all the recognized political parties in the state so that every political party gets equal opportunity to reach the electorates throughout the state.

6. All candidates of recognized political parties and the office bearers should be provided mobility and fuel at par with recognized national parties during elections.

7. Jammu Migrants mostly from Doda, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, presently camping in Talwara, Budhal, Pauni and other places should be included in the electoral lists as voters as has been done in case of Kashmiri Migrants.

8. All the voters in Jammu and Kashmir should be issued voter cards without any delay to avoid rigging.

Prof. Bhim Singh told the media persons that people of Jammu and Kashmir want elections in order to ensure a democratic rule in the state. To the Election Commission query Prof. Bhim Singh told Election Commission that the situation is absolutely conducive to hold elections in due time. He further told the Commission that the power hungry and corrupt politicians and bureaucrats are opposed to the electoral process to continue robbing the state and suppressing the people. He said that Delimitation and elections could be held simultaneously to meet the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Farooq Ahmed Dar
General Secretary-JKNPP

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