Congress assures Land, Job security in J&K: Salman Soz slams BJP’s ‘Divide and Rule’ policy
Malik Zahoor
Srinagar, Sep 13 (KB): Congress spokesperson Salman Soz assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir that land and employment rights in their home state would be secured if the Congress-NC alliance comes into power in the assembly elections. His apparently electorate-energizing remarks were a sharp critique of the BJP’s governance and electoral strategies in the region.
Salman Soz’s held press conference here, as per news agency—Kashmir Bulletin (KB), succinctly highlighted one of the major issues haunting Jammu and Kashmir today, the fear of losing land and job opportunities to outsiders, a fear that has grown since the abrogation of Article 370.
Soz said the Congress would restore these securities, assure that local ownership of land and providing employment would be preserved under their administration.
“First right over resources of Jammu and Kashmir is that of the people of this state. The BJP’s design is threat to these rights, but we will ensure that both land and jobs remain in the hands of the local population,” Soz said during the press briefing.
Soz had not spared his criticism on the BJP, accusing the ruling party of dividing people of Jammu and Kashmir over the lines of religion and region. BJP’s strategies to create division between Jammu and Kashmir for maintenance of political control over the region are cases of alleged divide and rule strategies.
“The BJP’s treachery is crystal clear because they divide the people and now even create distrust and resentment between various communities. And all the independents in the political fray act as Trojan horses for the BJP, furthering this conspiracy of undermining the unity of Jammu and Kashmir,” he asserted.
He exclaimed that the Congress-NC alliance, under the umbrella of the broader India Alliance, is only the political force genuinely working for the welfare of the region. He placed the alliance as an effective counterweight to what he termed the manipulative politics of the BJP. Soz seemed to characterize the India Alliance as one which proposes to bring back peace, prosperity, and unity in the region.
“Our coalition’s only desire is to improve the lot of people in Jammu and Kashmir, unlike the BJP and their cohorts who want to divide and keep the people in various groups,” Soz said.
He promised to alleviate economic hardships, particularly for women, and announced that female heads of poor families would get financial support of ₹3,000 per month per family with a promise to take the families out of poverty. This is part of the larger economic policies of the Congress in their poll manifesto for addressing unemployment and social disparities in the region.
This will bring much-needed succor to thousands of families who are struggling to make ends meet. Our focus is not on mere political rhetoric but on actionable programs which benefit the common man,” he added.
This message was loud and clear for the present dispensation: When Soz said, once Congress and National Conference come together to form the government, the present Lieutenant Governor-led administration will have to step aside. Soz took a strong jab at the LG governance model and said that it has thoroughly failed in catering to the needs of people and ensuring democratic governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Lieutenant Governor’s administration has overstayed its welcome. The governance should be in the hands of the elected representatives, not the unelected officials. The people of J&K deserve a government which is accountable to them and not to New Delhi,” Soz declared.
The press conference by Salman Soz sent word that land, employment, and social welfare issues in Jammu and Kashmir would be the key agenda of Congress in the assembly elections. The coming election is sure to turn out to be a decisive battle over the future of Jammu and Kashmir with the emergence of Congress and the Indian Alliance as the champions of regional causes by Soz, especially when the local rights and BJP’s role in the region are key talking points.
The promises of Congress, if implemented, would be a sea change in the governance of Jammu and Kashmir that would bring much-needed succor to the vulnerable sections of society and restore faith in democratic leadership in the region. But the BJP, along with its allies, is a formidable opponent, and the result of this electoral contest will show which way the future journey of Jammu and Kashmir would take.— (KB)
