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'The whole Kashmiri population is seemed to be a suspect community. This status is not good.'
Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, 77, has been continuously winning assembly elections from 1996 onwards from Kulgam, which is a record of sorts in Kashmir.
This election, his challenger has come from the most unexpected quarter -- the Jamaat-E-Islami, a banned outfit in Jammu and Kashmir.
For the last 30 years, the JeI did not believe in Indian democracy and even if it did, it was a silent supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party in south Kashmir.
This time, the Jamaat has backed an Independent candidate, Sayar Ahmed Reshi, a teacher turned politician, for the elections on September 18.
Engineer Rashid, the Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla who is out on interim bail and drawing large crowds on the campaign trail, has decided to do an alliance with the Jamat-E-Islami.
The people of Kulgam say it is a battle of Red versus Green -- red for Tarigami's CPI-M and green for the Jamaat supported Independent nominee.
"Jamaat has been saying for the last 30 years that the Indian Constitution is unacceptable. They said that anyone who takes oath on the Indian Constitution is a criminal... If you go through the pages of history you will find out what Jamaat-e-Islami said yesterday and what they are saying today. There is a shift in their stance and this shift of stance they have to explain to the people of Kashmir," Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com.
The first of a two-part interview.
People in your constituency speak highly about you as the Kulgam MLA. After Article 370 was abrogated, what has been the situation in your constituency?
We have been unable to do anything in our constituency from 2018 as there was no Jammu and Kashmir assembly after President's rule was imposed. We MLAs had no powers.
Post the abrogation of Article 370 the government claimed that they will create more investment and better infrastructure for Jammu and Kashmir but that has not happened in the last five years.
They had also propagated that terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir was due to Article 370 while post abrogation we still face terrorism cases.
There is some relief though in terms of number of incidents of terror cases, but those pauses were there earlier too.
The claim of development does not match the ground situation in Kashmir.
What about peace? Is it not to be seen on the ground?
Peace has to be sustained. It cannot be seasonal.
We have experienced in the past that even at the height of militancy there have been situations of lull.
Effort needs to be done where people feel that peace is important for their own development.
Peace is important for the younger generation.
Peace is important for businesses.
Peace is important for education.
Unfortunately, since August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated there is more denial of facts.
This denial was there earlier too, but now it has compounded in the last five years.
The whole Kashmiri population is seemed to be a suspect community. This status is not good.
Almost every Kashmiri politician is making statements that Article 370 needs to come back. Is it possible now?
It is not the question of the near future or not. What actually has been done in our view is that it is not only an assault on the Constitutional rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, but also an assault on the Indian Republic itself.
How?
As far as Article 370 is concerned, it has not emerged out of some favour or vacuum. It did emerge when the country was divided and a Muslim majority area under Hindu ruler (Maharaja Hari Singh) was reluctant to accede to India.
It was then the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir negotiated with the leadership of the Indian Union where certain sessions were held at the residence of the then home minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, to bring in Article 370.
When this draft of Constitutional agreement was given final shape and done between the two leaders of the Union of India and Jammu and Kashmir it was drafted and unanimously passed.
Mind you, Syama Prasad Mookerjee too was a part of this Cabinet who happens to be the founder of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh which is now the BJP.
There was unanimous voice on Article 370 and there might be debate and criticism here and there on the question of voting and all.
But Mookerjee formed his party (today's BJP) after breaking with the Congress because he wanted Article 370 to be abrogated, isn't it? This was always the core value of the BJP.
Jan Sangh is neither a Constitutional institution nor my political party. We, just like the Jan Sangh, are a political party with a political agenda.
Jan Sangh has a right to say whatever they want to and that is their right, but that is not binding for the country as a whole.
And there is a Constitutional structure of India which was incorporated neither by accident nor by design.
Article 370 was the will of the Constituent Assembly of India. It was put in temporary category and why? If you read the Article in full you will find the President of India can abrogate Article 370 only after the approval of and consent of the J&K assembly.
And on August 5, 2019, they abrogated Article 370 when there was no assembly in J&K as it was under President's rule.
The governor of J&K took such a big step.
The BJP has its agenda, but the BJP has no authority to impose its decision on the people of J&K. They have to follow the Indian Constitution.
They cannot have veto power as to whatever they like, they will impose it.
People think the abrogation can be undone, which is surprising. I met Engineer Rashid for an interview and he said that INDIA can bring back Article 370 and only then he will support the Opposition alliance.
Engineer Rashid is now a proxy of the BJP. Let us not take him seriously.
My point is, how long the BJP or Jan Sangh tried for their core agenda of a Ram temple and abolishing Article 370. It took them decades to bring that in effect.
What stops us from dreaming for a while that Article 370 will be restored?
Red versus Green is an issue in your constituency as your opponent is from the Jamaat-e-Islami.
We have been fighting against all odds all these years against the Jamaat. They (Jamaat) were here earlier too.
I was in jail in 1972 and that time too Jamaat was being favoured by the establishment.
They were offering their services to the then government and this at a time when I was in jail. I was a part of the Plebiscite Front then which is now called National Conference.
Jamaat has been saying for the last 30 years that the Indian Constitution is unacceptable.
They said that anyone who takes oath on the Indian Constitution is a criminal.
Many of our legislators got killed. Many of our voters and activists too were killed.
If you go through the pages of history you will find out what Jamaat-e-Islami said yesterday and what they are saying today.
There is a shift in their stance and this shift of stance they have to explain to the people of Kashmir.
People cannot be taken for granted.