Union Ministers fail to draw crowds at outreach functions

Tribune Reporters

Srinagar, January 23

The visiting Union Ministers on Thursday took their outreach programme from central Kashmir to north Kashmir, where they attracted feeble crowds.

Five Union Ministers have been visiting different parts of central Kashmir during the past three days as part of the Narendra Modi government’s mission Kashmir to reach out to the people.

The Union Ministers did not draw many crowds as abrogation of Article 370 weighed heavy on the minds of people.

“We were verbally told by the local administration last week to meet the minister for addressing local issues, but we do not want to meet him,” said a resident of Baramulla.

“It is better to keep a distance from them under present circumstances,” he said.

In Kashmir, people have been unaware and indifferent to the visit of ministers. The two places — Srinagar and Ganderbal — where the ministers arrived, there were mostly BJP workers, panchayat members and government officials.

The officials are taking care to prevent discussions on Article 370, although the calls for protecting the rights of permanent residents over land and jobs are being frequently raised.

“The entry of common people to the venues is being barred. The audience is approved by the officials, lest there is any embarrassing question,” an official said.

On Thursday, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad visited north Kashmir’s Baramulla and met over a dozen delegations, inaugurated an indoor stadium, inspected various stalls installed by Horticulture and Agriculture departments and also held a review of overall developmental scenario in Baramulla district. The Union Minister wished to make Baramulla a model district.

After inaugurating indoor stadium, the minister said every effort would be made by the Union government, led by Prime Minister Narender Modi, to appreciate and felicitate the players at the national and other levels. At a short media briefing, Union Minister Prasad said decision on Internet restoration would be taken by the local authorities of Union Territory of J&K.

Prasad is among a group of 36 Union Ministers who have been visiting Jammu and Kashmir since Saturday. Out of the 36 ministers visiting the Union Territory of J&K, only five are visiting Kashmir. And out of total 59 programmes in J&K, the ministers are scheduled to attend only eight programmes in Kashmir.

The Union Minister’s outreach visit to Baramulla has drawn criticism with detained former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter saying a genuine re-engagement in Kashmir would be releasing political prisoners.

“GOIs idea of outreach is a BJP minister donning pheran & wearing a Kashmiri karakuli cap for photo ops. A genuine re-engagement would be releasing political prisoners & other detainees, restoring Internet & allaying fears of people of J&K. Not fooling anyone here,” she tweeted from her mother’s Tweeter handle.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy today visited Police Training School, Manigam, Ganderbal, where he had an interaction with trainees and personnel of the district police.

The ministers did not attempt to visit south Kashmir which has been on the edge for the last many years where the violence has affected all spheres of life. There was no attempt by the ministers to meet traders who have suffered losses of whopping Rs 17,000 crore. There was also no talk of releasing three former Chief Ministers or political prisoners.

AYUSH PROMOTION

To promote alternate medicine healthcare in J&K, Union Minister of State for AYUSH and Defence Shripad Nayak today said 50-bedded hospitals at a cost of Rs12 crore would be setup in every district. The minister said this at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) during a function organised to promote AYUSH medicine here and e-inauguration of some major projects in Srinagar city.