CPI (M) Parliamentary delegation meets cross-border shelling victims in Uri

Uri, Jun 10: The Parliamentary delegation of Communist Party of India (CPI), Marxist (M) on Tuesday visited different border villages in Uri sector of Baramulla district to meet the families affected by cross-border shelling between India and Pakistan. The CPI (M) delegation met various families who have been displaced to other locations after their houses were completely damaged due to cross-border shelling.

During their interaction with the delegates, local residents narrated their woeful tales of destruction and the apprehension about the safety of their families. "We invested our hard earned money to construct the house here for our family. But a few weeks ago our home was razed to the ground after it was hit with a shell," said Talib Hussain, a local resident of Salamabad Uri. Post cross-border shelling, various families of this village have been shifted and accommodated in buildings of trade facilitation centre Salamabad, Uri.

"The compensation of Rs 1.30 lakh given by the government is not enough. How can we rebuild our homes with an amount of Rs 1.30 lakh," Hussain said.

Meanwhile, the CPI (M) delegation assessed the damage caused to the families because of cross border shelling and assured the locals that the issue will be raised in the Parliament. Talking to media persons, CPI (M) leader Mariam Alexander Baby said the aftermath of shelling has lead to a situation, which was highly destructive in these border villages. "The villagers have explained to us their plight. We have also seen what a devastating destruction the drone attack and shelling has created," he told reporters after his interaction with the local residents.

The CPI (M) leader said that the compensation given by the government to shelling affected border area residents was not enough. "These days you cannot get a proper door or a window out of this amount (Rs 1.30 lakh). So it is highly deplorable. We register our very strong disagreement with the attitude of the government," he said. CPI (M) General Secretary was accompanied by other parliamentarians including MPs from Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan besides MLA Kulgam and CPI (M) senior MY Tarigami. However, the CPI (M) leader alleged that even though Omar Abdullah was the elected Chief Minister of J&K UT but “all the affairs are governed by the Government of India”. "Our Comrade Tarigami reported to us that some important review meetings were held in J&K but the CM is not allowed to sit there ," he said.

. It is being conducted with LG and others," he said. He alleged the “democratic process was also being destroyed here”. "What BJP did with abrogation of Article 370 by reducing the special status of J&K to a UT. So it is an attack on democratic process," he said. The CPI (M) leader further said that abrogation of Article 370 was etched deep in the minds of the people. "What is most important is that huge destruction has taken place and no compensation is coming from the government," he said. He said it was appalling that a family of eight members is being accommodated in one room. "CPI (M) leaders are here, we would be taking it very seriously. We wanted a special session of Parliament to discuss all these things. But the PM is refusing to do that. The Prime Minister did not even attend two all party meetings," he said.