Ist anniversary of DPAP’s foundation day | Support my party to steer J&K out of present crisis: Azad

Srinagar: On the first anniversary of the foundation day of his party, former chief minister and chairman Democratic Progressive Azad Party  (DPAP),  Ghulam Nabi Azad,  today made a fervent appeal to the people to support his party for “steering Jammu and Kashmir out of the present crisis.”

“I have a roadmap for solving the economic and social problems and wipe the tears of my suffering people. Support me and my party to get the roadmap implemented and making my dream come true,” Azad said while addressing a rally here.  The main focus of his speech was the objective  behind the formation  of DPAP. He also  talked about  abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35 A and 35 B and its impact,  delay in assembly polls, economic  and social issues, unemployment  and growing drug addiction  among the youth.

Chairman DPAP described as untrue some reports doing rounds on social media that he is being appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor of J&K.” There is a latest rumour doing rounds that Ghulam Nabi Azad is being made Lieutenant Governor. Am I an employee and have I  come to Jammu and Kashmir for employment or job ? I did not do a government job some  50 years back when I completed my M Sc with first class from Kashmir University . And  how can I  do a government job now.  I have not come  to J&K for employment but to serve the people here . Even in 2005, I resigned from the union  cabinet as  minister for urban development and parliamentary affairs  to serve the people here as chief minister. Urban development ministry is being considered a big ministry and parliamentary affairs ministry is also important,” he said.

The former chief minister  urged the people  not to pay heed to such rumours. “Earlier, such rumours  were spreading slow but now due to internet and mobile phones those are spreading fast. I want to serve the people in Jammu and Kashmir the way I did as chief minister in past. For that I need your support. Even if I am not able to get that support still the sentiment of public service will remain with me,” he said.

Azad said the  issues have increased a lot in J&K.  He viewed that the state of Jammu and Kashmir  suffered on political front because  of the mistakes since 1947.  The DPAP  chairman stated that he does not want to go into details as who did wrong or who did right. “ But it is a fact that the state  rather than moving forward moved in opposite direction because of these political mistakes. During the last nine year a great political mistake was committed when Article 370 and Article 35 A and 35 B were abrogated. Lot of people do not know that Article 35 A and 35 B did not come after independence but  those  laws were brought by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1925 and 1927 and finally the state subject was given legal shape in 1930.”If BJP knew the real fact,  then perhaps they would  not have abrogated the articles. Maharaja was told (by his advisors)  at that time to take such measures to  prevent the well off Punjabi Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs  living in Lahore to purchase land in J&K and take jobs also. Later those laws were adopted after independence and some other guarantees were made in Article 370,” he said.

Azad added that after the abrogation of the Article 370, 35 A and 35 B, “an  uncertainty began in J&K  whether this land will remain ours or not.” “ Government made efforts to take the land.  During my time  as chief minister,  I made a law that if some government land is under the  occupation of a person for 20 years, it  will be given to him. My government  made the law in assembly and no party voted against it. But that land too was taken back. The people in J&K do not have land for agriculture since 80 percent of the land is under mountains and forests. The government land is for people and people are not for government land,”he said.

Referring to the delaying in assembly polls, the former chief minister said that there is no end to the wait for polls. “Nobody knows when exactly these elections will be held,”he said.

Azad stated that Jammu and Kashmir is presently facing serious economic problems. “Inflation is badly hitting the people.  It is true that inflation  is not in India only  but in entire world including America and Britain . The inflation  is worst in Europe. But our’ s is a poor country. Other countries have other resources. We do not have those resources. We have very less land for agriculture. The crop production  also depends on weather conditions. If there is hailstorm the crops are finished. If there are heavy rains or drought  the crops get damaged. If fruits are not transported to markets on time they can get damaged. These things are not in our control. Our economic conditions depend upon tourism and employment,” the DPA chairman said.

Azad urged for creation of more tourist destinations and said during his  government hundreds of new tourist sports were identified for development.

He alleged that the  unemployed people are not getting employment. “How many times the interviews were conducted but the jobs are not provided. We have social problems. Due to the situation during last 30 years people lost lives. Parents lost their kids, women got widowed and children orphaned. Employment is no- where. This is not only an economic issue only but has become a social issues also. Lakhs of our educated youth are unemployed. Their parents had invested whatever they had for the education of these youth.  We have to come out of these economic and social crisis. We cannot  come out  with mere sloganeering or  through  lectures and speeches but with proper planning and the execution of the plans.” Azad said.

He also expressed serious concern over the increasing drug addiction problem among the youth and urged for a joint fight on all levels against this menace. He said the main reason for drug addiction is unemployment among the youth. The former chief minister advocated death sentence for those who earned wealth by smuggling drugs.

Azad appealed the youth to join his party with sincere intentions to serve the people.”Unfortunately money has become a big factor in present day politics, while in past the emphasis was being laid  on public service. I am telling the youth to join my party with good intentions to serve people and not to earn money. I discourage those who are  after money,” he said.

The former chief minister said that when he founded DPAP he sometimes thought whether he had not committed a mistake by doing so. ” But when I met cross section of people,  visited far flung areas, I found my decision was right. Going by my performance as chief minister the people want that era of development  to coming back. During that short period of two and a half years my government did the work of 15 years. An unprecedented era of development was started and carried forward. Haj House, Yatri Niwas, Assembly building and large number of buildings including that for hospitals and schools besides roads and bridges were constructed in shortest possible time,” he said.

“I was working for 18 hours in 24 hours as chief minister. But now I feel  even 24 hours work  will not be sufficient if I become chief minister going by the expectations of my  people,” Azad said.