Peace can't be achieved through intimidation, suppression: Tarigami

Kulgam, Sep 07: Senior CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Saturday said that Jammu and Kashmir is going through a tough phase and it needs a united effort to address its challenges.

“Today is the question of our future. Our youth are in jails and have FIRs against them. The answer is not concessions or intimidation, but a united fight,” Tarigami said while addressing a flurry of public meetings and rallies in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

Unbraiding the current dispensation, Tarigami said that peace could not be achieved by using strong-arm methods and silencing people. “Suppression is not peace and silence does not mean consent or agreement. People of Kulgam would defeat the BJP’s attempts to drive wedge among them. I am sure you can distinguish between real and fake,” he said.

Tarigami said that over the last five years, he raised his voice for the people of Jammu and Kashmir in different states of the country. “ I spoke against the decisions which were made to demolish our identity. I told the people of this country that our farms do not produce ammunition,” he said.

The CPI(M) leader stated that when both India and Pakistan were caught in the crosshairs of communalism, it was Kashmir that provided a glaring instance of communal amity. “In this land of Sheikh ul Alam (RA) and Lal Ded, no member from the minority community was touched,” Tarigami said. He urged people to reject those who switch loyalties. “We do not support those who say one thing today and another tomorrow. We will not agree with everything they say. Instead, we will call a day a day and a night a night,” CPI (M) said with an excited crowd responding with applause.

He said that if elected to the Assembly he would make those answerable who betrayed the people of Kashmir. “ I want to look in their eyes and tell them you have betrayed us,” he said. Tarigami said that he needs the cooperation of people to fight for their issues and rights.