Kargil, August 27, 2019 (PPI-OT): Drass local leaders, including Bharatiya Janata Party, while rejecting the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh – termed the Indian government’s decision as undemocratic and unconstitutional. At a meeting in Drass, which falls under Kargil, the leaders demanded that they should be made part of Jammu and Kashmir again. They condemned the continued communication blackout in Kashmir, the arrest of political, social and religious figures.
The participants included members of various religious communities, including Sunni, Shia, Ahle Hadith, Noorbakshia along with members of political parties National Conference, Indian National Congress, People Democratic Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and local elected representatives of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (Kargil). At the meeting a Drass coordination committee was formed.
“The meeting decided that we don’t want to be separated from Jammu and Kashmir. What was done was enacted without our consent. The BJP government’s decision was termed as undemocratic and unconstitutional,” said Sajjad Hussain, a social activist based in Kargil. The Drass Sector BJP President Bilal Ahmed was a part of the meeting and he agreed with the decisions taken, added Hussain.
Reiterating the collective historical, cultural, geographical, and economical proximity with the rest of Jammu and Kashmir, the coordination committee of Drass announced that they were, are and would continue to remain a part of Jammu and Kashmir. The coordination committee also decided to coordinate with the Joint Action Committee of Kargil to plan a detailed course of action.
At the meeting, the local leaders emphasised the need to build up a democratic and peaceful struggle across Drass and other parts of Kargil for the restoration of Article 370, Article 35A and re-integration of Ladakh with Jammu and Kashmir. They demanded the restoration of all communications and the release of all political prisoners.
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