Weakening PDP

Farzana Mumtaz

The downslide  in ruling party People’s Democratic Party is evident, with the resigning of PDP Member Parliament Tariq Hamid Karra both from Parliament and basic membership of party , political watchers are   seeing it as severe blow to PDP.

The grassroots of PDP with the unrest emerging post Militant Commander Burhan Wani killing are showing enough fissures .Bastion of PDP South Kashmir is on fire and anger ,rage against party is at all time high. Many analysts had predicted Waterloo for PDP once it decided to have an alliance with the BJP. Since past few months  with every killing and every pellet blindness, injury caused has eroded the PDP support base .

 

Gulzar Ahmad, a commoner stated , ” PDP has committed immense blunder by first bagging votes in the name of keeping BJP away from Jammu and Kashmir and then breaking the promise by forming government with the BJP. What has transpired in the past two months of agitation in Kashmir has been gross mishandling of situation, highhandedness by government forces and callous response to people struggle and all this has hit hard the image of PDP among masses.”

 

The words used by Tariq Karra while resigning aptly define the plight of PDP .Tariq Hameed Karra says:

“Today, in the present tragic circumstances, when the people of my homeland are being subjugated to the highest degree of brutalities by a party which was floated to safeguard the life, property, honour, dignity, self-respect and their political aspirations—made a turn around and treated its subjects much worse than the Nazi forces—I feel still continuing with them would be equally subscribing to their administratively inhuman and politically unethical blunders.”

“Every single day Kashmiris are being butchered, fathers carrying coffins of their young loved ones, hundreds being blinded, and thousands being injured. The number of injured is out numbering hospital capacities and the number of arrested is outnumbering lockups.”

“Kashmiri blood is being spilled on walls, lanes and drains of Kashmir. For the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, people of Kashmir were forced not to offer Eid prayers.”

“My apprehension that by PDP’s facilitation, (the) RSS-backed BJP would even impose religious ingression, stands unfortunately vindicated today. Though I was all along feeling suffocated due to PDP’s alliance with RSS-backed BJP, my conscience was shaken during the last two months, especially due to PDP’s newly-acquired avatar during the present upheaval by the treatment meted out in the hands of Central and State Government, especially by PDP.”

“My conscience cannot take it any longer. My heart is bleeding and my soul is crying for the people of my homeland. Hence taking a call of my conscience and as a mark of protest on moral grounds against the brutal policies of BJP at Centre and State Government’s complete sell-out and surrender before them, I have decided to disassociate myself from the primary membership of Peoples Democratic Party and from the membership of Parliament to which I was elected from Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency in 2014 on PDP ticket.”

“In this regard, I shall be forwarding my resignation letter to the Hon’ble Speaker of the Parliament as well. Today the Central and State Governments’ policies of unabated genocide in the worst form of inhuman brutality, continued denial mode towards the dangerous ground realities, their insensitive and adhocist approach towards Kashmir issue and for their continued blatant and open policy of dealing with Kashmiris by way of Oppressive, Repressive and Suppressive majors are other reasons for registering my protest.”

“I am leaving it to the conscience of all other Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, to decide whether they would like to side with their helpless people or let this bloodshed continue (to be) perpetrated by RSS-driven BJP and facilitated by PDP. Furthermore, I would hand-foldedly request the aforementioned public representatives that we are placed at a very critical juncture and remaining silent would be equivalent to facilitate the fascist forces for more death and destruction and decimation of our distinct identity.”

“Whatever was agreed, to be done, was not done. And whatever was agreed not to be done, was done. Be it contesting validity of Article 370 and challenging Article 35A of Constitution of India, issue of State Flag, issue regarding banning beef, burning of two innocent Kashmiri truckers at Udhampur, harassing and lynching of Kashmiri students studying in different States, Dadri lynching of Akhlaq Khan, Himachal episode on beef, Haryana CM’s inflammatory statement against Muslims, rabid statements of Sakshi Maharaj, Sadhvi Niranjana Jyoti, Sadhvi Prachi, Giriraj Singh, raking up of alleged forced Hindu migration from Muslim dominated Kariana town in UP, forced feeding of Muslim Manager of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, while he was fasting, beating of MLA Langate, Er Rasheed, open refusal of our State’s BJP Minister to accept a Muslim as a District SP.”

Tariq Karra used other strong words while resigning. Many feel that if the situation continues to remain gloomy more prominent faces might quit PDP. Undoubtedly , the ruling PDP is witnessing a downslide