Kashmir, Jammu traders seek stringent action against business saboteurs

Business alliance urges PDP to review coalition with BJP

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz 

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SRINAGAR, Oct 12: In a significantly positive development, traders in the polarised Kashmir and Jammu provinces have disowned the saboteurs of peace and business and demanded stringent action against the miscreants involved in attacking truckers and passengers on Srinagar-Jammu highway.

JCCI chief Rakesh Gupta, flanked by KCCI President Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, asserted that the law enforcement agencies should arrest and prosecute all the miscreants involved in spreading rumours and engineering attacks on the hapless drivers and conductors.

“There are some external forces who want to create wedge between the people of the state; who carry such incidents to divide us, but we won’t allow them to succeed in their nefarious designs,” Gupta said. "These are politically motivated attacks aimed at creating disturbance. Government should unveil all the mischievous characters and bring them to justice", JCCI chief Gupta demanded.

Condemning the attacks on Kashmir-bound truckers in Udhampur, the businessman alleged that these were "politically motivated attacks on truckers aimed at creating disturbance" in the peaceful atmosphere of the state.

“We have to remain vigilant and united and do not have to surrend before these forces. We want to protect each community and believe in co- existence,” he asserted. He said it was for the first time that traders in both regions were on one page to defeat the saboteurs of peace and business atmosphere. He demanded that the forces behind the agitation must be made accountable and unmasked.

“Government should trace out the disruptive elements and punish and prevent them from their nefarious designs,” the JCCI President said.

Gupta accused that government has failed to give protection to the people of J&K. “Political leadership is not serious to prevent such external forces from carrying out such attacks. But JCCI will take every possible step to ensure security of Kashmiri drivers in Jammu for the smooth conduct of trade between the two regions,” he said.

He said such incidents could lead to trifurcation of the state which will have a negative impact on the J&K economy. “I told the DGP that such incidents could have serious repercussions in the future. We have to respect each other’s religious sentiments and trust on each other and defeat attempts aimed at dividing us. We have learnt lessons from 2008 when we lost everything,” he said.

 He said while as economy of the state was already in doldrums, certain agencies wanted to push us in worst situation so that J&K won’t become economically independent and self-reliant. “We are already dependent on Indian government and are out with a begging bowl.”

Wani said Mr Gupta was in Srinagar to express solidarity with the Kashmiri truckers who had been attacked in Udhampur. Both chambers said they would fight all such elements jointly who want to dilute the identity of the permanent residents of Jammu & Kashmir by debating on sections of the constitution.

In a related development, Kashmir Economic Alliance alleged at another news conference that BJP and its ideological allies were attempting to spoil Valley’s fruit industry with a turmoil in the thick of season. It advised Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed and his PDP to review their alliance with BJP for power.

As the apple harvesting season is at its peak in Kashmir province, traders smelt a "deliberate plan" to sabotage fruit industry through mob attacks like the one in Udhampur.

“As Diwali is nearing, the demand for Kashmiri apples has been surging. Presently 1000 to 1500 trucks laden with fruit are dispatched to different Indian markets. But some miscreants are trying to sabotage this fruit industry,” KEA President Showkat Chowdhary alleged. He said Kashmiri traders would not remain silent if Kashmiri drivers were any more attacked in any part of the Jammu region again.

Chaudhray clainef that the attacks were carried out deliberately to sabotage the fruit industry of Kashmir. He

warned strong reaction if Udhampur-like incidents were repeated in the Jammu region.

Asking chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed to clear his stand, Chowdary said that these attacks were being carried out under the RSS agenda. “PDP government should come clear to either stop these forces from attacking Kashmiris or pull out from the government, which is backed by the RSS,” Chowdhary said.

He threatened that Kashmiri traders would go for complete boycott with their Jammu counterparts if Jammu traders failed to condemn and stop attacks on Kashmiris in their region.

“This is the last warning to the government as well as to miscreants. If safety of Kashmiris is not ensured, it will have serious repercussions from our side as there are 80 percent truckers from the Jammu region, who also ply on Kashmir roads,” Chowdhary warned.

He demanded that strict punishment should be given to the culprits and all those involved in attacks must be booked under PSA.

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http://news.statetimes.in/kashmir-jammu-traders-seek-stringent-action-against-business-saboteurs/

[Published in today's STATE TIMES]