Criticizing the Modi led present Indian government’s policy in Kashmir Nobel laureate leading economist Dr. Amartya Sen said the rights of the majority people in Kashmir valley has been snatched away. I don’t think that without using democratic norms Kashmir problem can be solved.
He told these in an interview with the Indian media NDTV on Monday (August19).
85 year old Nobel laureate said that India is not obeying the ideals of democracy. Now I don’t feel proud to be an Indian. There was a time when democracy was only practiced in India beyond the Western countries. Now India has derailed from that path.
Recently the Indian government has stripped away the special status of Kashmir granted by the constitution and has imposed the rule of the central government through an amendment to the constitution on last August 5. Simultaneously it has separated the Ladakh from Jammu and Kashmir. Due to revoking of the article 370 of the constitution now people of any state within India can purchase the land of Kashmir. So long this was forbidden for others except the Kashmir people enjoyed this right. This is destined to bring a demographic change in Kashmir.
Regarding the stripping of special status and land purchase Dr. Sen said that this right should be with the Kashmiris. Only they will decide because it is owned by them.
Criticizing the mass arrests of the Kashmiri leaders he said that by gagging the voice of the people and terrifying the people will not bring good results. In past also this could not bring any good results by suppressing democracy.
Regarding the strict security arrangements that covered Kashmir valley infringing the human rights Dr. Sen termed it as colonial repression in Kashmir. In this way the English ruled us for 200 years, he added.