Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Oct 29: CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami today urged the Government to take up with the Centre the issue of hundreds of Kashmiri prisoners detained in jails outside the region and to bring them back to jails within Jammu and Kashmir.
Raising a point of order during the Zero Hour in the Legislative Assembly, Tarigami began by appealing to the Speaker to uphold the dignity and purpose of the newly reconstituted Assembly, convened after 5 years.
“It has been very difficult for this House to be reconstituted. People have huge hopes with us: for debate, discussion, and finding solutions to their problems,” he said. He added, “However, the House should not be divided again and again on non-issues while the real concerns of the people are sidelined. That would be an injustice to the entire House.”
Raising his concern, the CPI(M) leader said hundreds of young men from Jammu and Kashmir were being held in jails across different states of India. “They are young, and many have been in jail for years. Whether there is a legal basis or not, the question is of human rights,” he said. Referring to the deteriorating health of separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, Tarigami said, “His family called him and cried a lot. His condition is very bad. We are all human: this should concern every one of us.”
The veteran legislator said it was a legitimate right of every member to express concern on such issues. “Even in the most dictatorial regimes, prisoners’ rights are protected. Their relatives should be allowed to meet them, and efforts should be made to bring them closer to home,” he added.
Tarigami urged the Union Territory Government to convey the matter to the Centre. “If there is land and capacity, those prisoners should be brought back to jails in Jammu and Kashmir. If it is not possible, at least their families should be facilitated to meet them. This is not about politics; it is a humanitarian appeal,” he said.
Supporting the CPI (M) leader’s concern, Peoples Conference leader Sajjad Gani Lone said the Assembly must not remain silent about its citizens’ suffering. “If this Assembly keeps its eyes shut to what happens to its inhabitants in jails outside the region, then what is the purpose of this House?” he asked.
Calling Shabir Ahmad Shah a political leader rather than a militant, Lone said, “There may be political differences, but he is in his late 70s and unable to stand or perform basic daily activities. Imagine the plight of his family. Expressing concern for him or others like him cannot be considered a crime.”
Lone urged the Government to raise the issue with the Union Home Minister. “We may not have the authority to interfere, but at least expressing our concern is within our right. The Government should take up this humanitarian issue through appropriate channels,” he said.
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