Senior PDP leader and MP designate Tariq Hameed Karra today said the results of the recent Lok Sabha polls have sent across a loud and clear message to the political parties in J&K that they should either perform or perish. He said the post-poll scenario would infuse fresh accountability in the state’s political setup which is good in the larger interest of the people.“The results are a wake-up call for all the political parties that they can’t take the people for a ride through hollow slogans as has been happening in the past,” Karra said while addressing a series of thanksgiving public meetings in Chrar-e-Sharief Assembly segment of Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary constituency wherefrom he was elected to the Lok Sabha by defeating National Conference president and former Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah.While accusing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of having wasted 6 years of J&K through misgovernance and non-performance and putting a virtual freeze on development, Karra said if anything, the present government would be remembered as the darkest era of governance in JK for facilitating hundreds of innocent killings, letting loose a reign of repression on youth, ordering wanton arrests, perpetuating fear and sense of insecurity, promoting socio-economic instability, frightening increase in crime rate, menacing drug abuse, deaths in road rage, vanishing rule of law, rampant corruption, shocking scams, institutional degradation, misgovernance, dilapidated roads, power shortage, drinking water scarcity, non-availability of rations, frustrating unemployment, maladministration, spurious medicines, maddening traffic snarls and countless other anti-people measures.He said if people have voted for PDP, it is only because of the performance of PDP-led coalition government headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed between 2002 and 2005. “The signposts PDP-led government’s developmental initiatives are visible in every nook and corner of the State and people have endorsed the same by voting overwhelmingly for the party in the Lok Sabha polls,” he said and added that with the fresh mandate the party would rededicate itself to the larger cause of the people of J&K.
Karra said PDP views with satisfaction the growing concord of the people with the party’s progressive and inclusive political and economic agenda for J&K. “As reflected in the outcome of recent elections to the Lok Sabha the endorsement of PDP’s agenda strengthens the party’s resolve to rededicate itself towards seeking dignified resolution of the political and economic problems facing the State and its people,” he said.Complimenting the State’s youth for endorsing the PDP agenda for change, Karra said the party has a unique correlation with the youth as PDP itself is young and growing. “We understand and identify better with the problems of our young population as we as a party are ourselves young and growing with them,” he said and added that the youth in J&K need extraordinary attention as they have been particularly and enormously affected by the negative consequences of the conflict and economic deprivation. In order to avoid a further deterioration of the situation for the coming generations, he said the State’s political leadership needs to respect and ensure the rights of its youth. “This requires a determined effort of lending economical, social and political support to the young people, both men and women equally,” he maintained.
Expressing concern over the magnitude and disproportionate effect of unemployment and underemployment upon youth and its profound implications for the future of our society, Karra said the PDP considers youth employment as integral to overall strategy for development and collective security. “Within this context PDP would give renewed attention to ensure decent and productive education and work for the State’s young people,” he said.
Stressing the need for improving education, training, mobility, vocational integration, social inclusion and entrepreneurship of young people, Karra suggested creation of a State level Youth Council that would be mandated with the coordination of the youth organizations, formulating a State-level Youth Policy and developing an integrated State-specific youth development program. He also suggested setting up of a task force in the Department of Youth Affairs to ensure that the policies targeted at youth are effectively implemented.PDP leaders Ghulam Nabi Lone (Hanjoora), Nazir Ahmad Yatoo, Dr Nazir Ahmad Lone, Abdul Rehman Nengroo and Aftab Ahmad Mir also addressed the public meetings