Article 370 not cause of Kashmir issue: Tarigami

New Delhi: Describing the current situation in Kashmir as “very very painful”, former CPI(M) MLA from Jammu and Kashmir, M.Y. Tarigami on Tuesday said the matter on Article 370 had been “misrepresented” in the country through a concerted campaign by the Sangh Parivar.

“Unfortunately, things as they exist today in the whole of the country the situation has undergone a change. People are ill-informed. The Sangh Parivar for so many years they campaigned on certain issues like the Article 370. It is being misrepresented before the people as if it is a clause which is promoting terrorism, it is a clause which has not allowed the integration with the mainstream, which has virtually divided people, denied fruits of development. The fact is otherwise,” the former MLA from Kulgam claimed.

The controversial Article 370 had been abrogated by the central government on August 5 and the final implementation of the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories would happen on October 31.

Mr Tarigami, who was in New Delhi on routine medical visit to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, however, appealed to the people, specially youth of Kashmir not to indulge in violence.

“See, we cannot be sure about how the future will turn out. But certainly there is huge huge disappointment…youth is in deep distress, no doubt about that. We are worried about the future days ahead.

“But we will certainly appeal to the people of Kashmir, particularly the youth, whatever the provocation from authorities, whatever wrongs, the Constitutional fraud, the betrayal committed by the government of India,  violence doesnt remain an option for the people of Kashmir. We should not fall into the trap of those who want to isolate us and defeat us. The real strength lies in unity and democratic and peaceful protests,” Mr Tarigami said speaking with this newspaper at the official residence of CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.