Restrictions on people of Kashmir should be removed, political prisoners should be released: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Prez Sadatullah Hussaini

Restrictions on people of Kashmir should be removed: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Prez Sadatullah Hussaini

New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has expressed grave concern over the situation in Kashmir. Addressing to the media at Jamaat’s monthly press meet here today, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s President Syed Sadatullah Hussaini said: “We want the government to remove the severe restrictions on the people of Kashmir. People are without internet and mobile services since the last two months. The imprisonment of political leadership of an entire state is against our democratic ethos. We are highly concerned about reports emanating from fact-finding teams to the Kashmir valley led by human rights organizations and civil society. They are reporting unjustified arrests of Kashmiri youth, application of excessive force to quell protests and severe shortage of medicines and disruption in healthcare facilities”. Answering a query regarding the recently announced block level elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the JIH President said: “More than block level elections, what is required are assembly elections and release of political detainees. Other restrictions on the people’s right to information and movement should also be removed. Only then can the democratic process appear meaningful”.

Earlier JIH Vice President, Muhammad Salim Engineer, while briefing the media said: “Jamaat would like to emphasizeits long-standing position that the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir must be resolved by talks, consultation and dialogue with the people of the state and their representatives”. He also conveyed the concern at the slowdown of India’s economy and pointed out the how we must move towards equity based financing rather than interest based financing to tide our investment needs.

Expresses grave concern over the continued slowdown of Indian economy, the Jamaat, in its press note, said, “the government appears clueless about reviving the economy. It is wilting under pressure from Corporate India by taking ad hoc measures hoping for some miracle to boost the sagging GDP. The Rs 1.45 lakh crores bonanza offered to India Inc in the form of corporate tax cuts will not help as it does not address the problem of weak aggregate demand, low consumption and high unemployment.” The Jamaat recommends that the government should stop worrying about a few percentage points of fiscal deficit slippage and payout the near 10 lakh crores of balance payment to vendors who have supplied goods and services to the state and central government. The Jamaat said, “with low inflation and low GDP growth, fiscal expansion and a stimulus package are the only ways to boost demand. However, because of an interest-based banking system, we are slowly being crushed by the rising interest payments for financing our deficits. Our banks riddled with NPAs and NFBCs are facing an existential crisis. The equities, currency and commodity markets with speculative financial instruments restrict the circulation of wealth only between a few hands. There is an acute need to increase the risk capital in the economy in the form of equity participation and zero interest venture capital."