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Saturday,
August 25, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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No mechanised units for handicrafts: Farooq Centre wavering on Kashmir issue: PDP
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No mechanised units for handicrafts: Farooq Srinagar, August 24 Speaking at a Cooperative conference here, the Chief Minister said modern machines used for the manufacture of Pashmina had already affected a large number of people who would spin the yarn on hand-driven wheels. Similarly, he said, coppersmiths were now facing the challenge with the arrival of machines manufacturing copper utensils. “In such a scenario, we will have to think about our artisans and discourage factories eating upon their bread,” he added. About the ban imposed on the manufacture of certain handicrafts, Dr Abdullah said, “he did not approve of it without first thinking about the alternate job opportunities for the people engaged in the trade”. Referring to the ban on the shahtoos trade, he said, “if it was true that the Tibetan antelope, Chiru, was actually killed to obtain the wool then over the hundreds of year’s poaching then the animal would have been extinct long ago”. He said the ban on shahtoos had completely downed this once famous industry of the Valley. “Before making a law we must consider its effects also”, he added. Dr Abdullah called for strengthening the cooperative movement in the state and asked the workers to come up to the expectations of the people. At another function, Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Industries and Commerce Mustafa Kamaal said considerable progress had been made in agriculture, handicraft and tourism sectors.
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Centre wavering on Kashmir issue: PDP Srinagar, August 24 Talking to mediapersons here yesterday, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, PDP vice-president, claimed that the Agra summit failed due to the rigid stand taken by both Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President, General Pervez Musharraf. “The lack of rational approach by both sides and laying down of conditions by the Hurriyat Conference to make Pakistan a party to the dialogue derailed the peace process”, Mr Beigh commented. He said the Centre played tactical moves by issuing invitation letters to all political parties in Jammu and Kashmir and directly inviting General Pervez Musharraf. Referring to the role of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, Mr Beigh said its leaders “should come out of the shadow of militants if they want to become political leaders”. He also referred to the recent developments in Pakistan where a crackdown was launched on fundamentalist groups. “I think the Hurriyat Conference should not say no to any negotiations”, Mr Beigh said adding that dialogue was the only solution to the Kashmir problem. About Mr L.K. Advani’s statement on the general amnesty to security force personnel facing charges of human rights violation, he said the Constitution did not allow it and questioned as to what was the role of courts then. He claimed that there were 1,400 cases of human rights violation registered in Kashmir during the past 12 years of militancy, while 52 personnel had been convicted in such cases. Mr Beigh held that the pro-active policy was already in force in Kashmir, which gave immense powers to the security forces under the shadow of the Disturbed Areas Act. Mr Beigh urged the Centre to take adequate steps to ensure free and fair poll in the state. |
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