Srinagar: All Tribal Coordination Committee (ATCC) on Wednesday held a press conference in Srinagar pertaining to tribal issues and appreciating Kashmiris for showing enormous support in seeking justice for the 8-year-old’s rape and murder in Kathua.
The committee also condemned BJP Leader Choudhary Lal Singh for ‘spreading communal hatred from time to time.’
The meet was organised at Waterfall Café, in Lal Chowk where Talib Hussain Bajran, Chairman ATCC along with 9 other members made five points: to ensure security to witnesses and ‘people fighting for justice in the Kathua rape-murder case, to enact Forest Rights Act, Reservation in promotion of weaker sections of the society, initiating an enquiry on fake Schedule Tribe certificates; and political reservation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The political parties are playing dirty politics on our long pending demands,” said Adv. Hussain adding that the committee has high hopes with the Governor’s rule in the valley.
He also said that the tribal community members do not get promoted, if in a job. He however, added: “There are people who come up with fake schedule caste certificates and get benefits. Such cases should be monitored and checked.”
They expressed gratitude towards Kashmiris for supporting them in the Kathua rape and murder case. This, they said was done to threaten the tribal Muslim community from Samba, Kathua and other districts in Jammu.
“The secular people of the state especially from Kashmir proved that they will not allow any communal force to divide the communities. The uproar was against the polarisation being spread by the RSS,” said Advocate turned Activist Hussain.
Some committee members were present in the conference with their shoes off. They said they are doing it from past 7 months for the enactment of Forest Rights Act.
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Condemning BJP Leader Chaudhary Lal Singh for threatening the valley based journalists Hussain said, “We appeal the Hon’ble Governor of J&K to take stern action against Lal Singh and every other person who are a threat to communal harmony in the state,” he said adding that it is not for the first time that he had spread hatred in the community.
Rafiq Blote, Danish Iqbal, Chowdhary Avais Dhaker, Riyaz Ahmad Bhadana, Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, Atta Mohammad Khatana, Haji Nazir Ahmad Tass and Basharat Ahmad Chouan were the other members of ATCC present in the conference.
