Is 'Naya Kashmir' More Developed?

Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami is a former MLA of the CPI(M) from Kashmir, and the spokesperson of the PAGD. On the second anniversary of the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, he tells Newsclick about the sense of despair and hopelessness that grips the Valley. Even the people of Jammu are anguished over the attempts to alter the demography of the erstwhile state through new rules related to domicile. ‘We have no faith in the government at the centre—now we only ask that the people of India understand the plight of the people of J&K,’ he tells Newsclick. He explains that the bond between India and J&K is historic, which the abrogation of Art 370 has weakened like never before. Added to this is the crumbling industries, youth unemployment, and devastation of social and economic services. ‘The government has not even implemented in J&K what are the basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution,’ he says.