Jammu, Jul 13: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary Sunday, in an oblique dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership and LG administration, described the move to “lock up ministers and public representatives to prevent them from paying tributes to July 13, 1931 martyrs” as a “danger to democracy.”
Choudhary also questioned the rationale of “locking up” his house at Gupkar Road in Srinagar while he was in Jammu.
“In Kashmir, the houses of our leaders have been locked up to prevent them from visiting and paying tributes to the July 13 martyrs. The weirdest fact is that I’m in Jammu, however, my Fairview residence at Gupkar Road too has been locked. What is the rationale? I’m sitting in Jammu, and you (Police administration) are putting locks there. This demonstrates blind adherence to an administrative order without the application of mind. You did not check who was where, and you just locked up people,” he said, while speaking to media persons here in the winter capital.
“This is our situation at present. It is tragic. If you are going to lock up the Deputy Chief Minister, the ministers and other elected representatives of the people, then it signals nothing but danger to India’s democracy. This question needs to be pondered over seriously,” the Deputy Chief Minister warned.
“This is unfortunate for Jammu and Kashmir. What is the significance of July 13, 1931? Those persons who laid down their lives were not against anyone. They were simply fighting for their rights. It was the British era. The country was under the British Empire and we were being ruled by the English. This incident occurred during that time,” Deputy Chief Minister recalled.
“Today, we are observing the day remembering the sacrifices of our martyrs. This had happened in 1931. When India became independent, it adopted a constitution. That Constitution gave the people a fundamental right to present or hold one’s viewpoint, however divergent that viewpoint may be. This is the strength of democracy,” Choudhary asserted.
He stated that in the contemporary milieu, people were holding different viewpoints in India, and it was legal and constitutional.
“In free India, one can always share one’s divergent views. Many sections may not agree with that observation. But it does not mean that if you don’t like one’s perspective, you will detain the person(s) to curb that viewpoint, opinion or perspective, or you will lock them in their rooms or houses. What is it? Is it a democratic way?” the Deputy Chief Minister questioned.
In a subtle yet oblique dig at BJP and RSS, Choudhary said, “Talking about present scenario if we pay tributes to the martyrs of July 13, 1931, there is another section which pays respect to Nathuram Godse, the assassin of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who led India to independence. The ideology, which sees Godse as one of their ideals, also exists in India. We never question them why they believe in that ideology and respect Godse. That is their perspective or ideology. This is the beauty of the Indian Constitution, which grants freedom to every citizen to hold one’s vision or ideology.”
“As they have a vision about Godse and they pay him respect, we too have the right to pay tributes to our July 13 martyrs. That incident was related to humanity and human rights. They (the July 13 martyrs) lost their lives while safeguarding their rights. They made supreme sacrifices. Our objective is to commemorate that sentiment,” he said.
