Srinagar, March 17: Former IAS officer Shah Faesal formally announced his political party named ‘J&K Peoples’ Movement’ at a function at Rajbagh here on Sunday.
Faesal, the 2010 batch UPSC topper who resigned from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in January this year, also revealed his party’s vision, encompassing among others revival of silk route, sustained peace, dignified return of Kashmir Pandits, promotion of culture of tolerance, promoting employment, ease of doing business and industrial development.
He was accompanied by Shehla Rashid Shora, vice-president of the students union (JNUSU) in 2015-16, Feroz Peerzada (businessman), Baldev Singh (businessman), advocate Tahir Iqbal and Advocate Baseer Ahmad among others
Regarding Kashmir issue, he said is about India and Pakistan to resolve but his party will attempt to bring about “sustainable peace” in the state by “making the people politically empowered, economically prosperous, socially emancipated, ethically evolved, culturally enlightened and environmentally conscious”.
He said it will seek to protect the special status granted to the state under the Indian Constitution. He also revealed that his party would try would revive silk route civilization and provide Tunnel at Sadnatop to provide all weather connectivity to Karnah and Tangdhar.“To leverage the geo-strategic position of J&K to make it the gateway to Central Asia.
A “Look Up-North” center for the Subcontinent,” he said, adding, “The party shall work towards reviving the centrality of Jammu and Kashmir State to the ancient Silk Route civilization so that Jammu and Kashmir can reemerge as a corridor of peace between various South Asian neighbors.”He also called Kashmir Pandits as integral part of Jammu and Kashmir and announced that his party would try to ensure respectable return of the displaced community.“We will seek adequate political representation for under-represented communities like Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians and Kashmiri Pandits”.
He also promised to revive neglected traditions like Dogra community art, Buddhist heritage and other folk traditions.
“The party shall focus on job creation to end the unemployment of educated people, skill development of youth and ensure transparency in the recruitment process,” he said.
It also said that the party will ensure equitable development of all regions in the state.
“The party shall promote a culture of tolerance and people to people contact between people of Jammu and Kashmir and rest of the country,” he said.
“We shall seek to build an environment of justice and reconciliation in the J&K by addressing the aspirations of all regions and communities.”He said the party shall promote sustainable development strategies and ensure protection and preservation of the environmental and cultural heritage of the state; building a peoples movement around the safeguarding of mountains, forests, meadows, water bodies, lakes, rivers, springs and other green spaces besides the diverse cultural traditions, art and craft, historical monuments and intangible heritage of the state.
“We will build a progressive, gender sensitive political institution with traditional values and modern sensibilities to give women equal rights and representation in all spheres, be it constitutional, legislative or administrative.”The party, he said, will promote employment, ease of doing business and industrial development and will provide the facilities to the people of Jammu and Kashmir as per the eligibility basis without any discrimination and work for the welfare of farmers.
“Reorienting education and research towards the demands of Fourth Industrial Revolution and arrival of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and nanotechnology.”The party will achieve its objective through peaceful and democratic forms of campaigns like meetings, seminars, conferences and rallies. It will also raise the contemporary issues affecting common citizens during election campaigns, he added.
