CPI(M) leader and Kulgam MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami made a strong pitch for restoring job and land rights for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking in the assembly during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks for the Lieutenant Governor’s address, he said these rights had been safeguarded under Maharaja Hari Singh.
He called for the reinstatement of the region’s original constitutional status to protect the rights and identity of the people.
Slamming the BJP, he accused the party of erasing the contributions of Dogra rulers and historical figures like Zorawar Singh.
He also questioned the decision to separate Ladakh from Jammu and Kashmir, challenging the BJP’s claim that the split was due to dissatisfaction with Kashmir’s administration.“When Jammu was content with Kashmir, why is there now an attempt to divide,” he asked.
Responding to remarks made by BJP’s leader of opposition Sunil Sharma regarding the July 13, 1931 martyrs, the CPI(M) leader said it was disappointing that senior leaders were making such statements.
Tracing the formation of the Dogra state to the Treaty of Amritsar in 1846, he said despite Kashmir’s 5,000-year-old history, the region was “sold by the British,” the same colonial power that Indian revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh fought against.
Tarigami also criticised the BJP for downgrading Jammu and Kashmir to a Union territory. “Can you cite a single instance where a state was downgraded to a Union territory? How can a Governor, who is not elected by the people, represent their will,” he asked.
He said when the country was engulfed in communal violence during Partition, Kashmir stood as an example of harmony.
Praising Sheikh Abdullah and the Constituent Assembly of J&K for implementing land reforms, he highlighted how these reforms benefited farmers across Jammu and Kashmir.
He condemned attempts to erase Sheikh Abdullah’s legacy, including his birthday. “It was Sheikh Abdullah who ensured dignity and economic upliftment for even the poorest people, regardless of region,” he said, adding, “Let us stand united and demand what was rightfully ours—the same state established by the Dogra rulers and the reinstatement of our job and land rights.”