Ban on pre-paid mobiles assult on dignity of J&K people: Mufti

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said the decision to ban pre-paid mobile phones had not only serious socio economic implications, but was an assault on the dignity and self respect of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a public meeting at Handwara in Kupwara district, Mr Sayeed said shutting off prepaid mobile facility to the state reflects a mindset that his party was struggling to change. He said the arbitrary decision should be reversed immediately as ''it tarnishes our image and projects the entire people of the state as unworthy of trust.'' ''No wonder our youth, whether players, students or traders become victims of suspicion and high-handedness in different parts of the country when the government itself expresses doubts about our credentials as people,'' he said.

Mr Sayeed said such profiling of the Kashmiris had disastrous consequences in the past, as it resulted in the huge trust deficit ''between us and rest of the country.'' He said while the direct impact of the decision in terms of loss of employment opportunities was considerable, it was the psychological and political aspect of it which could claim a heavier toll. Banning 38 lakh connections to prevent misuse by a possible few hundred people was an index of the lack of trust by the establishment in the citizens of the state as a whole and its belief that everything was fair in Kashmir, he said.

''This is no way to win the battle of minds,'' the former Chief Minister noted.

The PDP patron said decision to ban the pre-paid mobile facility was reflection of the same mindset that had resisted its extension to the state in the first place and contributed to the sense of siege prevailing there for decades. He recalled how the opponents of the mobile service had argued with him that the facility could be used to detonate bombs on remote control, but had been proved wrong ultimately.

-- (UNI) -- 05DR43.xml

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