450,000 employees strike work in Jammu and Kashmir

By IANS
Saturday, April 3, 2010

JAMMU - More than 450,000 government employees of Jammu and Kashmir Saturday began a four-day strike demanding payment of arrears due to them as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.

The strike paralysed work in almost all government offices across the state, though essential services like hospitals, public health engineering and power supply continued to operate.

“This strike will last till April 6 and if the government fails to accept our demands by that time, we would chalk out a new strategy to pressurise the government to deliver on the promises made to the employees last year,” Abdul Qayoom, leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees Joint Action Committee, told a rally of the striking employees here.

“We are not asking for something that is extraordinary. We are asking for our dues and that too what the government has promised us,” he said.

The employees struck work after talks between the state government and the employees’ leaders failed to reach a middle path.

Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather had told employees’ leaders Friday that the “state government is willing to pay arrears to employees, but there is no money. We have pleaded the case before the centre, but the money is not in sight.”

The employees, however, are not convinced. “The government should have known its position when it made a promise to give us our dues last year. Now after one year, we are being told that there is no money to meet our demand,” Qayoom said.

“Rather had pleaded before the union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee early this week that the central government release Rs.4,120 crore to Jammu and Kashmir to pay arrears to its employees. But the centre has not accepted the demand as of now,” an official source told IANS.

“Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is in Delhi. He is likely to take up the issue with the central leadership,” the source added.

The employees were promised that salaries as per recommendations of the sixth pay commission would be paid to them after the assembly elections in November-December 2008. The hiked salary was given to the employees from August 1, 2009, but the arrears due to them from Jan 1, 2006, to July 31, 2009, have not been paid.
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Nadeem
April 4, 2010: 4:28 am

JKNIA Letter to British House of Commons/Lords and MEP`S.

To,

The candidates for UK parliamentary elections summer 2010.
Dear Sir/Madam,

Re:

The issue of an occupation of Jammu Kashmir, violation of Human rights, and the threat to the regional peace in South East Asia in the future.

I am writing to you on behalf of Jammu Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA ) which is an alliance of Kashmiri political organisations in the UK working for the peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue to achieve a united, independent,secular and democratic Jammu Kashmir for all the people of Jammu Kashmir.
You may already be aware of the occupation of Kashmir issue. This directly affects approximately 700,000 people of Kashmiri origin who are citizens of UK and would like to see a resolution of the long standing Kashmir issue.There are currently over half a million Indian forces in Indian Occupied Kashmir and there is constant violation of human rights including torture, abductions, rape of women, murder of innocent Kashmiri men, women and children.
The so called government institutions in both the Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK) and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) are serving the political interests of their respective masters in India and Pakistan, without regard to the views of the ordinary citizens of Jammu Kashmir. [For example Pakistan Government has recently annexed Gilgit Baltistan (as a de-facto Pakistani province) which is historically an integral part of Jammu Kashmir.] As a consequence there is a deprivation in infrastructure and a huge lack of resources for health facilities, education and employment for the people of Jammu Kashmir which affects them deeply and causes suffering on a daily basis.
Without going into the detail or history of the issue (which some of you will be fully aware of) we are writing to you at this important point in time before the General Election in 2010. At this important time the UK citizens of Jammu Kashmir origin will participate in the elections and may be able to influence the outcome of elections in some constituencies throughout the UK. We should be obliged if you would address the following points in particular:

*
As an individual candidate please clarify your position on the resolution of the Kashmir issue leading to the creation of a unified, independent and democratic Jammu and Kashmir.
*
The position of your Political Party in this respect
*
How you and your party in your respective roles regardless of whether or not you win would help the Kashmiris in the UK and JKNIA in particular to advance the core cause for resolution of this very important issue.

No doubt you will be aware that until and unless this issue is resolved there is a grave danger to peace in this region and to the World at large. As both nuclear powers India and Pakistan continue to regard this as a territorial dispute for their own interests and ignore the views of the people of Jammu Kashmir. Kindly acknowledge safe receipt of this letter a timely response to this letter will be appreciated. We trust this clarifies this matter if however you have any further queries or questions on this important issue please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours faithfully,

Nadeem Aslam,
General Secretary JKNIA Email- nadeemjknia@aol.com
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