RSS womens’ wing opposes autonomy to J&K

NAGPUR, AUGUST 3: The Rashtra Sevika Samiti, the women's wing of the RSS, has expressed its grave concern over the proposed move to provid...

NAGPUR, AUGUST 3: The Rashtra Sevika Samiti, the women’s wing of the RSS, has expressed its grave concern over the proposed move to provide greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir and the Centre’s liberalisation policy, sharing the views of its parent-body on the issues.

The Samiti, in its central executive committee meeting held here recently, adopted formal resolutions in this regard and pointed out that the Centre would be weakened if greater autonomy was given to a particular State.

“If any State demands greater autonomy at the cost of a strong Centre, the country would face several problems,” it warned, and insisted that such autonomy should not be granted at any cost.

In another resolution, the RSS womens’ wing took a strong exception over the Vajpayee government’s decision to free as many as 1,429 essential items from import duty. “It would severely affect our domestic economy, particularly small-scale industries,” it said and felt that womenfolk would be badly hit by the decision.

According to the Samiti, crores of women who are engaged in handloom, dairy development, fisheries and other petty jobs would be severely affected in the wake of rebate on import extended to these 1,429 items.

The meeting urged the Government to strengthen the domestic economy and reconsider the issue as a large section of women in the country would be affected due to the liberalisation policy, particularly duty-free import of essential commodities.

Samiti’s national executive also asked the Union Government to secure an early release of prisoners of war (PoWs) of the country who were in the Pakistan’s custody and were being tortured there.

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In a formal resolution, the Samiti demanded that the issue of PoWs be referred to the International Human Rights’ Commission through the Red Cross Society immediately.

It cited the inhuman torture of Captain Saurabh Kalia, who was later brutally killed by the Pakistan army and the body sent back to India in a mutilated condition.

The Samiti reminded Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee that he had assured the family-members of late Capt Kalia that the issue would be taken up with the International Human Rights’ Commission.

“But nothing of this sort has been done so far by the Prime Minister’s Office,” it pointed out and demanded that the Prime Minister should inform the developments to the people of the country.