Transporters’ Associations Divided Over Strike Call In Jammu & Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Common people and commuters have been caught in a piquant situation as two main Kashmir-based Transporters’ Associations are divided over the call for two-day strike from January 9 in protest against the penal provisions introduced recently and passed by the Parliament for hit and run cases putting the entire onus on the drivers.

The Chairman All Kashmir Transporters’ Confederation has extended its support ‘to the strike call given by transporters in Maharashtra, New Delhi and other states’ on one hand and Kashmir Transport Welfare Association on the other has put off the observance of strike for now.

Chairman All Kashmir Transporters’ Confederation, Mohammad Shafi Mir talking to a local news gathering agency said that in support to a strike call given by transporters in Maharashtra, New Delhi and several other states to which the Confederation has mutually decided to cooperate with the associations and observe a two-day ‘Steering Chodo Andolan’ across Kashmir Valley.

“All types of passenger vehicles will observe the ‘Steering Chodo Andolan’ on January 9 and January 10”, Mir said.

When contacted, General Secretary Kashmir Transport Welfare Association Mohammad Yousuf Sheikh told the local news agency that the Association isn’t observing any strike for now, at least the one given by All Kashmir Transporters’ Confederation. “There is no strike call of the Association on the lines given by the other association (All Kashmir Transporters’ Confederation)”, Sheikh said.

“Soon after we came to know about the stance by All Kashmir Transporters’ Confederation, our Association office-bearers assembled in Srinagar to specify their stand in the matter”, Sheikh said adding “After a threadbare discussion the Association unanimously decided not to observe any strike at least beginning tomorrow.”

“The Association office bearers feel that observing strike at this point of time, when the other transporter associations across India are yet to decide the future course of action won’t bear any fruitful results either for drivers or any other transporter.”

“A campaign is already going on across the country and when we receive an announcement of any express (strike) call, we will go with that like we went recently against the newly introduced law”, Sheikh said.

“Our Association is on Jammu and Kashmir level and the one which has called for observance of the call is limited to Kashmir only” Sheikh said. “We feel going for strike call for now is totally uncalled for.”

Justifying it, Sheikh said what is the logic behind the issue that if the transporters of Kashmir Valley observe the strike while the other division Jammu doesn’t. “This to me won’t serve any purpose.”

“We are sternly opposing the provisions, but I am reiterating that the action has to be collective and strong to see any results given the fact that the law has been introduced for all types of drivers without any distinction of the vehicle or the ownership”, he said.

Just as in case, the readers might be wondering what to expect, we for your satisfaction asked Mohammad Yousuf Sheikh as to which subordinate associations’ and groups’ fall under the Kashmir Transport Welfare Association, to which Sheikh replied that two groups, KMD and WB Services’, six groups of mini-buses within Srinagar and Ganderbal, Taxi Maxi Cab Coordination Committee (Sumo, Tavera etc.), All Kashmir Auto-rickshaw Association, e-Rickshaw Association, Kashmir Truck Union and Quarry Tipper Association.

While All Kashmir Transporters’ Confederation is majorly limited to North Kashmir, the Kashmir Transport Welfare Association has its influence over transport services in central Kashmir districts, we leave it to the wisdom of the commuters to decide on their travelling plans for next two days at least.

It is pertinent to mention here that the All JK Oil Tankers Association had in a video-statement rebuffed reports of any strike given by the association.

The transporters have been demanding the roll-back of penal provisions introduced by the central government related to hit-and-run cases.