How the BJP is trying to win the hearts of people in flood-hit Kashmir

Sameer Yasir Srinagar: On Saturday morning Hameed Shah, 42, a resident of Sonware collected an insulin vial from a relief camp run by Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in the heart of Srinagar, the summer capital of the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir. [caption id=“attachment_1720907” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] Hameed’s house in Shivpora locality was submerged in the 7 September floods, which have effected millions of people across the region and killed more than 270 people in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. “Hospital are still close and we are not able to get basic medicines for our patients. I couldn’t get insulin for mother in the first ten days of the floods” Hameed Shah,42, whose mother is a diabetic patient, and needed immediate medical attention told Firstpost on Saturday. “This relief camp run by BJP has come as a relief for us, we don’twant to get onto politics, but their help is really appreciated,“Hameed said. The BJP which clinched three Lok Sabha seats out of six in Jammu and Kashmir, is now eying for a majority in coming state assembly elections has began to reach out to people effected by floods at a time when the political parties have abandoned the people of flood effected areas. Setting up of a relief and rehabilitation centre in the heart of Srinagar city and a thousand meters away from the residence of Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah’s residence, the party has send a strong political message to the regional political parties in state, as most of the regional political parties have preferred to stay indoors fearing public wrath. The efforts put by the BJP’s state cadre in the flood hit state might be small, but it is a strong political message in a bid to reach out to the people of Kashmir ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Hundred of patients lined up on Saturday morning in the BJP set relief and rehabilitation camp in Srinagar city near Durga Temple in Sonwar locality which was also flooded recently. Khalid Jehangir, the BJP spokesperson in Kashmir Valley, said the political parties have abandoned people of Kashmir ‘in this hour of need.’ “Our party has mobilized cadre across the country to pool money for relief and rehabilitation of people affected by floods. The criminal approach of the government has aggravated the problems of our people and it is important that we reach out to them,” he said. The party, Jehangir said, has set up two camps in Srinagar city near Durga Temple in Sonwar locality and Hotel Mamta in Dalgate, “Our cadre has been activated across the Valley and we will open more camps in the flood affected parties across the Valley,” he said. While members of the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, have asked its legislators and members of parliament to donate their one month salary towards the rehabilitation fund, leaders of the ruling National Conference party are conspicuous by their absence on ground, as anger grows among the flood-affected people against its callous approach in dealing with the crises. More than 4.5 million people have been affected by floods in Jammu and Kashmir described as ‘worst in a century’ which has left a trail of destruction, killing over 270 people and leaving millions of people homeless across the region. The state government of Omar Abdullah has come under severe criticism from people for failing to respond to the crises, and for delayed response. The state administration was missing for the first fifteen days of the flood, which devastated much of the state. Now local relief voluntaries in Srinagar have accused Omar Abdullah government of blocking their supplies, collected in different parts of the country, on Srinagar airport. In the BJP camp, Saiqa Nasreen, a local resident of Sonawar said, the relief camp set up by the rightwing party has helped a lot of people who needed medicine and were helpless. “They came at a time when no would dare to come to our area and set up this camp. We lived on the second story of our house for ten days without flood. Apart from distributing water they also gave us medicine.”