Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday shared a video across social media platforms of his interaction with Kashmiri women. A 11 minute video included Kashmiri women who were enrolled in various colleges, studying subjects like law, physics, journalism, and political science, said Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi recorded the conversation when he had visited Kashmir. During the interaction, the omen flagged that there has not been a single day when they have not met a woman who has not claimed they were harassed in public transport.
The video begins with a short teaser where Rahul Gandhi is saying, ‘problem is that the attitude of men toward women is incorrect’. The statement was made in context with the Kolkata doctor’s heinous rape and murder case that has rocked the nation. During the teaser Gandhi is also seen taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘God’ remark. Gandhi says ‘one day when you realise you are not god, you are just a human being, then there is a problem’.
During an interaction with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi jokingly quipped, “They (the Kashmiri women) are bullying me”.
WATCH RAHUL GANDHI’S INTERCATION WITH KASHMIRI WOMEN
On women in Kashmir
“Being a Kashmiri woman I know what problems we face. We have less literacy rate, less employment rate, 76% for women, only one senior professor” one Kashmiri student listed to Rahul Gandhi.
“Also less representation” added another participant of the discussion.
The women said that women are discriminated against in Kashmir. They claimed the education is ‘limited and backward’ in Kashmir. “No corporate firms, no MNCs, we are far behind” the women informed Rahul Gandhi.
On women facing sexual harassment in Kashmir, the participants claimed that this began after 2019 (Modi’s second term as prime minister). “Everything is checked here, so it is not possible that something as big as that is happening and the government cannot control it”, the women said.
On PM Modi
On the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government, the Kashmiri women agreed when Rahul Gandhi observed that PM Modi ‘does not listen to anyone’. The LoP also remarked that PM Modi believes that he is always right, even though he is shown the he is wrong, ‘he will not accept that’
“It comes from insecurity”, Rahul Gandhi said.
On Kashmir Elections
Rahul Gandhi remarked “the status or running Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh from Delhi does not make any sense”. To this the women agreed, “totally”. Terming the development ‘depressing’, the women said agreed that Kashmir losing its statehood was not called for. “That is why we are so sad”, they added.
On Terrorism in Kashmir
When Rahul Gandhi asks, “How does the situation here disturb your plans”, the Kashmiri women readily answer it ‘stresses them out a lot. Gandhi was referring to Pakistani infiltration and sporadic terrorist activities in the valley.
One of the respondents even mentioned that they had considered not continuing their education in Kashmir ’because its so depressing’. She also mentioned she had been studying political science. To this Gandhi quipped, “My experience with political science is what they teach you in universities has got nothing to do with real life politics”.
Kashmir Assembly Elections
Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1.
Jammu and Kashmir is expected to witness multi-cornered contests in most seats. These are the first assembly polls since the abrogation of Article 370.
The votes will be counted on October 4.
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