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PDP to work for change in mindset vis-a-vis J&K: Mufti
Published on
Friday, 21 March 2014
8:36 pm
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Engage separatist leadership Mufti asks GoI.‘Omar gave prior consent to Guru’s Hanging’
NC Govt’s failed to facilitate revocation of AFSPA,
return of power projects
Srinagar: Mufti Mohammad Sayeed,
Peoples Democratic Party patron and former chief minister today said that his
party’s role is to make the Parliament of India a forum for representing the
“Jammu and Kashmir issue” for debate and dialogue at the national level.
Mufti was addressing press after releasing the party’s
manifesto- ‘Parliamentary Elections: Agenda for Change’- for the upcoming parliamentary
polls during a press conference at his official Gupkar residence.
Slamming National Conference for giving a prior consent
to the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the former chief
minister said that the state government’s consent is taken before taking such a
major decision against any state subject.
He regretted that since the National Conference took over
reins of power in Jammu and Kashmir, almost all the confidence building
measures started during Atal Behari Vajpayee or those initiated during the
tenure of Dr Manmohan Singh were halted because of NC’s inability to pursue the
same.
He said that it was chief minister Omar Abdullah’s
inefficiency which did not allow implementation of recommendations of
committees on revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and return of power
projects. “Similarly the Rangarajan committee had recommended return of power
projects to the state. But unfortunately NC has failed on both these promises
made during its tenure.”
He said that in a democratic set up imposing restrictions
or putting curbs on political activities of separatists is totally
undemocratic. Mufti also advocated that government of India should engage
voices of dissent in Kashmir. Meanwhile, reading from the Lok Sabha election
manifesto, Mufti said that the trust deficit that exists today has been created
because the regional parties of the state have not been able to use the
Parliament as a forum for articulating the aspirations, highlighting the
grievances, and voicing the insecurities of the people of J&K.
“In the last 65 years, the Parliament has never
deliberated on J&K in any substantive and serious manner. All the
well-meaning announcements made by different Prime Ministers be it the P V
Narasimha Rao’s “sky is the limit for autonomy”, or Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s
“insaniyat kay dairay main” or Manmohan Singh’s “making borders irrelevant”
need to be institutionalized for them to have an impact on the ground. Unless
these approaches get legitimized and authorized by the Parliament, there cannot
be any headway as far as the resolution is concerned,” he added.
The former chief minister said that PDP’s mission in the
Parliament will be to drive, persuade and convince all the parties to formalize
a basic J&K policy; a kind of a Common Minimum Program of all the
political parties on J&K. PDP will take the lead in doing this.
“PDP aspires to change the national mind-set, through its
interventions in the Parliament that finding a resolution in J&K is not
only the Government’s responsibility. The opposition, as also other associated
and regional parties, have an equal responsibility and stake in the well-being
of J&K.”
He said PDP has put its top leadership in the electoral
fray. The President of the party, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, is leading the team by
contesting from South Kashmir. Muzzaffar Hussain Beig a legal luminary from
North Kashmir, Tariq Karra, a grass roots politician and former Finance
Minister of J&K from central Kashmir. From Jammu we have fielded two of the
senior most leaders of the state; Yashpal Sharma, a veteran politician who has
been in active politics for more than 40 years. Arshid Mallik who
also has 30 years of political experience is contesting from Udhampur-Doda.
“Our team of parliamentarians will seek to create an
environment for resolution at the national level, not just through formal
parliamentary deliberation but through informal political networking as well,”
Mufti added.
He said that to build a momentum on these issues, it
shall be the endeavour of PDP to have a “Special session of the Parliament
on J&K”. “In this session that the members of PDP would anchor the debate
and steer the discussion of the House towards a stated J&K Policy which is
quasi legislative in its moorings,” he added.
According to Mufti, Jammu and Kashmir being the only
Muslim majority state of the country adds to the credibility of India as a
secular nation. “Along with this position, which J&K has attained by
choice, come certain national responsibilities. It is our plan to work in the
Parliament alongside the national leadership of minorities to address their
concerns and insecurities. By working in tandem with them, we shall seek to
strengthen their resolve and add to their voice by seeking the creation of
an Equal Opportunities Commission.”
He said PDP will propose, discuss and debate the creation
of a new Ministry for Affairs of J&K. We will seek parliamentary approval
for upgrading the existing Department of J&K Affairs which is currently a
part of the home ministry. The idea is to give it a developmental focus and not
an overly security angle.
In addition to these issues, he said PDP will seek to
amend various national policies relating to developmental aspects with a view
to make them beneficial for J&K. For instance, the National Hydro
Policy, 2008, MSME Development Act, Micro Finance (Development and
Regulation) Bill 2012, Amendment of Procurement Preference Policy Act.
During the press conference Mr Mufti was flanked by the
party president, Mehbooba Mufti, who is also PDP’s parliamentary candidate for
Anantanag; Tariq Hameed Karra, candidate for Srinagar parliamentary seat;
Yahpal Sharma, candidate for Jammu; Arshad Malik, candidate for Udhampor; Naeem
Akhtar, Chief Spokesperson and Altaf Bukhari, senior party leader.(KNS)
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