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| ‘New Delhi subverted democracy’ | | Mufti hails Vajpayee | | ET REPORT
SRINAGAR, Feb 26: Accusing New Delhi of `blatantly subverting' democracy in Jammu Kashmir, Mufti Sayed said the youth were pushed to militancy as a result of denial of democratic and fundamental rights to them.
He said commencement of militancy opened a new and saddest chapter of pain and agony. "Thousands lost their lives, graveyards expanded, happy families got ruined, and democratic space shrank further", he said.
The former union Home Minister said Indian democracy emerged weaker, not stronger in gaining the confidence of the only state that had defied the logic of partition in acceding to it on the basis of shared ideals. "Democratic rights to Kashmiris ironically became subservient to the narrow interpretations of national interest by security establishment of the country. Bullet, not the globally acclaimed Indian icon ballot became the mascot of New Delhi's Kashmir policy", he said.
He said the soldier had become the contact point of great Indian state with the common man in Kashmir. "This I have told the Prime Minister repeatedly", he said.
Hailing former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee's efforts in ensuring a free election in 2002, Mufti said, "People's aspirations for peace and resolution for the first time were harmonized with the policies of their elected government. A sharp transformation of discourse on Kashmir ensued, switching gears from hostility to friendship, calls for bombarding Pakistan and PaK replaced by mutual visits and interaction. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee picked up the signals of reconciliation and rejection of violence from Kashmir in right spirit. The yearning for peace and resolution was responded to with serious and substantial measures."
He said LOC and Indo Pak borders are currently witnessing the longest lasting ceasefire as a result of Vajpayee initiative. "The Insaniyat agenda unfolded by Vajpayee helped in loosening of siege around Kashmir", he said. .
Mufti said although the incumbent Prime Minister continued with a helping hand in consolidating the gains of Vajpayee initiative, the initiatives were not carried forward in subsequent years. "Neither did the state government flag these issues nor were these reflected in the priorities of the union government. Inadequacies in policy and implementation provided trigger to increasingly hopeless scenario. What followed were three consecutive disturbed years resulting in huge loss of life and economic distress", he said.
Sayed said the peace process was effectively reversed and the gains of it almost squandered except for the symbolic continuation of cross LOC links and ceasefire. "Internally, the crackdown on civilian population has assumed levels of pre 2002 era. Draconian laws are the only tools the state uses to tackle political unrest or individual grievances, employees protests or young men seeking jobs. Thousands have been rounded up, most of them unacknowledged. As harassed parents queue up outside police stations pleading for mercy for their wards Kashmir it seems never before witnessed such dehumanizing conditions."
Warning New Delhi of another eruption, Mufti said New Delhi must read the writing on the wall which clearly says Kashmir needs resolution and this rally is to stress that reality. |
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