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| Mufti sees danger to peace process | | `Rise above narrow considerations' | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 5: Calling for a display of statesmanship in Indo Pak relationship Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh should intervene to prevent a diplomatic slide that could reverse the peace process built with tremendous effort.
Addressing a public meeting at Beerwa in Budgam district here today he cautioned that the decade long peace effort could derail in absence of a political direction to the discourse that was dangerously poised once again to fall into narrow security narrative. Senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig, senior leader, Gh Nabi Lone Hanjura, District President Saifudin Bhat , MLA Dr Mohd Shafi Wani, Youth general secretary Nazir Ahmed Yatoo, Tanveer Ahmed , Gulzar Ahmed Baig, Habibullah Sheikh, Huss amudin Masoodi, Mater Gh Mohd and Ab Gani were also present and spoke on this occasion. Mufti said relations between India and Pakistan had shown a steady improvement ever since the visit of Atal Behari Vajpayee to Kashmir from where he had responded to the yearning for peace he observed among the people here and set a new agenda of friendship.
The UPA too strengthened this effort through path breaking initiatives like the opening of cross LOC routes for trade and travel during its first stint. But unfortunately the process seems once again to be following the familiar pre 2003 downward direction with incidents holding the process hostage, he said. "Unless this trend is arrested by a bold political intervention South Asia could once again be heading for a crisis with Jammu and Kashmir having to face its most disastrous consequences", he added stressing "we have a direct stake in peace". He however expressed hope that the foreign secretary's conference in New Delhi would achieve more positive results than the recent home secretary's conference in implementing J&K specific CBMs decided by the foreign ministers last year to expand the trade and travel facilities across the LOC.
Stressing the urgent need for building up on the gains of peace process Mufti said the situation could be retrieved only by seizing the opportunity to revive the resolution effort that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had been pushing for through peaceful and democratic means. "An amicable and peaceful resolution of the J&K issue is unavoidable for peace in this part of the world" he said. The surface calm prevailing in the state is fragile and it is tentative at best that is sustained mainly with unacceptable methods of silencing dissent, Mufti added. Mufti said the situation in J&K demands that the national leadership rises above narrow considerations and carries forward the process that has been endorsed by a large peace constituency both in India and Pakistan has the peace loving people of the state on board. He said no one could deny complexities of Kashmir problem but the solution lies in recognizing them and moving forward on areas of possibilities that have by and large been identified. Unless that is done the state will continue to suffer and also pose a challenge to larger politico economic scenario in the region, Mufti said and pointed out that even a moment of grief in Kashmir is to be managed by imposing unending curfew and other harsh methods. He was referring to the imposition of curfew in Srinagar for five days and rounding up of youth in the wake of the unfortunate fire incident that destroyed the shrine of Dastgeer Sahib (RA) last week. He said the very atmosphere changes in Kashmir with any such incident which is the result of the larger political problem that is only compounded by inefficient governance.Referring to the issues of governance the PDP patron said life of ordinary people had been rendered miserable by the government's inability to carry forward the initiatives taken by the previous coalition. He said on the one hand corruption in high places is becoming a norm and on the other prices are skyrocketing with government acting as a mute spectator. The accountability and vigilance institutions have been made dysfunctional to facilitate the loot of resources. To make things worse power crisis has gripped entire state and in spite of a manifold increase in tariff during the last three years supply position has hit the worst levels since the last NC dispensation had made it a rare commodity he said.Mufti said the PDP was a hard and healthy reality of Jammu and Kashmir and nobody could wish it away. He said the party would stand by the people and its principles in all circumstances to make democratic accountability a norm that has been missing in the state ever since independence. "The people of Jammu and Kashmir have now the alternatives to choose from and they cease to be hostages to any single individual or a party and that is the way to restore our self respect, dignity and political empowerment" he said. The PDP is striving for democratic institutions of governance to take firm roots so that the people get a responsible and responsive government no matter which party comes to power, he said. Explaining various aspects of the political vision of PDP senior leader and former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussein Baig told the meeting it aimed at modernization of the state along with dignified resolution of its political problems. He said given the rich resources of the state he said there was no reason why it should not develop into a model for other states. "With just sixteen MLAs and three years in office the Mufti Sayeed government had made an impact no government since 1947 had been able to do. That period stands out both on resolution and development fronts" he added. Baig said it was a pleasant development that the people particularly youth of the state had started getting impressed with the PDP agenda and aligning with it. "Self rule is a document of hope and it is natural that the youth who have been the worst victims of conflict strike an easy bond with our agenda" he said. He said it was unfortunate that the National Conference after having created a wedge between the state and rest of the country had itself struck bonds of friendship with whosoever ruled Delhi but used brutal methods to crush opposition to it at home. Youth were the worst victims of this duplicity and many generations of Kashmiris had suffered as a result, with NC itself enjoying power and luxuries he said. He said that development works under the state and central sectors are victims of government lethargy, corruption and favoritism. Whatever works are taken up are driven by contractors close to government and some ministers. There is no development strategy for the government as was pointed out even by the Planning Commission of India. Annual Plan is still to be finalized. Plan funds are utilized by the CM almost as his secret fund to please his favorites. Malpractices in schemes like NAREGA have reached a level where the disbursements were stopped sometime back by GOI. ERA schemes have become a source of trouble rather than relief.
Half of Jammu and Srinagar roads are dug up for three years for these schemes which seem to be never ending |
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