* Mehbooba for peace talks with stakeholders, Pak
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, July 21: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today called for talks with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir to address the problems faced by the State and reviving dialogue with Pakistan to ensure peace and stability in the region.
The Chief Minister while speaking at the All Party Meeting convened here today to discuss the prevailing situation in the State called for taking all the stakeholders on board as part of a politically-inclusive agenda to address the problems confronting Jammu and Kashmir. She also called for reviving the dialogue process with Pakistan to ensure peace and stability in the region.
Mehbooba said that country’s political leadership shall have to take on board all the stakeholders to address the challenges confronting the State internally and externally.
She said the State Government would act as a facilitator for resolving the problems and challenges confronting the State if tangible steps are taken to reach out to all the stakeholders. “A new course for the State can be chalked out only by reaching out to all the stakeholders including the youth who have to pay a huge price because of the uncertainties plaguing the State for the past more than six decades”, she said.
Mehbooba described the use of pellet guns as cruel method of crowd control and said it will have to be done away with, sooner the better. “Alternatives shall also have to be found to existing crowd control methods to ensure that the youth don’t get killed or maimed in such situations. I am especially pained by the grievous eye injuries caused to some youth because of the pellet guns,” she said.
The Chief Minister said the people of the State can’t live with the pain and suffering forever and tangible measures shall have to be taken to address their concerns and aspirations. “The suffering voices of people shall have to be heard and substantive confidence building measures taken to address the alienation and reduce trust deficit,” she said.
Mehbooba said that a beginning in this regard can be made by implementing the recommendations of the five Working Groups constituted by the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh in 2006 and reiterated in the PDP-BJP ‘Agenda of Alliance’.
She said the recommendations of the Working Groups comprehensively deal with almost all the aspects of the problems confronting the State including Centre-State relations, strengthening relations across LoC, Confidence Building Measures across segments of society in J&K, Economic Development of Jammu and Kashmir and ensuring Good Governance.
Mehbooba said her Government strongly believes that nothing is valid and should be happening for the State except with the active involvement of its people. “However, the people from all shades of the political opinion shall have to evolve a consensus on a pragmatic and workable solution of the problems confronting the State in the interest of peace and stability,” she said and added that the time has come to strike a new benchmark in light of the global and regional realities for the resolution of the State’s problems.
Chief Minister hailed the commitment of the doctors, the paramedical staff and the nurses in reaching out to the needy amid prevailing crisis situation. “I salute the dedication of our doctors, paramedical staff and the nurses for working with great commitment amid trying circumstances and saving as many lives,” she said. Mehbooba said the Government would provide every possible help to the injured so that they can to live their life as productive citizens.
Expressing anguish over the loss of lives and injuries, Mehbooba said while the uncertainties and recurrent turmoil has adversely affected almost all the spheres of society in the State, the youth become its specific target as the violence has consumed nearly an entire young generation.
She said the society can’t afford to lose more youth now, and measures have to be taken to safeguard their lives and future. “The need, therefore, is not only to safeguard the precious lives of the youth but to create increasing opportunities for them to develop their personality and their functional capability and make them economically productive and socially useful,” she said, adding opportunities have to be created on a large scale, to cover a wide spectrum of areas of the human endeavor.
Mehbooba said the Government is working on a policy to have productive role for the State’s youth, which would be further concretized through various practical initiatives. “I strongly believe that the youth of the State have the right to seek meaningful employment, freedom of expression, participation in decision-making that affects their lives and protection from socio-economic and political exploitation,” she said. She added that this requires a determined effort of lending economical, social and political support to the young people, both men and women equally.
Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the leaders of all the political parties for their presence in the meeting to deliberate over the prevailing situation. She, however, expressed dismay over the non-participation of the National Conference in the meeting. “I had spoken to NC working president, Omar Abdullah myself last evening and requested him to attend the meeting,” she said and added that the presence of the leaders of the largest opposition in the State would have added value and substance to the meeting.
Mehbooba briefed the meeting in detail about the situation and the measures being taken on political and governance fronts to restore calm. She sought the cooperation of all the stakeholders in restoring peace in the State to prevent further loss of lives.
The All Party Meeting later adopted a resolution on the prevailing situation in Kashmir. It resolved that “this meeting expresses deep grief and concern over the loss of lives and injuries caused during the law and order situation prevailing in Kashmir since July 8, 2016.”
“The meeting takes note of the empathy and sense of solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir reflected during the debate on the prevailing situation in the State in both Houses of the Parliament. The meeting calls for converting this political consensus into a national initiative for addressing the problems confronting Jammu and Kashmir and its people”, resolution said.
It was further resolved that “this meeting calls for inclusive engagement of all the stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir for carrying forward the peace and reconciliation process in the State”.
JKPCC president Ghulam Ahmad Mir told the All Party’s Meet that it was need of the hour for helping the Government to restore normalcy in the State. “But the meeting is a short term measure to restore peace in the ongoing unrest. Ultimately, local leadership from all shades has to sit for evolving a long lasting political solution to the issue,” he told reporters at SKICC.
Mir said that a special Assembly session should be convened to discuss present unrest and evolve a consensus about resolving the present political crisis. “We won’t seek resignation of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. That will be our shortsightedness,” he said.
“Mehbooba Mufti as opposition leader was more active and different. But as Chief Minister she is entirely different and more invisible. Why is she invisible, we are surprised”, said Congress chief.
Mir expressed serious concern over the loss of precious lives and injuries to thousands, besides damages caused to property. “The Party extended support to Govt for restoration of peace and urged that killings must stop first, besides use of excessive force on protestors must also stop”, he said.
The PCC chief stated there were many factors responsible for the outburst that led to unrest. “The anger among the masses against the wrong and anti-people polices of the Central and State Governments, besides its failure to reach out to the people and the failure to fulfill the promises made with the people in agenda of alliance”, he said.
Expressing dismay over the current unrest, Mir told the meeting that Congress Party is making serious efforts to restore peace and confidence of the people. He assure that Congress party will continue to remain steadfast in restoration of peace
He said Congress party will support any move of the government that will restore sense of security among the people and ensure their safety with full honour and dignity.
The party leaders made several suggestions during the meeting including holding of sustained dialogue with all stake holders in the State. It suggested adequate compensation to families who lost their dear ones. “Those people who have been left seriously wounded should also be provide compensation. Government should also order time bound probe into the killings and ensure that personnel found guilty be brought to book, as per law”, suggested the Congress.
The party called for a special session of the Assembly to discuss the situation.
The Congress party urged that killings must be stopped, besides putting hold on the use of pellet guns and excessive use of force on protestors. It suggested that the SOP must be followed strictly as per the latest Supreme Court guidelines.
Congress party urged that grass root level institutions should not be undermined or used for personal benefit. Involvement of people in the democratic process must be ensured. It also urged that 7th Pay Commission should be implemented, besides engagement of unemployment youth in the developmental and political process.
CPI (M) State secretary and legislator, M Y Tarigami said that the present situation is not a law and order problem as the Government is trying to make us believe.
“It is a political unrest and needs a political resolution. We should not see it as an isolated incident and ignore it,” he told reporters at SKICC.
“Government of India must realise the nature of the unrest. Prime Minister of India must speak in the Parliament on the present unrest and send a message to the people of the Kashmir that Government of India is feeling the pain of the people here”, said Tarigami.
“My appeal to Centre is to treat people of Kashmir as human beings and don’t find excuses by blaming this country or that group for the present unrest here. Don’t terrorise the people of the Kashmir,” said CPIM leader.
Tarigami warned of big trouble ahead if the lessons are not learnt from the current unrest and corrective measures are taken.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Minister for Forests, Choudhary Lal Singh, Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar, Minister for CA&PD, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, Minister for Social Welfare, Sajad Gani Lone, Minister for Youth Services and Sports, Imran Raza Ansari, Minister for Industries, Chandar Prakash Ganga, Minister for Animal and Sheep Husbandry, Abdul Ghani Kohli, Advisor to Chief Minister, Prof Amitabh Mattoo, leaders of various political parties, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Navin Kumar Choudhary and Commissioner/ Secretary Law, Mohammad Ashraf Mir were also present at the meeting.
Leaders of various political parties including Pradesh Congress Committee president, G A Mir, CPI(M) State Secretary, M Y Tarigami, Panthers Party president, Harshdev Singh, People’s Democratic Front leader, Hakim Mohammad Yasin, Democratic Nationalist Party leader, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Lok Jan Shakti Party leader, Sanjay Saraf, Awami Ittehad Party leader, Er Rashid, CPI leader, A R Tukroo, BJP State president Sat Sharma and others also spoke in the meeting.
Earlier, the meeting observed two minutes silence to pay homage to those who lost their lives in the law and order situation prevailing in the State since July 8.
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