Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, June 3: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said that the dialogue is only solution to resolve Kashmir and appealed separatists to join the process for ending bloodshed. She urged Director Generals of Military Operations of India and Pakistan to stop bloodshed along the borders.
Mehbooba while speaking to workers’ convention here appealed separatists to join dialogue process. “If today the offer of dialogue has come from the Central Government, I appeal all the parties to save Kashmir and come forward. We will not force you and cannot dictate you but we can only appeal you”, she said.
She said that Government has announced unilateral ceasefire and offered dialogue and it is up to separatists to take a call. “Yesterday, when youth were pelting stones, a boy was killed who was an orphan. Why were they pelting stones and why don’t we give these children a way out from this tragedy. We made a platform for you that is unilateral ceasefire and dialogue offer, now it is up to you how you will deal with it”, she said.
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“I appeal the separatist that this is the chance. You always said that ‘Military solution is not the solution but dialogue is the only way forward’, so today is the dialogue offer for you and Centre is ready for talks”, she said.
Mehbooba said that Centre has again given a chance for dialogue as they did during Vajpayee’s time. “I think if we really want to solve the Kashmir issue, all the parties’ whether mainstream or separatists should come forward. Today Centre has given a chance like there was chance given at the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee but this chance will not come every day”, she said.
The Chief Minister said that people of Kashmir have to decide whether to remain in the status quo where people are getting killed or move forward. “Today not only the political workers but a Kashmiri have to decide that whether we have to remain in the same position, losing lives in the name of militancy and traitors. Schools closed, business establishments and everything closed. Our students are very bright and due to their sharp mind they can shine in whole country but we are not given chance due to the bad situation”, she said.
Mehbooba said that it is the right time to end bloodshed as Centre is ready for dialogue. “Today we have to make use of the chance, the Central Government is providing us in the name of ceasefire due to which the bloodshed was ended and willingness of dialogue process at Home Minister level”, she said.
She said that separatists, if they want end to bloodshed, have also a chance for resolving Kashmir through dialogue. “The other parties who are not in the mainstream, if they have any agenda, today they also have a chance, if they want that the bloodshed in the Kashmir should end. We always said that the solution of Kashmir is political not through military. The issue will be solved through dialogue”, she said.
“The mainstream parties here know what they have to do. National Conference has its own agenda and our agenda is that dialogue process should happen between India and Pakistan. As Mehboob Beg said that the arch rivals North Korea and South Korea are now becoming one after 70 years but here at Jammu border, shelling is still going on and lives are being lost from both sides”, she said.
The Chief Minister stressed for Indo-Pak friendship that can improve situation in the State. “Unless both the countries come closer to each other, the situation will never improve. The only State on which the impact of tension between the two countries takes place is Jammu and Kashmir”, she said.
“So the dialogue process should be started between both the countries. Open routes and our assets, most importantly the power projects, give us a very big part in it”, she said.
Mehbooba said whole country looks at the leadership in the State to rise to the occasion and take benefit of the opportunity offered by this historic decision of the Centre.
She said that it is the most opportune time to save the youth of Kashmir who have guns or stones in their hands. “The people of the State, particularly youth, have been in turmoil. They have stone in their hands, gun in their hands and are stuck in this tension this time. If we have to save Kashmir, we have a chance this time. I repeatedly tell you that the amount of guns picked by the youth, in return the same amount of guns will come to fight you back”, she said.
The Chief Minister said that if the situation improves in Kashmir security forces have no role, they will be asked to vacate land for schools, colleges, cricket grounds. “If we improve the situation, we will able to tell the forces that their role has come down and they should vacate the land occupied by them. We will make cricket grounds, parks or colleges at that place. Like we gave 22 colleges this year and upgraded 400 schools. We are not sitting idle as in these circumstances, we completed various developmental projects. If the situation would have been good, a lot of work would have been done”, she said.
Mehbooba expressing concern said at the time of unilateral ceasefire grenades are being thrown. “At the time of unilateral ceasefire, still 8 grenades are being thrown every day. They did not think whether the civilians or a poor man from different States of the country working in Army and CRPF who have come to earn livelihood will get killed. What will happen by throwing these grenades?”, she asked.
She said that picking of arms has and will not achieve anything. “We have thrown thousands of grenades here and thousands picked up arms and became militants, what have we achieved from that. If the situation will become good, I assure you the opening of more such historic routes in the State”, she said.
Mehbooba termed the fresh ceasefire violations along the International Border in Jammu region as unfortunate and urged the DGMOs of India and Pakistan to hold dialogue again and stop the bloodshed.
“The ceasefire violation on the border, in which two BSF jawans have been martyred and several civilians injured, is very unfortunate and it happened despite DGMO-level talks. It should not have happened,” she said.
The Chief Minister said people on both sides of the border are getting killed by the firing and called upon DGMOs of both the countries to talk and end the bloodshed.
“People on both sides are dying. The DGMOs should meet again and talk and the shelling and bloodshed on the borders should be stopped,” she said.
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