Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seize the opportunity created by the month-long unrest and initiate a dialogue process to “win the heart
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seize the opportunity created by the month-long unrest and initiate a dialogue process to “win the hearts” of the people of the state in the manner former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee did.
Coming out of a lengthy meeting with Union home minister Rajnath Singh, Ms Mufti said that J&K could act as a bridge between India and Pakistan rather than a cause for dispute. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar, MoS in the PMO Jitendra Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi also attended the two-hour long meeting.
“Our Prime Minister has a huge mandate and he should seize the opportunity created by the unrest to win the hearts of the people and solve their problems, the way former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee did. I am hopeful that the Prime Minister will take this as an opportunity to initiate dialogue with people to address their problems. There is a need to take the same initiative of winning hearts of people, which was taken during Vajpayeeji’s tenure,” the CM said.
The Centre, concerned over continuing violence in the Kashmir Valley for almost a month now, held a series of meetings on Monday to assess the security situation in the State. Mr Modi discussed the issue at length in the morning with the home minister and NSA chief. This was followed by the high-level meeting later in the day between the home minister and Jammu & Kashmir chief minister.
Sources said concrete information available with the Centre confirms that the recent spate of unrest in the Valley is being fuelled by Pakistan, something that was discussed at both the meetings. The NSA, sources added, shared this information at both the meetings revealing how Pakistan was funding and even providing manpower in terms of support from overground workers to ensure that the agitation which started after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter does not subside.
The general opinion at the meetings was that though there was marginal improvement in the security situation, there was need for the forces to maintain sustained pressure to normalise the situation completely. Security forces have been directed to increase their presence but let the police handle local protests.
Ms Mufti, however, was of the view that there should be a strong “humane gesture” from the Centre as that would convince people in the Valley that the government is sympathetic towards them.
Talking to the media after the meeting, Ms Mufti said: “These are our own people. If process of dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir can improve the situation in the Valley, we should do it. There is a need to apply balm to the wounds of Kashmiri people.”
Referring to the 55 people killed in the violence so far as “our own boys”, Ms Mufti said people would keep dying if no initiative was taken to bring normalcy. “People want peace and there is an opportunity for dialogue and we must avail it,” she said.
The meeting took place after the month-long curfew in Kashmir resonated in Parliament with the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad raising the matter during Zero Hour and demanding a statement from the PM about the steps being taken by the government for restoring normalcy.
“In such circumstances, we want to awaken the government... We feel the government and the Prime Minister are watching the situation deteriorate like a silent spectator,” he said, adding that he wanted to know why Mr Modi has not spoken on the grave situation in Kashmir so far.
