Rising tide of peace in J&K
Jammu, 28 March 2024 | Condemning Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti’s statement wherein she accused the J&K government of “harassing” families of separatists, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) J&K Executive Member Raman Suri argued that Mufti’s discontent stems from the increasing inclination of youth towards peace and prosperity, a shift away from separatist activities. He highlighted the PDP’s failure during its tenure to facilitate the socio-economic advancement of young people, leaving them vulnerable to violence and nepotism.
Raman Suri said that during PDP rule, backdoor appointments shattered youth, incompetent people were appointed on many Boards and Corporations, and youngsters drawn towards separatism were never asked to come onboard mainstream but now, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has opened ample opportunities for them and many Lakhpati Didi’s are scripting history on socio-economic front, Mehbooba Mufti is finding flaws in them.
Suri accused Mufti of perpetuating unrest in the Union Territory by resisting the mainstreaming of separatist families and their disavowal of divisive ideologies. He argued that Mufti’s condemnation of statements from the relatives of jailed separatist leaders, who have renounced separatism, reveals her aversion to the region’s shift towards peace and development. Suri emphasized the importance of Mufti’s responsibility, as a former Chief Minister, to support the region’s youth as they embrace a future of harmony and progress.
The biggest enemy of youth, PDP, used them only to promote itself, and when it came to helping youngsters become part of the decision-making institutions, she and her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed chose to appoint their relatives like brothers and daughters on key political and administrative posts, thereby marring the career of several educated and skilled youth of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mehbooba Mufti brought her brother to head a ministry in J&K, who failed and left the erstwhile state, and when it came to contest local body polls, she chose to boycott the same and jeopardized the political career of thousands of aspirants of her party. Having failed to bring youngsters to the mainstream, she is now issuing sermons to the J&K government and accusing it of harassing families of separatists, who are willingly joining the mainstream and are abandoning politics of hatred and division.
Mehbooba Mufti, Raman Suri said, wants unrest to prevail in the Union Territory (UT), which is why she is not able to digest the families of separatist leaders joining the mainstream or distancing themselves from separatism or its ideology. Had she been the supporter of youngsters, she would not have chosen to condemn the statements of jailed separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah’s daughter Sama Shabir, and Hurriyat patriarch Syed Ali Geelani’s granddaughter Ruwa Shah, where they distanced themselves from the separatist ideology.
Mehbooba Mufti, being a former Chief Minister, must issue responsible statements, knowing that these young girls have not distanced themselves from their families but said goodbye to the ideology of separatism, thereby sending a strong message to the youngsters that Kashmir is looking towards the new horizons of peace, prosperity, and development, in which youth is taking an active part and writing their destiny.
Mehbooba Mufti herself, while taking the oath of office, had pledged her loyalty to the Constitution and unfurled the Indian flag on many occasions, and now, when young boys and girls are distancing themselves from the separatist ideology and pledging their loyalty to the “sovereignty of India”, what exactly is irking Mehbooba, she must explain, said Raman Suri.
