Denouncing violence, CM calls for lasting solution to state’s woes

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 28

Denouncing the “senseless violence” perpetuated on the streets in Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today called for finding a lasting solution to the problems confronting Jammu and Kashmir to make peace a reality in the state and region.

“Let us rise as one to meet the challenges confronting Jammu and Kashmir and make this a turning point in the state’s turbulent history so that our future generations have not to suffer the miseries of violence and bloodshed,” Mehbooba, who is also the president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said while addressing a gathering at a function, organised to commemorate the 17th Foundation Day of the PDP, at the party headquarters here.

The Chief Minister also called upon the country’s political leadership, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to make a renewed effort towards the resolution of J&K’s problems by engaging all the stakeholders.

“I am sure the country’s political leadership will pick up the threads and carry forward the reconciliation and resolution process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003,” she said emphasising the need for taking concrete steps to win hearts and minds of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

A party spokesman said Mehbooba while expressing grief over the loss of precious lives in the prevailing law and order situation said the violence was doing incalculable damage to the image of the state as also to its vital economic and social interests, including tourism and education.

She hailed the humanitarianism of the people, including doctors, paramedical staff, employees and community relief organisations, in reaching out to the needy amid trying circumstances.

Calling for introspection, Mehbooba said the people had to ponder over why such horrible situations always cropped up in Kashmir when the economic activity started picking up as had happened this summer with encouraging tourist arrivals.

“There seems to be a larger design behind such orchestrated eruptions to push Kashmiris into perpetual economic deprivation and social disorder,” she said, adding that Kashmiris were made to pay a huge price by way of their life and livelihood in each such cycle of violence. She said it had been observed time and again that such hideous situations had only hurt the interests of Kashmiris the most.

“We have to think over it that how long it is going to be like that for the hapless people here,” she said.

She said the government would reach out to the people affected by the present law and order situation and try to mitigate their sufferings.

Mehbooba said despite ideological and political divergences, the PDP joined hands with the BJP to provide a broad-based political platform to the people in all the regions and sub-regions of the state.

“With the objective of ensuring larger political reconciliation in the state, the intricate issues, which have all along been used for political exploitation and electoral politics, have been taken care of in our Agenda of Alliance with the BJP,” she said, adding that the PDP’s agenda was not event-related and it was a process which was being undertaken and would be taken to the logical conclusion through tangible initiatives at political, economic and administrative fronts.

Senior party leaders and ministers also addressed the function.

Earlier, the meeting, while expressing grief and anguish over the loss of precious lives and injuries in the prevailing law and order situation, called upon all to exercise restraint and give peace a chance, the party spokesman said.