Lone lays stress on economic empowerment of people

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 8

Stressing the need for economic empowerment of people in Jammu and Kashmir, Minister for Science & Technology and Animal Husbandry Sajjad Gani Lone has said engaging all stakeholders was important for a way forward in the state.

“I believe that engagement with all sides…engaging all stakeholders in a conducive and decisive dialogue is important,” Lone said while speaking during a workshop on “Kashmir: The Way Forward” organised by OP Jindal Global University here today.

“We have seen different processes, engagements and dialogues over the years,” he said while referring to the political issues that the state faced. Formerly a separatist leader, Lone, who also authored “Vision Document” on Kashmir resolution, represents his home constituency of Handwara in north Kashmir.

He observed that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were “economically disempowered” where they could not enjoy free power as economic freedom at different levels was lacking. “We need economically empowered people who can make decisions rationally with all dimensions,” Lone said.

On the role of separatists, Lone said they needed to understand that they should be able to speak for their people. “Given the multi-dimensional nature of Kashmir (issue) let all dimensions move on,” Lone, leader of the Peoples Conference, an ally of the BJP in coalition government, said.

“Ideology has impacted development,” he said and held that “development can change ideology”. There was a massive development during the past about 15 years, but “we (Kashmir) were let down”, he lamented. “We need to catch up and get (economically) empowered and if that happens we will be able to take decisions for the development of our land,” Lone said.