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Pak fidayeens trying to derail process of peace initiative
Complete understanding with Centre on J&K's security concerns : Mufti
*CMP not a sheet of paper but an act of faith

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Nov 27: Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed said today that the fidayeens (suicide squads) sent from across the border were trying to derail the peace process, initiated by his Government and communalise the situation in Jammu and Kashmir but declared that the coalition Government was determined to steer the State out of the present mess and, for the purpose, it has a complete understanding with the Centre.

In his first speech in the Legislative Assembly as head of the PDP-led coalition Government, Mufti Sayeed described the Common Minimum Programme (CMP), adopted by the coalition partners, as an ‘act of faith’ and took exception to veteran National Conference leader Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah describing it as ‘Kaagzi Gode’. "Euphoria of our Government was not going to last just few days. Judge us by our performance. We will show you the results", he declared.

In 77 minutes guarded reply on the Governor’s address, the Chief Minister used the words very cautiously but touched almost all important issues ranging from POTA, healing touch and disbanding of the Special Operations Group (SOG) to the return of Kashmiri and all other migrants to their houses, unconditional talks with all concerned parties on Kashmir and Autonomy Committee report.

Mufti, whose reply was not interrupted by even a single Opposition member, declared that his Government has a ‘complete understanding’ with the Centre as far as ‘security concerns’ of the State are concerned. "Whether it was Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister, they have realised the ground realities behind Kashmir problem. The Congress (I), a partner in the State Government, too understands the problem very well", he asserted. He, however, didn’t elaborate as to what kind of understanding the two Governments had or whether there was also an understanding between the two on the release of detenues.

He referred to Sunday evening’s attack at Ragunath temple and attributed the incident to the foreign mercenaries. Without naming Pakistan, he said the fidayeens being sent from across the borders were trying to derail the process of peace and healing touch, initiated by the new Government. "They also tried to create communal tension in the State but couldn’t succeed due to commendable role of Jammu people", he said.

At the same time, he said, the fidayeens couldn’t survive without the ‘internal strife’. If, he added, the internal discontent was over, no force can ignite the fire from outside. The Chief Minister also took police and security agencies to task saying ‘they should have maintained more vigil as Ragunath temple had been attacked earlier also’. But, he maintained that even a country like Israel, which has all the resources and facilities at its command, was too finding itself helpless against the suicide attacks by Hamas.

"Attacks notwithstanding, we are determined to move ahead. Let there should be no doubts about that. We will carry forward the peace process initiated by our Government. We will deliver the goods and bring people of the State out of the present ‘daldal’ (mess) in which they had been trapped for several years now", Mufti declared amidst the thumping of desks by the coalition partners.

Stressing the need for ‘unconditional talks’ on Kashmir issue, he said if the Prime Minister had to start negotiations on the issue, the first place should be the Legislative Assembly. "We need no facilitator on the talks. This Assembly has the representative character and the talks should begin from here. All of us, sitting here, are supposed to be the Indians", he asserted and asked: "what would be the purpose of the talks if we impose pre-conditions on them"?

Reiterating his oft-repeated stand that a solution to Kashmir problem lies in ‘boli’ (talks) and not ‘goli’ (bullets), the Chief Minister said :"we never talked to appease anybody but we must understand that ‘root cause’ of the problem needs to be addressed. The reasons that forced our youths to take to guns required to be ascertained. We will have to remove gun culture from the State and only then we can fulfill regional aspirations of the people".

Mufti said :" a historical and a golden opportunity was knocking at our doors. We need to take the bull by its horns. We will make our best efforts and the NDA Government should also respond to the situation". He said his Government had also mentioned the issue of talks in the address and hoped that the Centre will initiate ‘serious and result oriented talks’ with legitimate representatives of the Assembly and the people of other shades of opinion.

He said the Government wants to create a ‘conducive atmosphere’ for talks and asked the ‘local boys’, who have taken to the guns to abandon this path. Striking an emotional chord, he said a Kashmiri woman still awaits when her militant son will have lunch with her without any fear and without a weapon in his hands.

Without naming any Central leader but referring to a recent statement of a senior Government functionary that no talks (on Kashmir) could be held outside the Indian soil, Mufti asserted that the statement amounted to double standards as talks on Nagaland issue were held in Tokyo and Paris.

Taking note of NC Legislature Party leader Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah’s statement (made during debate on the Governor’s address) that the CMP was nothing but ‘Kaagzi Gode’, the Chief Minister said (amidst applause from the coalition partners) :"it was not a ‘kaagaz’ (a sheet of paper) for us but an act of faith". He added that the Government well understands the challenges before it and admitted that it had no ‘Alladin Ka Chirag’ (a magic lamp) to solve all the problems within few days ‘but I assure you that the process which we have initiated will be taken to a conclusion’.

"If the Hurriyat Conference has some dreams, we too have some dreams for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. But, we must understand that J&K is a ‘miniature India’, which comprised different regions and religions where different languages are spoken", Mufti said. He recalled that when one region was asking for more powers, another region was raising the slogan of ‘Ek Vidhaan, Ek Pardhan, Ek Nishaan’. Another region says it was being discriminated. "It was not that no development took place in Jammu but a sense of participation and involvement was lacking".

Referring to much publicised ‘healing touch’, he said the people of Kashmir were trapped between two guns. "We realised it earlier and now the Government of India has also realised that no militancy or insurgency can sustain without people. People are fountain head of power and unless we win the hearts and minds of people no situation could be practical", he added while trying to drive home the point that if the aspirations of local people are met with they will start co-operating with the Government.

"What was the fault of a child, whose father took to the militancy and died. Won’t it be a healing touch if that child was given free education"? he asked and said ‘I still didn’t know why the militants are killing a large number of people’.

On the Government stand not to implement POTA, Sayeed pointed out that POTA was slapped on JKLF chief Yasin Malik with great fanfare and asked :"what happened to him"? He was bailed out by the Court but again arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA). "If PSA was already there, what is the need of POTA"? he asked.

On release of the detenues, he said several leaders including Yasin Malik, Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani, Abdul Gani Lone and Sheikh Abdul Aziz were also released by the previous Government. He said the CMP very clearly stated that Government shall review the cases of those detenues, who had been lodged in the jails without any trial for a long period, detained on non-specific charges and not charged with serious crimes.

Assuring the House that the Government will convert the Special Operations Group (SOG) into a regular force, the Chief Minister said he came across a surrendered militant (an Ikhwani), who was attached with the SOG and was working as a SPO. "The SPO was paid only Rs 1500 per month of which he used to spend Rs 800 on the bus fare", he said and asked :"what this SPO will do except for resorting to extortions"?

Saying that anyone who tries to disrupt the peace has to be dealt with, he said he had issued clear cut directions to the security forces that there should be no excesses and custodial deaths of the innocent people. He stressed upon the security forces to adopt innovative techniques of questioning and said ‘it was not necessary that the youths were beaten during interrogation’. He admitted that there could be mistakes by the security forces while dealing with the internal situation as primarily their job was confined to the borders. "The forces had been fighting militancy with a great determination but there should be transparency while dealing with the local people", he said.

On the issue of autonomy raised by some National Conference members and Opposition MLA Mohd Yusuf Tarigami, the Chief Minister favoured setting up of a House Committee, represented by all political parties, to hold talks with the Centre. He pointed out that the Centre had already named former Law Minister Arun Jaitley as an interlocutor on the issue of autonomy.

Describing India as a ‘true federal structure’, Mufti Sayeed maintained that Kashmir has a distinguished position with a separate Constitution and a separate flag. Moreover, the laws made by Parliament were not readily applicable to Jammu and Kashmir though some erosion did take place on this front. However, he asked :"did Sheikh Abdullah ask for restoration of pre-1953 position when he had entered into an accord with Indira Gandhi (in 1975)? Did he plead that Article 356 shouldn’t be applicable to Jammu and Kashmir? Did he call for an end to the jurisdiction of Supreme Court and Election Commissioner of India in J&K? Did he ask for restoration of the process under which a Governor to the State was elected by the Legislative Assembly"?

He pointed out that the National Conference, which had two-third majority in the last Assembly, had passed a resolution demanding restoration of autonomy to the State. "What happened to your resolution? It was thrown by the Centre within an hour and now you (the NC members) are blaming us for not mentioning the issue of autonomy in the Governor’s address", he regretted.

Virtually responding to National Conference uproar in the Assembly on Monday against three incidents of violence, he reminded the Opposition benches that he had seen two Ministers (Minister of State for Law Mushtaq Lone and Minister of State for Power Ghulam Hassan Bhat) getting brutally killed by the terrorists.

Mufti Sayeed said his Government would make sincere efforts to take Kashmiri Pandits as well as all other migrants from Doda, Poonch and Rajouri back to their houses. "The Pandits represent unity in diversity in Kashmir. It was our goal that they are rehabilitated in their homes. We don’t claim that it will happen in a day but we will start the process gradually", he said.

On the border migrants, he said the State Government was committed to give land and hamlets to the people, living on the border line on the pattern of Punjab.

The Chief Minister said the Government has assured all powers to Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) and promised a similar Council to Kargil. He also promised supervisory powers to the Panchayats and holding of the elections to Municipal Corporations.

Mufti said a fresh recruitment policy was also being devised by the Government. He assured the people that the Government would maintain present improved supply of the electricity. The Government will also examine the demand for increase in SPOs salary, he added.

Mufti said the State Government will try to persuade the Union Government to help in the utilisation of State’s power potential in lieu of the discrimination done with the State under Indus Water Treaty.

Sayeed announced that the Congress president has agreed to give reservation of one to two per cent in professional colleges to J&K youth in Congress ruled states in the country for ten years to help our people.

He said that this facility would be available on the pattern of reservations for the Kashmiri migrants in Maharashtra.

On recruitment policy, he said the mechanism of filling up the vacancies would be completely institutionalized with no scope even for the Chief Minister, Ministers or legislators to interfere. ‘Sanctity has to be restored to the institution by making appointments transparent and as per norms’. He said the Centre would be approached for absorbing local talent in the commercial institutions like banks and giving due representation to youth from border and backward areas in army and para-military forces.

Re-consider policy on jailed militants : Farooq

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 27: Dr Farooq Abdullah does not favour the J&K Government’s policy of releasing jailed militants. He wants his successor, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, to reconsider the policy.

Former Chief Minister told mediapersons here on Wednesday that he had reports, clearly suggesting that the security forces "are feeling demoralised" by the steps taken by the PDP-led coalition Government in the State.

"What is the use of releasing militants, if the people are not feeling secure after their release", he asked in the course of his visit to the Raghunath temple premises.

Dr Farooq, who is patron of the National Conference and a sitting member of the Rajya Sabha, strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the temple, stressing that "no religion on the earth teaches violence".

Dr Farooq, who flew into the city from Delhi after his visit to Saudi Arabia, straight-a-way drove to the Raghunath temple from the airport. Dr Farooq had gone to Saudi Arabia to perform ‘Umrah’. At the airport, the Kashmir leader received a warm welcome from a large number of his partymen and supporters. Mr Bodh Raj Bali, provincial president of the National Conference (NC), received him.

Dr Farooq stated that by releasing the militants, the coalition Government "wants to make us believe that the situation is improving". "But it cannot be so", he pronounced, "as militants are hellbent to destroy us and they are not going to change their stance or policy".

On the talks with ultras as well, former Chief Minister maintained: "Militants keep crying that Jammu and Kashmir is not part of India". He threw up two questions: Then what is the use in talking to them? How can it strengthen India’s hold?

He emphasized that the new Government should not take any step which would affect the security of the nation. On the disbanding of Special Operation Group (SOG), Dr Farooq wondered how Government functionaries were going to move around without them.

The NC president, Mr Omar Abdullah, accompanied Dr Farooq from the airport to the Raghunath temple, where some members of the shrine management briefed former Chief Minister on the terrorist attack of November 24 and the casualties it resulted in.

Inside the temple premises, Dr Farooq went around and saw for himself the damage caused in the wake of the fidayeen strike. He expressed anger and anguish at the terror in temples and condoled the death of innocents. He conveyed his sympathy to the families of those killed. He also wished the injured persons a speedy recovery.

Dr Farooq lauded the constructive role played by the citizens of Jammu during and after the terrorist strike and said: "People of Jammu are great. Whenever there has been any unpleasant incident, they have displayed unity; they have ensured peace despite so many provocations so far".

He said: "Our neighbouring country is continuing with its machinations to create communal discord in Jammu by such attacks. But every time their designs are defeated by the people".

Among others present on the occasion were the chairman of the Legislative Council, Mr Abdul Rashid Dar, and NC legislators, including Mr Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah, Mr Sharif-ud-Din Shariq, Ms Depinder Kour, Mr GM Jan, Mr Mubarak Gul and Mr Mohammed Ikhlaq Khan, besides former MLA, Ms Bimla Luthra.