* Agenda of Alliance has safeguards for Art 370
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 28: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said she would not hesitate to step down if commitments made in the Agenda of Alliance with BJP do not materialise and the chair becomes an “impediment” in fulfilling her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s “vision” for Jammu and Kashmir.
In her first address as Chief Minister in the Assembly, she noted that safeguarding Article 370 that gives special status to the State was included in the Agenda, which was “no small feat”. She also defended the demand for self-rule for restoration of peace in the State, saying it was “not a sin” and fingers should not be pointed at BJP on inclusion of several of its provisions in their common programme.
“The chair will not be my weakness. I will continue in the chair till I feel it is my strength. If I feel it has become my weakness I will not continue.
“The commitments I have made which are part of Agenda of Alliance, if those Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) materialise well and good. If not what is a big deal… I have assumed this chair to fulfill the vision of my father,” Mehbooba said while replying to the motion of thanks to Governor’s address in the Assembly.
She said that her party joined hands with Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) for the larger interests of the State and prevented a disaster worse than that happened in the State due to rejection of people’s mandate in 1987.
“I am not retracting my statements against the BJP during election campaign because the revocation of Article 370 was in their poll manifesto. But the mandate given by Jammu to BJP put us in a tricky situation. Either we had to disrespect the mandate and repeat the situation of 1987 for our own interests, or we could join hands with them for strengthening our relations. We chose the latter,” she said.
Mehbooba said if the PDP had joined hands with other political parties like National Conference and Congress, and kept the BJP out of the Government, the situation in the State could have turned ugly. “Our State, God forbid, would have been torn apart. We could not have stayed together, had we disrespected the Jammu’s mandate. Syed Ali Geelani and Abdul Gani Lone were part of this house but they chose a different path because of disrespect to the mandate of people,” she said.
Chief Minister said that NC’s rejection of people’s mandate in 1987 led to bloodshed in Kashmir. “You are seeing small processions in Jammu and you say the situation has worsened there. If we would have rejected their mandate it would have led to disaster. What was the fault of those who voted for Muslim United Front in 1987? You went to Delhi and said this will happen here and that will happen here as they have a different ideology. I you would have given space to that ideology in the mainstream, there would have been no graveyards everywhere in Kashmir and cremation ground in Jammu. They would have been sitting here and there. Was not Geelani Sahib here? Was not Lone Sahib here? Do you wanted us to do the same thing what you did in 1987”, she said.
Mehbooba said that opposition must bear with the Government and give her some time. “We have to carve out a middle path. When Kashmir was burning and Dr Farooq Abdullah was promised ‘Sky is the Limit’ in 1996, he shook hands with the Centre for improving the political and economic landscape of J&K. We have similar concerns and the opposition must share our concerns,” she said.
In a point-by-point rebuttal of the opposition criticism, Mehbooba said her father’s vision was to find ways for taking out Jammu and Kashmir out of the difficult situation it finds itself in. She said the biggest failure of the leadership in the State as well as at the national level has been the inability to bring the valley and Jammu regions closer.
“Article 370 of Indian Constitution guarantees special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The people of Jammu as well as Kashmir have the same right under this provision. However, a perception has been created as if this provision is anti Jammu,” Chief Minister said.
Mehbooba said inclusion of safeguarding the Article 370 in the Agenda of Alliance between her PDP and BJP was no small feat. “Although no one can repeal Article 370, do you want them (BJP) to repeal it,” she asked the opposition.
Chief Minister said the people of Jammu and Kashmir are the worst sufferers of any hostility between the two countries. “Good relations for Pakistan are necessary for Jammu and Kashmir. Border people get affected when there is firing on the border. The people living near the border in Jammu are the first sufferers and then it spreads to other border areas of the State,” she said.
Mehbooba said good relations with Pakistan are not for the benefit of people of Kashmir only but the entire State. “We saw in the Kargil war, the people of Kargil suffered the most,” she added.
Praising former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee for his peace initiatives with Pakistan, Mehbooba said it was not for nothing that the former PM was showered accolades.
“We had ceasefire along the borders and there was peace and infiltration figures also dropped. Even Pakistan at that time said it will not allow its soil to be used against India. Unfortunately, Vajpayee ji did not return in 2004,” Chief Minister said.
Mehbooba said it needs courage like Vajpayee or Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Pakistan as the latter “strolled” into the neighbouring country. “Manmohan Singh during his time as Prime Minister wanted to visit Pakistan. However, he could not visit due to the demonization,” she said.
The Chief Minister said there was scope for cooperation for Pakistan which will benefit both the countries. “They need electricity which we can provide. We need gas which we can get from there,” she said.
On her party’s self rule formula for resolution of Kashmir issue, Mehbooba said it is in the benefit of both India and Pakistan. She said most of the features in self-rule were part of the recommendations made by the Prime Ministers Working Group set up in 2005 and also figured in the Agenda of Alliance between PDP and BJP.
“We have all signed it (working group recommendations). The joint mechanism was also discussed in these recommendations which envisaged 10 representatives from both the countries meeting twice every year. Self rule is not a sin that you will point fingers at BJP time and again on it. It is in the benefit of Jammu and Kashmir, India, Pakistan and the subcontinent if the state prospers and there is peace. It can become an example for conflict resolution around the world,” Mehbooba said.
Chief Minister said her Government is committed to bring back Kashmiri Pandits and other migrants to the Valley and would set up transit accommodations for them till they feel safe to go back to their native places.
Mehbooba said constructing transit accommodation for the returning migrants is part of the recommendations made by the Prime Minister’s Working Group formed in 2005. “Please put your hands on your hearts and tell me if we can ask the migrants to return to their native places when our political workers – be it from PDP, Congress, National Conference or any other party – are living under security in hotels of Srinagar,” she said.
“Why don’t we tell them to return to their places? Because , they don’t feel secure. Nobody raises question why we have made a colony for them,” Mehbooba added.
Chief Minister said her Government had committed to set up a composite transit accommodation with basic facilities. “This is a facility for migrants. Don’t we have Muslim migrants? Don’t we have migrants in Jammu? Are not there Sikhs and other people among them? If we are saying 50 per cent will be Kashmiri Pandits and rest others, you are saying it is Israel like situation,” she said. The migrants can move to their native places when they feel secure enough. “They can go to Ganderbal, Pulwama or Baramulla after that,” she said.
Mehbooba said it should not be expected that those people who have left the Valley 25 years ago will go back to their places straight away. “Some of them have forgotten the way to their homes. Some don’t even remember their homes. What kind of humanity is this? We all agree that migrants are part of our Kashmiriyat and they should return with dignity,” she said.
“The Kashmiri Pandits will come back and live with us here. If God gives me life long enough, I will bring them back. But we will live together …it will be done with your help,” Mehbooba said. She said the State needs the Kashmiri Pandit migrants to fill the void in various sectors.
“I would request them to come back. They have such IQ, we have an AIIMS coming up. I would appeal all Kashmiris, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs who are working in different hospitals outside the State to come back,” she said.
On the issue of establishing Sainik colony in Kashmir, Mehbooba said the State Government has issued no directions for setting up any such colony so far. “No land has been identified yet for establishing Sainik colony. No directions have been issued for establishing it. The Sainik Board which is registered under an Act (of state assembly) has by-laws which say that land can only be alloted to State subjects. How can you (opposition) even talk about bringing in non-state subjects,” she said.
Mehbooba said so far the position of the government is that it does not have any land available in Srinagar, Pulwama and Budgam districts for setting up such a colony. “I want to put it at rest because it is being used for exploitation that non-state subjects will be settled in these colonies,” she said.
Chief Minister said she would fulfill the commitments made to the people of which results were already coming in as the Centre has sanctioned two AIIMS hospitals and two smart cities for the State.
Mehbooba passed the relevant order on the smart cities to opposition leader Omar Abdullah who interrupted her, seeking a correction in her statement.
“Please do not mislead the House. You said two smart cities have been sanctioned but the order says that two cities from Jammu and Kashmir will go through the competition process,” Omar said.
On the return of power projects, Mehbooba hit back at the opposition National Conference for handing over the projects to NHPC when they were in power. “You did not think of the repercussions when you handed over the projects to (then Union Power Minister) Kumarmangalam. Now we are trying to bring back some of the projects and God willing we will do it,” she said.
On the opposition charge that extension of NEET to Jammu and Kashmir was a compromise on special status of the state, Mehbooba said the Medical Council of India Act was extended to the state in 1960’s which brought the functioning of Medical colleges under its purview. “However, only students who are state subjects will be admitted in our medical colleges but they will have to sit in the national examination. This puts additional responsibility on Education Minister Naeem Akhtar to help students prepare for these exams as he did through the novel initiative of CM’s super 50 last year,” she said.
Mehbooba said those who were against NEET did not have faith in the abilities of youth like 2010 UPSC topper Shah Faisal and this year’s second position holder Athar-ul-Amin.
On the frequent detention of separatists, the Chief Minister said while it was against her nature, it had become necessary to ensure safety of the people. Referring to the dialogue between separatists and the centre in 2005, Mehbooba said the separatists were asked to come up with a road map for resolution of Kashmir but they have not done it so far. “They should come up with what they want,” she added.
Mehbooba said the newly introduced special bus services and women police stations in the State might seem small steps but would go a long way in women protection and empowerment.
“One of the Congress MLAs chided us for starting women bus service and police stations, saying we should concentrate on bigger issues. Had you been a woman and travelled in a bus you would have known what the women go through,” Mehbooba said.
Hinting at rampant harassment of women in public transport, she said she can understand what a girl goes through when she passes by a man – be it a 15-year-old or 60-year-old person. “God knows what she is going through,” she added.
Citing the example of Handwara killings last month, she said “a very unfortunate incident occurred at Handwara where five persons gave their lives over alleged molestation of a girl.
“What I can say to Nawang Rigzin when our girls leave their home for schools, colleges, university or work – Allah knows. Sometimes I used to go to the University in the bus along with my sister Rubia since my father used to remain very busy, so I have experience, I know how important it is,” Mehbooba said.
She also cited the example of alleged rape of a girl by a police officer at Khour police station in Jammu region and highlighted the need of having women police stations in every district of the State.
Mehbooba also reiterated her Government’s commitment for promoting entreprenuership among the women. “I spoke about women entreprenuership. Our girls have lot of talent. The girls have started going out for work but there still is some hesitation,” she added.
“If we give them exclusive departments here and as well as in Jammu, where they will be trained and given other facilities like loans, may be the parents will also feel comfortable in sending their daughters there. These facilities will be manned exclusively by females,” she said.
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