Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Mar 7:Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti today said that FIRs’ against first timers will be withdrawn and families of those who were killed in last year’s voilence will be rehabilitated. She promised youth with jobs and appealed them to help her in bringing peace to Valley.
The Chief Minister while addressing a youth convention at her residence in Srinagar said that they were in the processes of withdrawing FIRs against youth for minor offences but unfortunately situation deteriorated. “We (had said we) will gradually withdraw the FIRs against those who have no charges. We were in process of preparing a list and we had already made a list of 400 boys but unfortunately situation deteriorated (in 2016). I want to assure you all that those children whom against any case has been registered for the first time (of stonepelting), we have constituted a committee and we will withdraw them”, she said.
Mehbooba said that her Government will try to rehabilitate families of those youth who were killed in voilence. “And, we will try to rehabilitate the families of those persons who lost lives to recent unrest because the slain were very small people and those who instigated them were big people and they have gone into hiding now. They (instigators) were used to push the (slain) on front lines…so we will try to rehabilitate their families”, she said.
She said that she will bring Prime Minister to Srinagar for tackling unemployment problem. “Also I have promised you that I will bring Prime Minister here just for you one day. Do come on that day. I will tell him to do something for my youth. Do something for them in Tourism or some other departments so that we cure the unemployment”, she said.
Mehbooba appealed youth to help her in bringing peace and promised them jobs. “Give me peace. I will recruit you in PHE and Irrigation after six-month training but give me peace. We recently recruited SPOs. We will post them in Tourism and Traffic, we won’t give them trigger (referring to guns)”, she said.
The Chief Minister expressed joy over return of over a dozen of militants to mainstream in last two months. “Two months ago, I held a meeting of Unified Command. I told them to try to bring back those local militants whom against there are no charge. I am happy that in past two-three months, we brought back nearly one dozen youth (from the path of militancy). I won’t say they surrendered but I will say they came back to their homes because for me they are like my family members. It is a moment of joy for us that today they left guns after picking them up earlier…”, she said.
Mehbooba expressed concern over stone-pelting protests and said that those youth who were acting as her bodyguards are now pelting stones. “I know you (youth) from before. Today, I have many bodyguards standing behind me, but you were my bodyguards, my police and my security forces when I would visit your villages. What shreds me today is that those youth who would walk on my right and left, become my shield and PSO, why are they holding stones in their hands today,” she rued.
Chief Minister promised that she will make Panchs and Sarpanchs more powerful than MLAs. “…So my attempt would be to hold Panchayat elections. Don’t you talk of empowerment? I promise that I will give all the powers to Panchayats (including Sarpanchs and Panchs) and even MLA won’t be holding such powers”, she said.
In the meantime, an official statement issued here said that asking youth to support the Government in realizing its political and developmental agenda, Mufti today said the present alliance in Jammu and Kashmir was stitched solely for the welfare of youth and getting the State out of its difficulties.
“Addressing a largely attended gathering of youth here today, the Chief Minister said the objective while forming the Government in the State was to ensure youth of the State a secure future by way of political stability and economic prosperity. For this purpose the two parties (PDP and BJP) came together, though it was a very difficult decision on the part of both the parties and many other easy options of power sharing were also available, she told the gathering of youth”, the statement said.
Mehbooba Mufti asked youth to play a positive role by helping in maintaining peace in the State so that her Government is able to pursue the agenda of development and discourse in the State. She regretted that the dialogue process in the State got stuck during the last decade or so and youth of the State had to pay a heavy price for this political drought.
The Chief Minister asked youth to factor in their role in this whole canvas by ensuring peace and harmony in the State. This, she said, automatically results in creating a congenial atmosphere of friendship between the two countries as the situation in Jammu & Kashmir has a direct bearing on the relations between the two neighbouring countries. Peace in the State alone can ensure that political process takes off and more opportunities of employment for the youth are created, she said.
The Chief Minister said it was satisfying to see Prime Minister, Narendra Modi taking up the threads to reach out to Pakistan by first inviting its Prime Minister to his swearing in and later visiting the country in December, 2015 though it could not be done during the decade long rule of the previous regime in New Delhi. She said though the effort hasn’t yet delivered the ultimate results due to some unfortunate developments following immediately, but she said she is hopeful that we would be able to embark on a path of reconciliation and friendship which is in the ultimate interests of people of both the countries.”
Mehbooba asked the youth to get themselves associated with the decision making process in the State and join the forthcoming Panchayat elections in good numbers. She said Government would review the cases of the youth who were not seriously involved in any anti-social activity and also the families of the affected youth would also be given proper rehabilitation.
Terming unemployment as a major challenge of present times, Mehbooba said her Government is exploring possibilities of increasing employment opportunities for youth in the State by inviting investors, developing tourism and horticulture. She said she is convinced about the talent and abilities of youth of the State which she said needs opportunity to be recognized and honed.
Legislators, Aijaz Ahmad Mir and Yawar Dillawar Mir besides Secretary, J&K State Sports Council, Waheed ur Rehman Parra were also present on the occasion and addressed the gathering.
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