Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 28: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, today said nothing will be achieved through violence and dialogue is only way forward and hoped that separatist will take advantage of the situation and come forward for dialogue.
Speaking to reporters at Kokernag in Anantnag, Mehbooba hoped that separatists will take advantage of the situation and come forward for the talks. “You must be remembering when unrest occurred here, a team had come from Delhi. That time I also wrote a letter, stating all separatist leaders should hold talks. But unfortunately, they didn’t respond that time. I hope now that this time they will take advantage of situation and will come forward for talks”, she added.
Chief Minister said nothing can be achieved through violence and talks, reconciliation is the only way out. “On civilian deaths: See, common people will have to think about this because militancy is here since many years. People have been killed in thousands, either they be militants, civilians, security or police. But nothing will be achieved by violence. Whatever would be achieved will be achieved through talks, reconciliation and peace”, she added.
Earlier, while addressing to her party workers at Achhabal and Kokernag, Mehbooba said that nothing can be achieved through militancy and it only fills graveyards and cremation grounds. “I got message that an encounter is underway at Chadoora. What will come out of this? There was a time when there were thousands of militants in Jammu and Kashmir and security forces in lakhs of numbers fought them. Then what happened? Our graveyards were filled; our country’s cremation grounds got filled”, she said.
“On this side, Kashmiris got killed and on the other Army men and policemen. But we people died. They were ours. It was our graveyards and cremation grounds that got filled in our country. What was the achievement? Nothing was achieved. Today if there are 200-300 militants in Jammu and Kashmir and then encounters occur, what is achieved then?”, she asked.
Chief Minister said that local Kashmiri militants should be convinced to come back to mainstream. “That’s why again and again, I tell my police that our local militant, our child, who is angry with us and has taken up gun, try to tell his family members to convince him to come back home because perhaps no sin has been committed by him”, she added.
Mehbooba said that security forces try to persuade local militants for surrender. “We keep trying. Even today at Chadoora, the security forces were trying to persuade him for surrender. Nothing will be achieved by gun”, she added.
Terming Kokernag, Achhabal and Daksum as tourist destinations whose potential has so far remained under utilized, Mehbooba said the proposed Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel on completion would expose these tourist destinations to the outer world besides providing a lifeline of growth and prosperity to the entire region.
Mehbooba said nature has blessed the upper reaches of Anantnag district with abundant scenic beauty and the construction of Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel would give the area a big boost in terms of tourist arrivals and other economic activities.
She said the tunnel on completion would not only provide another easy intra State road link between Kashmir and Chenab vallies, it would also give a boost to the economic and social life of the villages on the two sides of the tunnel.
The PDP president said it was a matter of satisfaction that the Centre agreed to her request of starting work on the said tunnel and the preliminary works have just been started. “Once the pace picks it would generate additional job opportunities to local youth as well”, she said.
Chief Minister said many steps are being taken to upgrade the tourist infrastructure at Daksum, Kokernag, Achhabal and other places by way of better road connectivity, communication and facilities.
She said with more tourist arrivals to these places, the economy of the region would get a boost thereby addressing the problem of unemployment as well. She appealed people to maintain peace for ensuring more tourist arrivals and developmental works.
Party’s candidate for the Anantnag Parliamentary constituency, Mufti Tassaduq, in his address, said politics is a means to relieve people of their difficulties. He said tourism is the mainstay of a major chunk of people and vowed to work for the sustenance and preservation of the tourism sector and its allied activities by making it more and more nature friendly.
Meanwhile, Mehbooba today expressed anguish over the death of three civilians in Budgam and urged restraint from all sides saying issues confronting the State cannot be resolved if violence becomes the norm.
In a statement released by the official spokesman, Mehbooba expressed deep anguish and grief over the death of three youths at Chadoora.
“It is highly painful to see the young boys losing their lives,” the Chief Minister said.
She termed the killings as highly unfortunate and said the people in Kashmir continue to suffer massive collateral damage due to violence of past three decades or so.
Violence has given people of the State innumerable miseries, she said adding that it is high time that peaceful means are given a chance for the resolution of issues.
“We know there are issues that need to be addressed and resolved but no one will be able to do anything at a point when violence becomes a norm. There is a need for restrain from all sides so that conducive atmosphere is created and dissent is expressed in peaceful way,” she said.
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