Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Oct 28: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today pitched for better ties between India and Pakistan but made it clear that Pakistan had to take first step for initiating the talks. She reiterated that was no option to resolve differences between the two neighbours.
In brief inter-action with media persons and address during ‘Passing Out Parade’ of 17 DySPs and 106 Prosecuting Officers at Sher-i-Kashmir Police Academy (SKPA) here, Mehbooba called for immediate peace on the borders, where tensions had escalated between the two sides leading to heavy mortar shelling and firing by both the sides.
“I feel that war is not solution to anything and ultimately we have to reconcile with each other and become friends and for which I feel that our Prime Minister Narendra Modi went there but unfortunately Pathankot followed that. Jammu and Kashmir has to bear the brunt of the hostilities between the two sides,” she said and stressed that better ties between the two neighbours always help the people of this sensitive border State.
“The situation should improve at an earliest and both the nations should sit together in a civilized manner and for that I feel Pakistan has to take the initiative,” Mehbooba said.
Referring to the cross-border shelling and firing, she said, “We are not seeing this for the first time as we have witnessed several wars between our country and Pakistan. Right from 1947, we have seen the Kargil war in 1999 and wars, ceasefire violations are not going to last for long. Ultimately we have to learn to live with each other.”
She said the ongoing cross-border firing has to stop.
During the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pakistan had assured and had worked towards not allowing Pakistan’s soil to be used against India, Mehbooba recalled, adding border ceasefire was also implemented.
“The situation has changed and today the people living on borders are being uprooted and seriously injured and our forces personnel are being killed,” the Chief Minister said.
Lashing out at the separatists, Mehbooba alleged they were not allowing schools in the Valley to function because they wanted a new generation of uneducated youths who can pelt stones and can be used as “cannon fodder”.
She said the separatists were exploiting children from the poor families by instigating them to attack Army camps, police stations and CRPF camps and were using them as shields, while their own children were safe.
“If the youths get education they won’t pelt stones for them. The (separatist) leadership wants a generation of uneducated youths who can pelt stones for them,” Mehbooba said in a scathing attack on separatists.
“Today I see that big leaders feel if schools open, poor children will get education and then they will not have time for stone pelting or might not be ready for that,” she said.
Stressing that leaders who give preference to the future and education of the children are needed and not the ones who use them as cannon fodder, she said, “for three months our schools are closed, we tried and even Delhi sent big delegations.
“Our Home Minister (Rajnath Singh) came thrice, our Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) went there and an All Party Delegation also went to meet them but they closed doors for them.
“The reply to the request of a Civil Society delegation led by Yashwant Sinha, which completed its three-day visit to Kashmir yesterday, was given by burning of two schools,” the Chief Minister regretted.
“A Civil Society delegation went to meet them (separatists) and they opened their doors for them. The team requested them that the future of children was getting spoiled and for God’s sake help to let the schools open and the reply came in the form of burning of two schools,” Mehbooba said.
With the unrest in the Valley continuing for over a hundred days, she alleged that the separatists wanted that the children should get hurt to keep the “pot boiling”.
“They feel that let the children of poor people die. What will happen if they get injured or die they are not rich kids? It is a big challenge for us because till now they have handed over the gun to poor children and now they are using them as shields,” she added.
“Amongst all those killed or injured, 99 per cent were small kids, not one from the rich family, not a single child of those leaders have been injured, only poor kids” Mehbooba said.
She said that first the separatists thought that the uneducated youths would pick guns for them, but the youths in the past 25 years has realised that gun will not solve any problem.
“Children are not ready to pick up guns. Now they want a generation of illiterate children who can pelt stones for them, not only pelt the stones but in the process lose their lives.
“I was told that girl students want to go to school but are afraid that they would be attacked by stone pelters when they see them in the white uniform,” Mehbooba said.
Lauding the police force of the State, Mehbooba said that the men and women in uniform were lucky to get a chance to serve the nation.
“I have always said that people are more important than anything else and it will be because of you (police) that people will get a sense of security. After God if there is a protector, it is the police. In Jammu and Kashmir, police had to work in very difficult situation, they had to make lot of sacrifices,” she said.
She said the police had a very tough role to play as at times they had to deal with their own neighbours and relatives because they have to fight an ideological war and they became a major target.
“My father always said that India has democracy, it has a big heart which can accommodate the diversity and uniqueness of Jammu and Kashmir and that is the reason that India gave us a unique place in its Constitution and kept the Article 370 there,” Mehbooba said adding Jammu and Kashmir is a small India within India, where Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs live together.
Noting that the police plays the role of parents in the State, Mehbooba asked the police to deal with stone pelting youths as their younger brothers and sisters.
“The biggest challenge that we face is that the youths in the age group of 10-30 years resort to stone pelting because of some anger,” she said.
Jammu and Kashmir has been fighting militancy for the past 25 years and efforts of the police should be to persuade the local militants to join the mainstream, she added.
Mehbooba asserted that her government has a commitment to bring transparency in all types of recruitments.
Hitting out at those raising the issue of human rights violation, she said the people who raise this issue feel that they have become the torchbearers of human rights.
“I want to tell such people that in Jammu and Kashmir there is no bigger human rights activists than Mehbooba Mufti,” she added.
The Chief Minister said that she has visited every nook and corner of the State to see the status of human rights.
“I don’t sit on Facebook and upload photos there and when they don’t get new ones they recycle and upload the old pictures. I have been to every place even in jungles, whether Hindus were massacred, whether rape of women in Banihal committed by two men of security forces or the killing of Hindus by militants… Whether killing of Sikhs in Chittisinghpora,” Mehbooba said wishing these “Facebook crusaders” visit the victims’ houses and see the situation themselves.
She said the challenge is to bring the misguided youths back to mainstream as they need counselling and love, and not the tag of miscreants or stone pelters.
Felicitating the cadets for successfully passing out from the academy as officers, the Chief Minister said it shall mark a new beginning for them and they need to prove their mettle, be worthy of the uniform that they are clad in. Complimenting the excellence shown by the women cadets during their training period, she said that women in police force are second to none in performing professional duties in an efficient manner and have an important role to play.
Observing that being part of the police force, gives one the best opportunity to serve the nation, Mehbooba said that it is the police that brings a sense of security to the people. She added that the state of Jammu & Kashmir presents itself as a beautiful land of diversity that exhibits a unique sense of oneness and brotherhood, which is also reflected and symbolized in our police force.
The Chief Minister said that when the nation was being divided on the basis of religious lines, Jammu & Kashmir provided a unique window rejecting the religious divide and sided with India on the basis of multi-culturalism, secularism and inclusiveness. “And unfortunately it was the baggage of 70 years of that division that J&K has been carrying along, resulting in colossal tragedies to the state. The problems we are facing today were inherited from the partition,” she said.
Putting emphasis on better policing, Mehbooba told the cadets that it is not only policing that they shall need to carry out, but also parenting, especially to the misadvised youth who present a bigger challenge.
“Your challenge is the 10 year old boy on the street with whom you need to deal with more compassion and as a younger sibling”, she said and emphasized that since common people in the State have realized the futility of the gun resulting in waning of militancy over years, “forces averse to peace are now instigating youngsters to violence with stones.”
The Chief Minister said she considers herself to be more active human rights activist who has actually worked for the people on ground in time of peak militancy and has moved from one corner of the state to the other to campaign for upholding rights of the people.
She said that violence has never helped address any situation but it is only dialogue process, which is the way out. She said that certain political groups who earlier shut their doors to talks, agreed to meet the recent civil society group from New Delhi, something what should have been done earlier to save the turmoil from extending so long.
The Chief Minister said that the Government is all for the welfare of the police personnel. She said that certain reforms are required to be brought about in the Police Acts. However such reforms should start right from the Academy itself, she added.
The Chief Minister said that the Government will work towards providing best facilities at the Academy. “You need to be the best among the lot and develop as an elite police force”, she added.
The Chief Minister said that there has to be no room for corruption and absolute transparency shall also have be maintained in the recruitment process at all levels. She also enumerated various steps being taken and proposal being considered for the welfare of police force.
In his address, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh congratulated the newly passed out trainees for entering in a service crucial to nurture peace, protect the life and property of citizens, curb crimes and maintain law and order for all round progress and development. He advised them to perform their duties with dedication, commitment and devotion to achieve the tangible results in maintaining peace.
In his remarks, Director General of Police K Rajendra congratulated the officers and wished all the best for their better future in the police force. He impressed upon them to work with honesty and dedication to come up to the expectations of people and the police organization.
He lauded the role of JKP in dealing with difficult law order situations and helping in maintaining peace. He said that during their basic training course they were put to training in different areas of policing like investigation skills, crime control, weaponry, terrorism and counter action, information technology and disaster management etc.
Earlier, in the welcome address, Director SKPA Rajesh Kumar gave detail of various components of training imparted to the passing out trainee officers.
The Chief Minister also inspected the parade and took salute at the March Past. She gave away prizes to the best adjudged trainee officers. Among the Probationer Dy SPs, Dr Sunniya Wani was adjudged as All Round Best Cadet and was awarded the Sword of Honour and CM’s certificate of appreciation. Akash Kohli won the best rider, Sahil Mahajan the best sportsman, Sharad best marksman, Sheikh Adil Mushtaq was adjudged first in outdoor while as, Sakib Gani as first in indoor activities. He also won second all round best cadet award.
Among the Prosecuting Officers, Bazila Bashir was given all round best Cadet award and best in indoor activities. While as, Sidharth Thakur was adjudged best in outdoor activities.
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