Kashmiris seek a new system in Jammu Kashmir! (A Free Kashmir: Random Thoughts- 203)

-DR. ABDUL RUFF COLACHAL

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Clearly, Kashmiri Muslims are not at all happy with the outgoing Congress-NC government in JK  and, according to writing on the wall,   are planning to say good bye to them in the poll. 

As poll campaigns for the Jammu Kashmir assembly is underway, the incumbent opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed has asked voters to give a decisive mandate to his party to complete the unfinished agenda of sustainable peace and inclusive growth for Jammu Kashmir. Launching his party’s poll campaign from Nagrota assembly constituency of Jammu district, the former chief minister said these elections would mark a new beginning in Jammu and Kashmir as people have made up their mind to establish a new system in the state.

Mufti Muhammad Sayeed said it is the writing on the wall that change is imminent in Jammu and Kashmir and people of Jammu and Kashmir are looking towards PDP as only alternative to get rid of present corrupt, inept system.  Mufti claimed the people are eagerly waiting for the opportunity to teach a lesson to those who are responsible for compounding their woes “during the last six years”.

Senior PDP leader and MP Muzaffar Hussain Beigh alleged that the “deceitful” tactics of National Conference (NC) leadership along with Congress party and BJP were responsible for trust deficit among different regions of the state.

Sayeed also said his party’s visionary political and economic agenda has made it to emerge as a genuine, strong and credible voice of the people of the state. PDP has already laid an implementable roadmap for addressing the political and economic issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir and the party would translate the same into reality with the support of the people

Without naming any party, Sayeed said that unlike others, his PDP never tried to create regional or religious divide to reap political benefits. “We tried to reach out to every nook and corner of the state to win hearts and winds of the people,” he said and added that PDP’s pro-peace policies were positively reciprocated by the people from every section of the society.

Sayeed said that the PDP has emerged as “strong and viable alternative” because there is a “feeling among people that only PDP has moral authority to govern the state because during its earlier tenure PDP had proved how to deliver good governance”. “Despite getting a very short span of just three years in power between 2002 and 2005, PDP had set into motion a comprehensive process of economic empowerment and infrastructural development in the state which is to be taken to the logical conclusion,” he said.

Although Mufti said Kashmiris are eager to establish a new system in the state, he did not elaborate on the issue in details. If one puts together the bits of statements he and other PDP party leaders made in recent times, it seems he seeks more freedom for Kashmiris in terms in some positive manner, especially the reduction of military forces (now 700,000 troops) to the required minimum and end of fake encounters.

Reports suggest that the Congress, NC and BJP  are going to lose and, as it stands now,  PDP would win the polls.

Meanwhile,  the freedom groups  led by Hurriet  have not yet made any announcement so far  about their joint decision to take part in the  poll  as their new collective policy to  get a better treatment from the occupying nation with a formidable military  infrastructure as the minimum step so that perpetual house arrest of  Freedom leaders would end. Clearly, all major players in JK, namely the NC, PDP and even Congress party, are eager to help the g freedom groups to acquire  constitutional legitimacy to fight for their rights by democratic means.  However, if they are waiting for a signal form Islamabad, that may not be forthcoming as Pakistanis are in greater trouble than Kashmiris themselves themselves are.

Enough of meaningless fights with powerful Indian military on false promises made by others and without credible support from international community!

Already 100,000 Kashmiri Muslims have lost their valuable lives and they have achieved absolutely nothing.

Irrespective of which party wins the JK poll,  it will be the Indian central government that  calls all shots in JK and elected state government will have to obey the order form New Delhi. So, if the freedom groups  contests poll and get some seats, at least, that can help them and Kashmiri Muslims.

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Time for freedom leaders to wake up and act and get valuable votes of Kashmiris to strengthen their political position to make legitimate claims with conviction!

Time will not wait for them endlessly before they decide.