ANANTNAG, Feb 28: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and Member Parliament, Ms Mehbooba Mufti today said governance initiatives in Jammu and Kashmir would be productive only when these are complemented by enabling political and economic measures aimed at addressing complex challenges confronting the State.
“Jammu and Kashmir is not about governance alone, the state is entangled in assorted political and economic complexities both on internal and external fronts, which need to be tackled with resolve through holistic measures to ensure sustainable peace and stability in the State,” Ms Mehbooba said while addressing a PDP workers convention here to carry forward the party’s membership drive which was launched by her from Srinagar last Sunday.
“While on J&K’s internal front there are issues of systemic political and economic disempowerment, security concerns, mounting alienation, sense of deprivation, wanton exploitation of state’s natural resources, unemployment, social issues and unaccountability, on the external front there are issues with Pakistan,” she said and added that no government in J&K would succeed or make a mark unless a holistic approach is adopted by the Centre and the State Government to address all these issues with a concerted effort and with tangible measures.
“For the first time a real and coordinated effort was put in by the State and the Central Government in J&K, both on internal and external fronts, between 2002 and 2005 and it had a visible impact on the ground,” Ms Mehbooba said and added that although at that time most of the political pundits had expressed cynicism over the enterprise of hope piloted by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, but Jammu and Kashmir had, after going through a long era of turmoil, started witnessing real peace and progress during that golden era with every section of the society contributing towards peace and reconciliation efforts. She said unfortunately the situation in the State started sliding back into uncertainty following the reversal of the development, resolution and reconciliation process set off between 2002 and 2005.
Ms Mehbooba said for PDP welfare of Jammu and Kashmir and its people, and not power, is the first priority and the party would continue its struggle for peace, stability and political and economic empowerment of the masses. She said PDP’s alliance with Congress in 2002 and with BJP in 2015 was guided solely by the agenda of peace, development and reconciliation in Jammu and Kashmir. “That was our challenge and that will remain so. If we really want to turnaround the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, we will have to not only involve Pakistan in a sustained dialogue but at the same time take some bold political and economic initiatives on the internal front to address the concerns of the State’s people and do away with the past injustices done with them,” she said and added unless such measures are taken no government whether formed by PDP, NC, Congress or BJP is going to make any difference to the people especially at a time when alienation and cynicism has again started taking roots especially among the State’s young population.
Ms Mehbooba said gun and violence is no solution to any problem as the gory era of blood-shed has only brought death and destruction to the State leaving behind a trail of tragedies in almost every family. “We have already seen almost a generation of youth falling prey to the senseless violence and I urge the gun-yielding youth to take cue from the accomplishments of their counterparts and make a mark in the academic and professional fields instead of falling prey to the machinations of the proponents of death and destruction,” she said and added that our emancipated youth need to connect with the larger world outside to get their share of the opportunities available to their counterparts elsewhere.
Complimenting the PDP cadres for having successfully carried the party’s political and economic agenda to the grassroots level, she asked them to actively participate in the ongoing membership drive.
“It is inspiring to note how PDP cadres have and continue to sacrifice their personal interests for the larger objective of ensuring peace, prosperity and dignity of Jammu and Kashmir and its people,” Ms Mehbooba said and added the optimism of our cadres that Jammu & Kashmir is headed for political stability and economic prosperity, is driven by the party’s vision of a future that holds promise of peace and prosperity for its people who have suffered immensely because of the decades’ long political uncertainty, economic deprivation and misgovernance. She said PDP’s core agenda revolves around the ideals of politically stable and economically vibrant future for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Senior PDP leaders Abdul Rehman Veeri, Mohammad Sartaj Madni and Peer Mohammad Hussain, General Secretaries Nizam-ud-Din Bhat and Rafi Ahmad Mir, Legislators Syed Mohammad Farooq Indrabi and Abdul Rahim Rather, Chief Spokesperson, Dr Mehboob Beg, District Coordinator South Kashmir, Sajad Mufti, District President Anantnag, Advocate Javaid, Choudhary Zafar and PDP Youth Wing President, Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra also addressed the convention. A large number of PDP workers including all the Zonal Presidents of district Anantnag were present.
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