SRINAGAR, Sep 07: Welcoming the resolution adopted at the All Party Meeting in New Delhi which calls for dialogue with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister, Ms Mehbooba today said engagement and reconciliation is the only way forward to end the stalemate and make peace, stability and prosperity a reality in the State and the region.
Ms Mehbooba said unfortunately the separatist leadership missed the recent opportunity of engaging with the country’s Parliamentarians, during their visit to the State, to find a solution to the problem. “There is no alternative to dialogue, and somebody has to engage with somebody to find a way out and it stands true for J&K as well,” she said and added that by shying away from talks, the separatist leadership is in the danger of being squarely blamed for holding up the resolution process when an opportunity was there to address the issue through political and democratic means.
She said now that the resolution adopted at the All Party Meeting in New Delhi has reiterated the urgency of engagement and dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir, “we hope a fresh and productive effort would be made by the country’s political leadership to reach out to all the stakeholders in the State to address the issue through inclusive and comprehensive engagement.”
The Chief Minister said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir, irrespective of their age, gender, status or the political affiliation, have been suffering the disastrous consequences of the turmoil and unrest and they have to be retrieved from this blood-spattered quagmire, sooner the better. “The onus lies not only on the Government but the separatist leadership as well to give the peace and resolution process a chance by coming forward with a concrete roadmap,” she said.
Ms Mehbooba said despite the challenges and impediments, the prevailing painful situation in Kashmir necessitates once again reaching out to all shades of the political opinion in the State and initiating substantive political and economic measures to revive and consolidate the peace and resolution process which had worked so well between 2002 and 2005. “Violence in any form only brings miseries to the people and is not a means to seek resolution of the problem,” she said and added that holding public life to ransom will not yield peace but only aggravate the miseries of the people. “Our children are getting killed and maimed, our social fabric is slipping into disorder, economy is in shambles, educational sector has suffered immensely, tourism inflow is zero, shopkeepers are not able to do business, transport industry is suffering massive losses, industrial units are shut, development process has come to a halt and people are feeling suffocated. We shall have to ponder over how long we are going to allow this self destruction to continue?” she said adding; “All of us, cutting across the political divide, shall have to reinforce our resolve to work through peaceful means and through public participation towards resolution of the problem and restoration of peace in the State so that our future generations can at least live in peaceful environment.”
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