Mehbooba Mufti calls for Ladakh like unity in J&K and reach out to PM and HM for dialogue
He said the widespread sense of despair and disappointment has gripped J&K and a broad consensus across party lines is needed to pull J&K out of the current debilitating impasse.
In his letter to J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, opposition leader in the assembly of BJP Sunil Sharma, J&K Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra and other political leaders, Mufti touched upon the recent developments in Ladakh, where the Apex Body Leh and Kargil Democratic Alliance managed to break the ice with the central government in New Delhi and reached an agreement in principle on security measures under Article 371 for Ladakh. He said the developments in Ladakh have taught an important lesson that only dialogue can yield meaningful results. He urged Abdullah to call a joint meeting of all stakeholders.
J&K CM, responding to Mufti, said that the letter sent to him is now public and he will send him a similar reply after consulting his senior party colleagues.
The former prime minister proposed a united political initiative urging leaders to put aside differences and jointly advocate for the resumption of meaningful dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir. Mufti said it was time to give joint assistance to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and persuade them to initiate a sustained dialogue with the people of J&K. He said a collective voice was needed to represent the aspirations, grievances and concerns of the people of the region at the national level.
Mufti wrote: “Once again, J&K finds itself at a turning point in its history where a widespread sense of despair and disillusionment has gripped the state. A broad consensus above and beyond party and partisan lines is needed to pull J&K out of the current debilitating stalemate. A constructive dialogue with the Government of India is a much-needed imperative if we are to restore the dignity and security of our people.” He said political parties should keep disagreements and opposing views on the backburner to unite for the common good and collective welfare. “This cannot be a matter of gaining political credibility or scoring points. Rather, it must become a moment of unification in the best interests of the people we claim to represent,” he said.
Mufti said Abdullah, as president of J&K, should initiate the “much-needed process of bringing all parties together through a formal meeting” as his support is a prerequisite for the success of this platform. “This will get the ball rolling for us to formally reach out to the Central government. Considering that disagreements and squabbles between regional parties are detrimental to the collective interests of J&K, a reasonable consensus is the only solution, especially post-2019. If Ladakh can do it, we can too,” he said. Mufti said that real unity in these unprecedented difficult times can lead them to restore the rights and dignity of the people guaranteed by the Indian constitution.
