‘There’s pain in Kashmir’s heart’

Mehbooba: Sense of security among youth prime responsibility

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, said on Tuesday that there is “pain in the heart of Kashmir” and sought cooperation of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in addressing the issue so that no more innocent lives are lost to violence.

“We have witnessed several tragic incidents in the past, like in Baljarala in Rajouri, Chittisinghpora in Anantnag and more recently in Handwara, where innocent people were fatally caught in the vortex of violence. We need to take immediate steps to bring an end to this menace permanently,” she said.

Ms. Mufti who was speaking at a rally after the Prime Minister formally inaugurated Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Super-Speciality Hospital and Sports Complex at Katra near Jammu said that providing a sense of security to the youth in the state is one of her prime responsibilities. “This is imperative. Once we are able to build trust among our youth, they will also be able to flourish and contribute in the growth of the country,” she said.

It was not only that she shared the dais with the Prime Minister for the first time after becoming the Chief Minister but also the first public rally she spoke at in office. She said the Central and the State governments will have to overcome the challenge and join hands to win the hearts and minds of the people, especially the youth.

“I’ve great hope and expectations from my party’s alliance with the BJP. My father said on many occasions that when he shook hands with Narendra Modi, he was, in fact, joining hands with a billion people of India who had reposed their faith in his leadership,” she said, promising to pick up the threads from where her father had left them.

The Chief Minister observed that even though Jammu and Kashmir has been an epitome of plurality and cultural diversity, the pain and agony suffered by people of the State for the past 25 years continue to disturb her. She said time has come to end the state’s predicament and devise a new strategy that promises an era of sustainable peace and development.

Comparing India’s rise on the world stage with that of its troubled western neighbours like Pakistan and Syria, Ms Mufti said there are quick lessons to be learnt from the trail of death and destruction left behind by ethnic and sectarian violence in these countries. “The instability in these countries is in sharp contrast to the strengthening of democratic institutions in India. Despite being homogenous societies, these countries have been unable to stem the rot, forcing people, like in case of Syria, to seek refuge out of their homelands,” she asserted. She said, “In Pakistan, the government is fighting against its own people... Sunni kills Shia and vice versa.” She added, “I’m proud to live in a nation where people from different religions live in peace and harmony but there is a pain... There is a pain in heart of Kashmir and we all have to heal it together”.

Praising India for its global rise as a ‘Knowledge Society’, the Chief Minister sought liberal financial assistance from the Centre in the higher education segment to create enough employment opportunities to absorb our talented human resource. She also praised her father Mr. Sayeed’s ‘vision’ to promote academic excellence by establishing new universities like Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University at Katra, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University in Rajouri and Islamic University of Science and Technology at Awantipora (Kashmir). “Creating opportunities of employment for our graduating students will remain the focus of my attention,” she promised. The Chief Minister described J&K as a ‘Miniature India’, chosen by Lord Shiva and Mata Vaishno Devi as their abode. End it