Srinagar, Oct 26 (KNO): Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said India is a great country, but the people of Jammu and Kashmir stand where they were in 1947.
Addressing a party gathering here on Accession Day, Mehbooba Mufti, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) urged people across the country to remember the circumstances and conditions under which Jammu and Kashmir joined India, saying the decision was based on trust in the country’s secular leadership and assurances that the region’s identity and rights would be protected.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir are still where they were kept in 1947,” she said adding that residents continued to face restrictions and difficulties in exercising their rights.
Mehbooba said Jammu and Kashmir had joined the India envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, B R Ambedkar and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, which she described as a country founded on secularism and equal rights. “We joined the India of Gandhi, Nehru, the India of Ambedkar and Azad, India which gave us all the rights which we are being deprived of right now,” she said, urging people to remember the promises made to people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The PDP chief said the region had acceded to India with certain conditions, including safeguards intended to protect its land, employment opportunities and distinct identity. She said that these assurances stand weakened, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state in August 2019.
She also expressed concern over difficulties faced by young people seeking passports for education and employment. She said that people continue to face restrictions on their movement and freedom of expression.
She said the silence in Jammu and Kashmir should not be mistaken for peace or normalcy, arguing that people needed space to express their concerns and discuss the region’s political future.
The former chief minister further called for dialogue and a political approach to address the situation, invoking former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s emphasis on humanity, democracy and Kashmiriyat.
“If you want to keep Jammu and Kashmir together, don’t drag it. Don’t drag it with your arms. Instead, hold its hand and teach it to walk with you,” she said.
Mehbooba urged people across the country to reflect on the assurances and circumstances surrounding Jammu and Kashmir’s accession, saying the region’s relationship with the country should be guided by constitutional values, dignity and the rights of its people—(KNO)