The Hindu : Other States / Jammu & Kashmir News : 'No political returns out of people's sentiments'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

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Other States - Jammu & Kashmir

'No political returns out of people's sentiments'

Langet, North Kashmir, April 6. Maintaining that the opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road involves sentiments of people that cannot be bartered with electoral returns, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, today said his party does not want any political dividend out of it.

``It is a human issue and we look at it from that angle'', Mr Sayeed said while addressing public meetings at far-flung Haril and Krala Gund in north Kashmir district of Kupwara.

He said the sentiments of people on either side of the Line of Control (LOC) were attached with Muzaffarabad road link the opening of which would revive emotional bonds. He said by advocating the restoration of the road, the PDP was not working on any political agenda.

Beseeching free movement across LoC, the Chief Minister said this would not only bring people closer but also lead to brisk economic activity in Kashmir.

He said the opening of the Muzaffarabad road was fast becoming a reality with both India and Pakistan realising this to be a significant confidence-building measure for achieving lasting peace between the two countries.

He said the day was not far away when Uri, like Wagah, would be an important point for two-way movement of people and goods.

The Chief Minister said his government vigorously pursued the commitments made to the people, generating new hope for peace and development. He added that his government's healing touch philosophy had been acclaimed both nationally and internationally.

``Violence and bloodshed have ruined thousands of families and our priority is to bring people out of this precarious situation'', he said and referred to the measures taken by the government to instil sense of security and confidence among the people.

He said one of the major achievements of his government was to remove fear from the minds of people by providing them a relaxed atmosphere. He claimed human rights violations had come down to a near zero level and wherever any aberration took place, the guilty were dealt with according to law.

The element of accountability had brought home the fact to the security personnel that human rights violations would not go unpunished, he said.

He regretted that the previous members of Parliament from the state had not represented people effectively. ``Give us a chance and we will make the difference'', he added.

Holding that the process of dialogue, initiated to address both internal and external dimensions of Kashmir problem, had brought about a positive change in the situation, the Chief Minister credited the people of Jammu and Kashmir with the success of this forward movement.

He said both India and Pakistan had realised that amity and friendship had no alternative for mutual co-existence. The two countries, he said, had tried the military option to resolve differences but reached nowhere.

The option of dialogue and discourse was now being tried, he added and hoped that this would bring a lasting peace in the region benefiting the people of Jammu and Kashmir the most.

The Chief Minister hailed the two successful rounds of dialogue between the Centre and All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) saying the holding of talks reflected the political foresight of the two sides.

He hoped that other groups, who have so far distanced themselves from this process would soon join in. ``By doing so, they will be only respecting the wishes of the people'', he said.

-- UNI

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