It is reincarnation of PDP’s Healing Touch policy: Mehbooba
By News Agency of Kashmir
Jammu : Welcoming the Prime Minister’s latest initiative of beginning implementation of the recommendations of the Working Groups on Jammu & Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti today said as has been the consistent view of her party, the move would positively impact the intra-state confidence building process paving the way for peaceful resolution of the State’s problems. “It is a reincarnation of the PDP’s Healing Touch philosophy,” she said.
Addressing a public meeting in the border town of R S Pura, Ms Mufti said while the issues like easing restrictions on cross-LoC movement of people and goods, rehabilitation of the dependents of all the victims of violence, facilitating safe return of the boys who had gone across for the arms training and want to return and live peacefully and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrant Pandits, repeatedly raised by the PDP in the Roundtable Conferences and the meetings of the Working Groups have been short listed for implementation, there must be similar action on the party’s other demands including revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and reduction of troops. She said such measures have now become really unavoidable to ensure a substantive turn-around in the fast-changing ground situation.
Ms Mufti said although the PDP had become a target of wrath from various quarters for demanding rehabilitation of the dependents of the militants and other victims of violence and was even labeled “anti-national” for raising such a demand, the Prime Minister’s latest decision is not only demonstrative of its sincerity of purpose but has also made clear that there is no alternative to the path of reconciliation. “It was our party’s consistent view that we can’t leave the families of those killed during violence, irrespective of their affiliation, in lurch,” she said and added that the government led by the PDP had even formulated a rehabilitation package for such families, which was stiffly opposed by one and all, at that time, without going into its essence.
Ms Mufti said that PDP has time and again made it clear that the State and the Central Government has to take certain concrete reconciliatory measures to help the people of Jammu & Kashmir come out of the vicious circle of violence, with their honor and dignity intact. “Men, women and children, irrespective of age, status or political affiliation have been traumatized over the last decade and a half,” she said and added that the much-maligned “Healing Touch” policy of the PDP-led Government was precisely designed to reach out to those who had suffered and needed extra care and nurturing. “It is a matter of satisfaction for our party that our pro-people agenda and our position on various crucial issues stands vindicated,” she said.
The PDP President said her party strongly subscribes to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s prescription of confronting the Kashmir issue with open mind and in good faith. “The slew of measures taken up for implementation by the Prime Minister recently, indicate that we are on the right track,” she said and added that much more, however, needs to be done to realize the dream of inclusive peace, dignity and prosperity for all the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
Ms Mufti said whether in or outside the government, PDP has always stood by the people of the State and never compromised on their interests. She said, right from its inception, the party has been advocating the cause of the people with unflinching consistency. “The most daring challenge for the PDP, after winning the 2002 election, was to be with our people, show solidarity with them and give them the much-needed sense of security,” she said and added that after assuming power, PDP, unlike others, not only stuck to its pro-people agenda but pursued the same with unflinching consistency and the results are there for everybody to see.
Ms Mufti said an economic dimension to the ongoing peace and reconciliation process would complete the triangle together with relief in security measures and Self-Rule. “This would ultimately lead to the “no-borders plus solution” as envisioned by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh,” she said and added that Jammu & Kashmir would emerge as a hub of economic activity in the region with great opportunities for its enterprising youth.