By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Jammu: Continuing the PDP-BJP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, the daughter of late J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Syeed was sworn in as the 13th chief minister of J&K on April 4.
Mehbooba Mufti is the first womsn chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and second Muslim women Chief Minister of India.
The people of Jammu and Kashmir are hoping that her tenure will see her addressing issues ranging from un-employment, development to revocation of draconian laws, Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA).
“Unemployment has always been a major problem in our state. There are around half a million educated but unemployed youth in our state. Maybe, we will see some more employment opportunities during her reign. Still, a lot depends upon the central government, how much cooperation they are going to extend,” said Aquib Bashir, 22 a student of agriculture from Jammu.
Haq Nawaz Nehru, a resident of Doda district in Pir Panjal region in J&K, feels that successive governments have been neglecting this region, revolving their development works only around two districts of state, Jammu and Srinagar.
“We have past experience of neglect by the successive governments in state. As a leader and president of PDP, I am not much sure about her doing anything for this region,” he says.
“Mufti has no doubt spoken much about our sufferings, but she has to take herculean steps. She must fix her priorities for this region from Poonch to Marwah. These regions are in dire need of multi-specialty hospitals, universities and better roads which usually become death traps when incessant rains flock this region,” he adds.
Meanwhile, people from the Kashmir region, besides development, want an end to human rights violations and revocation of AFSPA and PSA.
“Development is a secondary issue. She needs to first work for the revocation of draconian laws like AFSPA and PSA because she has closely followed the effects of Kashmir conflict. There should be an end to nonstop killings of unarmed people,” a Journalist, Bilal Bhat said.
Echoing similar sentiments, Ghulam Hassan Pandith, 51 from Kakpora, Pulwama, feels that the new Chief Minister have to ensure peace and stability in the region which can only be possible by her late father’s healing touch policy, if implemented in real sense.
“Our district is the hot spot of unrest since last many years. Young and educated youths are joining militant ranks due to physical and mental torture by security forces. Mehbooba in first place should look into this matter as it requires immediate attention,” he says.
As Mehooba is the first women CM of J&K state, the women are anticipating greater attention and policies conducive for their growth in terms of opportunities.
“Being a woman, she knows how many problems we do face in our day to day lives. We are educated but we are not able to find jobs and even we can’t move out of the state for jobs so she should chalk out a plan for better representation of women’s in public services,” says Nowsheen Bhat, 21 an engineering student from Srinagar.
Others, however, believe that she won’t be much different than her predecessors.
“We were also hoping for the best when Omar Abdullah became the youngest CM of the state but what did he do? Hundreds of youths were gunned down under his rule. This is all politics, only chain of command changes, rest the policies remain same,” said Rozi Khatoon, 26 a student of Political Science.
Unlike last year swearing-in ceremony of late CM Mufti Mohammad Syeed where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Amit Shah, former president Lal Krishan Advani, were among various dignitaries, this time, only three Union Ministers Venkaiah Naidu, Jitendra Singh and Harsimrat Kaur Badal attended the swearing-in ceremony on the behalf of BJP’s central government.
Initially, the new CM had been reluctant to take call on government formation after her father’s death in coalition with the right-wing BJP. However, it was after her meeting on March 22 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where she was assured of all help from centre to J&K that she decided to take up the position.
Jammu and Kashmir was placed under Governor’s rule on January 8, 2016 after the death of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.