By Auqib Javeed, TwoCircles.net
Chanting slogans Ab hawa badley gi hundreds of people across the state participated in the rally.
In his first address after launching the party, Shah Faesal said as a mainstream party they can only facilitate a peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue “which ultimately has to come from New Delhi and Islamabad.”
He said it was difficult for him to launch his own political party, but Kashmiri youth supported him and suggested that he should not join the hands with those political parties whose hands were drenched with the blood of Kashmiris.
Faesal, who refused to divulge any details about the party’s election plans, said he was in touch with three political parties but during this time, people’s “slurs” and suggestions forced him to launch a new party.
“I want to thank them for directing me in the right decision and everyone who is with me has left something and sacrificed to start this movement. We will not allow this politicking over the blood Kashmiri youth,” Faesal said while addressing party workers.
He accused both India and Pakistan of playing politics at the cost of people’s lives who were living along the Line of Control and the international border.
“Our nation is carrying the baggage of the indignation of Treaty of Amritsar when our nation was sold along with people to Dogras,” Faesal said.
“And these political parties were after me to join them & when I decided to launch my own party they accuse me of being a New Delhi or RSS agent. You should not pay heed to anything without any proof. We are here with new politics,” he said.
Faesal also termed his decision to join the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) as ‘wrong’.
On the occasion, former Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNU) vice president Shehla Rashid also joined Faesal’s party.
While addressing the participants, she said that their party wants to facilitate the resolution of Kashmir dispute peacefully.
“Women are the worst sufferers of Kashmir conflict and they should join J&K People’s Movement. Youngsters should be allowed to express dissent and raise voice over human rights violations & this movement will fight for these rights,” she further said.
The rally was attended by over 3,000 people who came from Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Srinagar, Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch, and South Kashmir.
“We have a lot of hopes from Shah…for years we have been betrayed by the politicians here but Shah has the vision, he has the will to do something for his people,” said Bashir Ahmad Khan, a businessman from North Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
Bashir said he had a few meetings with Shah Faesal and he thought that he is the only guy who can help them to live an honourable life.
“Every politician promises the same way before elections but after winning they don’t even recognise us. But I strongly believe that he will not betray his people like others do. So this is the reason I came here to attend his rally,” he says.
“I believe if he becomes CM of the state, the future of the people especially the youth will be bright,” he said.
Ahead of party launch, Shah Faesal released the party’s vision document. One of the main objectives of the part is that they shall pursue a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir problem as per the “will and aspirations” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir State.
The 2010 batch UPSC topper resigned from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in January this year to protest “unabated killings” in Kashmir and marginalisation of Indian Muslims.
Since resigning from the service, the former bureaucrat has been interacting with young achievers with the aim of getting them to support his initiative for “corruption-free, clean and transparent” politics in the state.
He had also launched a crowdfunding campaign in January to support his initiative.