PDP asks national parties to desist from politicking on Kashmir

 

Srinagar July 15 2009: Peoples Democratic Party has asked the national political parties to desist from politicking on matters that concern the life, dignity and honour of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir.

Reacting to the BJP objections to the call for revocation of AFSPA and demilitarization
of the civilian areas of the state a spokesman of the party today said the national discourse on the sensitive subject seemed once again heading for a competitive chauvinism and denial of realities.

Recalling the initiative taken by the former prime minister AB Vajpayee in 2003 on resolution of the problem, the spokesman said it had lead to an un stated national consensus with his successor Dr. Manmohan Singh carrying it forward. That sentiment of understanding according to the spokesman between the two poles of Indian politics could get severely damaged by the shrillness of statements made on the subject and repairing such damage might not remain in control given the unrest in the state.

The spokesman said even the Congress led government at the centre was speaking in different tones on the subject. While the home minister P Chidambaram had made some positive statements on the subject recently, the voices from his defence ministry colleagues have made the intentions suspect.

Referring to the assertion of the minister of state defence Pallam Raju that no thinning of forces was feasible, the spokesman said it was unfortunate that the minister perhaps to score points against BJP was by his statements derailing the confidence building process in the state. He said revival and full empowerment of civil society and its institutions in J&K was necessary for resolution of problems in the region and revocation of AFSPA and withdrawal of troops from civilian areas was the bare minimum that could establish credibility of the process of resolution. Problems of the state were beyond routine law and order considerations and these have to be addressed with sincerity of purpose, political will and ingenuity of thought, off the beaten track of repeating frozen positions, he added.

The spokesman said, Government of India must resume peace process with Pakistan with a sense of urgency and also address the internal dimension of the problem without reservations. Only then can the present unrest be addressed, as no government can curb human rights violations while the security forces are empowered with draconian laws and the men in uniform have no challenge to face on professional front.