PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, who is keeping ally BJP guessing over government formation, today said the Narendra Modi government should take "decisive confidence-building measures" to create an environment wherein effective governance could be possible in the state.
She said the central government shall have to reach out to Jammu and Kashmir to end the "gloomy scenario of despair and alienation" as addressing the genuine political, economic and security concerns goes beyond power politics.
"Peace, stability are pre-requisites for development, effective governance," said Mehbooba addressing a gathering of PDP workers here in Samba district of Jammu while launching the party's membership drive.
Mehbooba said "effective development and good governance in Jammu and Kashmir is possible only in an environment of peace and stability which necessitates decisive confidence building measures to be taken by the political leadership in New Delhi."
She added, "Peace and stability is possible only when we revive, with firm resolve and with tangible confidence building measures, the process of reconciliation and engagement in and around Jammu and Kashmir."
Mehbooba said J&K has huge stakes in peace and stability in the region, as people in both Kashmir and Jammu regions have to suffer enormous human and economic losses because of the hostility.
"While people living along the borders in Jammu region suffer and live under the constant threat of cross-border shelling, the people in Kashmir valley are suffering because of the continued internal strife and recurrent violence," she said.
She added that peace along the borders in Jammu region and within the mainland in Kashmir is key to development and progress as had happened between 2002 and 2005.
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Mehbooba said addressing the genuine political, economic and security concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is an issue which goes beyond power politics and requires a decisive political will at various levels.
"We shall have to take decisive confidence building measures to end the gloomy scenario of despair and alienation the state has been once again pushed into," she said.
The most daring challenge for PDP, the party chief said, is to be with the people and show solidarity with them.
"We shall have to ponder over the emerging situation in the state and go deep into the reasons for mounting alienation especially among the educated youth," the PDP chief said.
"There was not only peace along the borders from Kathua to Kargil during that golden era but the situation in Kashmir valley had also started turning for good after witnessing a long gloomy era of death and destruction," she said.
"Unfortunately due to the reversal of the peace and reconciliation process after 2008, uncertainty has again returned to haunt the people of the state," Mehbooba added.
She said concrete measures shall have to be taken to address the causes of alienation and cynicism and at the same time revive the process of intra-state and inter-state reconciliation, which was the dream of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
"Mufti Sahab wanted to take the peace and resolution process started between 2002 and 2005 to its logical conclusion," she said.
Mehbooba said the Kashmir issue should not be seen through the security prism alone and the country needs to invest in J&K's peace and own and acknowledge the pain and sufferings of its people.
"The ordinary people of India need to participate in hand-holding with Kashmiris to give them a sense of belonging," she said, adding "when we talk of Jammu and Kashmir being an integral part of India, we need to go beyond the ownership of land. People of Jammu and Kashmir should not be given to feel that their dignity is being undermined."
About her meeting with Governor N N Vohra yesterday, she told reporters that she said she has gone to meet him in capacity of MP to raise some demands.
