POONCH: Making a fervent appeal to Indo-Pak leadership from Gali-Maidan on Zero Line along Line of Control to resume dialogue and end all hostilities, National Conference President and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Thursday strongly pitched for peace and cooperation between the neighbouring countries, saying people of the region in general and J and K in particular can’t live in an atmosphere of animosity and uncertainty anymore.
“Wars haven’t and won’t resolve inherently political issues between India and Pakistan”, he said while walking up to Gali Maidan, the most adversely affected region in the recent mortar shelling, which left almost an entire habitation devastated. Dr. Farooq hoped better sense would prevail upon New Delhi and Islamabad with a realisation that mutual cooperation and peace is imperative for growth and prosperity in the region and that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are the primary victims of such animosity.
Visiting ‘Zero Line’ against the advice of security apparatus, the National Conference President called for a meaningful and credible political engagement between the two neighbours, saying dividends of such an enduring peace will be harvested by people living along borders on both the sides who have been hit and hurt most due to episodes of shelling and cross border firing. During his interaction with border dwellers at Sabjian, Dr. Abdullah – who is the first political leader to visit the area after the border hostilities started – expressed solidarity with the people, saying they have been facing the brunt of border skirmishes valiantly. “War will not only cause human loss, it will also shatter the economy of the region and the costs of confrontation will be borne by generations to come”, he said, adding that dialogue has no substitute, as even after four wars during the past seven decades all outstanding issues remain unresolved.
Dr. Farooq Abdullah, concerned about the welfare of people living in frontier areas, had visited the forward areas against security advice last year as well.
Addressing workers at Chandak and Sabjian, the National Conference Chief said that the people of Kashmir in general and south Kashmir in particular feel let-down and betrayed by PDP’s alliance with the BJP which was formed despite PDP fighting the 2014 parliamentary and Assembly elections on an anti-BJP and anti-RSS plank.
“National Conference stands vindicated though unfortunately at the cost of colossal human sufferings, as we had seen through the PDP’s game-plan much earlier” Dr. Abdullah said, adding that scripted anti-BJP posturing by a few leaders was just a ploy to fool the people.
“This is not what people would have comprehended in the wildest of their dreams, as human suffering seem to be an unending tale under the present dispensation. Public anger has been the highest in south Kashmir where PDP garnered a significant number of seats based on its lies of being opposed to the BJP. Dejected over its brazen U-turn for the lure of power, public frustration manifested in what is seen in every village, every Mohalla and every urban habitation in south and central Kashmir for the past 105 days. Anguish and anger has now engulfed the entire Valley and there is no semblance of the government anywhere”, Dr. Farooq Abdullah added.
Dr. Abdullah said the impact of PDP’s alliance with BJP has been horrendous and the biggest challenge for National Conference now was to empower the alienated youth so that the Valley is saved from further death and destruction. “We cannot afford to be bystanders being the party of masses and with the legacy of sacrifices that we have in our history”, he said and urged the cadre to meet this challenge with fortitude and dedication. He said the history of National Conference is replete with innumerable sacrifices for the honour and dignity of the people. He said the State is currently at the cross-roads of its history and nothing except assuaging political aspirations of the people will steer it to peace and normalcy.
“New Delhi must not lose any time in addressing the political issue of Kashmir, as any further delay will only worsen the situation”, he said, hoping good sense will finally prevail upon those whose wrong policies have brought the State to the present morass. He cautioned the people against machinations of divisive forces who have miserably failed to govern. “They will try to sow seeds of hatred and mistrust among various segments of society as a diversionary tactic and the people must beware of such attempts”, the NC chief said adding that time has come when these elements should be exposed and isolated.
National Conference General Secretary, Ali Mohammed Sagar, Additional General Secretary Dr Sheikh Mustaffa Kamal and Provincial President Jammu Devender Singh Rana also address the workers and called for preserving amity and unity, which they described as pivotal for inclusiveness of the state.