Top leaders of the J&K-based political amalgam Gupkar alliance, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, on Monday blamed the recent movie The Kashmir Files for “infusing a wave of hatred among youth in Kashmir” and claimed the situation in Kashmir was getting bad.
“I told the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha that the baseless The Kashmir Files movie has infused hatred across the country and among youth in Kashmir. How would one believe that a Hindu would be killed and his wife asked to eat blood-soaked rice? Are people of Kashmir so lowly? Youth are angry here for how they are being perceived outside,” former Chief Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said, a day after the alliance leaders met the L-G.
He said beating the drum about the arrival of tourists to Kashmir “does not reflect peace”.
“A constable was killed. A civilian was shot dead despite him raising his arms in the air. Protesting Pandits were teargassed. I have never seen Pandits throwing stones. What was the need to use force?”
Dr. Abdullah said he discussed with the L-G how the leadership was being detained and disallowed to meet the victim families. “Mehbooba-ji wanted to go to Kulgam and Budgam where members of the minorities were killed but was not allowed. How can we reduce the gap then?” Dr. Abdullah said.
He said the Gupkar alliance would support all the initiatives of the L-G administration aimed at peace in J&K. “We want a prosperous State of J&K. We want the bad situation and unemployment to come to an end.”
He also demanded safe accommodation for Kashmiri Pandits working in the Valley.
‘Look at the larger realities of J&K’: Mehbooba
Meanwhile, Ms. Mufti said there was a need to look at the larger realities of J&K. “It is not just about the killing of Pandit employee Rahul Bhat but also the overall situation where people are being detained day in and day out. A journalist is arrested for raising his voice, around 182 undertrials were shifted to outside jails leaving their poor families high and dry. Employees are being terminated.”
She said the efforts made by the NC, PDP and Congress, along with the security forces, in the past when Pandits were feeling secure in Kashmir “has been dented severely”.
“The policy adopted by the Centre for the past four-five years has only increased the gulf between the communities,” she said.
Ms. Mufti said she pointed out to the L-G that as long as ‘Insaniyat’ that Vajpayee proposed to heal wounds in Kashmir was not adopted the unfortunate killings like that of Bhat may not stop.
“J&K was the only Muslim-majority state that joined hands with the country (in 1947). We thought people would be treated better and as specials. Unfortunately, we are being choked,” she said.
