Self-governance most relevant solution: Mehbooba Mufti

Looking back on August 5, 2019, what does this day signify for the party that demanded greater autonomy and proposed the formula of ‘self-government’ as the ultimate solution?

Jammu and Kashmir had more rights than any other state in the country. Our assembly was powerful. We had a constitution. By all means, we were sharing our sovereignty. With the stroke of a pen, not only were our Constitution and flag removed unconstitutionally, but they also overturned the Indian Constitution, which was the guarantor of our special status. It was a total betrayal. August 5 will be remembered as the darkest period of India as well as Jammu and Kashmir. Our ‘Self Rule’ resolution is still the most relevant and enforceable solution to the Kashmir issue, be it Pakistan or India, without diluting the sovereignty of any country.

An attempt was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach out to the regional parties of J&K in 2021. Why did the process end?

We do not know what was the intention behind the meeting. Was it to placate the United States as Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting India or was trying to defuse pressure from the international community. If it were about something else, confidence building measures (CBMs) such as the release of prisoners who were not facing serious charges could have become a starting point for moving the process forward. There are prisoners who have been arrested as a preventive measure and only on suspicion. However, no CBM was taken. I do not regret meeting the Prime Minister as he would have blamed me for the sabotage. at least I tried.

You recently proposed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should focus more on SAARC and keep Kashmir at its center to emerge as a global leader.

Kashmir is a problem and has turned into a battlefield. Being a member of the G-8, G-20 and QUAD is of no relevance to the people of this continent. Instead, SAARC countries need to cooperate with each other. But it is being held hostage by the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan. If we make pre-1947 Jammu and Kashmir a model for SAARC, bank branches and a SAARC Horticultural University, it will not be a hindrance but a facilitator in the positive relations between India and Pakistan. I am for increased interaction between more porous borders and parts of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of traditional Silk Route links. Pakistan is using the strategic position of that Kashmir to its advantage and is also taking advantage of that Kashmir. This part of Kashmir also holds the key to Central Asia. We can be the gateway. This will give Kashmiris a sense of freedom and achievement without changing borders. The feeling of defeat is hurting Kashmiris and further complicating the problem. By opening Kashmir, Kashmiris will feel a victory and Pakistan and India have nothing to lose.

The government claims that tourism and investment are key indicators that Kashmir is on the path of peace and prosperity after August 5. would you agree?

I do not agree with this. Tourism is a common activity undertaken by people to earn their bread and butter. This government contradicts its own narrative of normalcy by bringing in more troops, suppressing and arresting people even on 15 August. Earlier arrested youths used to be released on 15th August, but now more youths are arrested before that. is an artificial projection of nationalism like , house to house tricolor‘ And threatening to face consequences for not hoisting the flag. I don’t think anything is normal after 2019. Even the political parties that took the oath of the Indian Constitution are being dismantled. They are pushed to the wall and attempts are being made to project them as separatists. The demand for the restoration of Article 370 is being considered as sedition. Is this normal? People have been threatened to remain silent.

The Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission has completed its process. Are there signs that elections may be approaching?

New laws are being introduced every day in J&K to fulfill the nefarious designs of changing the demography of J&K. Local workers were being fired and outsiders were allowed to apply for jobs. More and more land is being given to security forces and outside industrialists. This was the agenda behind the abrogation of Article 370. Instead of letting anything come in between, they are busy with it. If a government is formed other than their will, they cannot allow it. The solution to Kashmir is of paramount importance as people including security forces are killed daily. The electoral process has a different purpose and can act as a facilitator. People are locked in a cage and want to come out of it. Elections come and go but the Kashmir issue remains a problem.

Why are the parties affiliated to the People’s Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) yet to reach an agreement on an electoral alliance? Local parties say the alliance is now being run by two dynasties?

The urgency is not there. Announce the election first. The Mufti family, me and my father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed have ruled Jammu and Kashmir for five and a half years. It in no way deserves that our family was ruling this kingdom as a dynasty. I worked hard and came myself. My father was out of power then. The BJP has nothing to say and considers the National Conference and the PDP a threat to their plans. That’s why they are trying to break our parties. They are creating new parties and individuals who will be able to go by what they say. Hence, they try to defame us by using the phrase ‘being a dynast’.

BJP claims, Hindu Chief Minister will be seen in Jammu and Kashmir?

BJP is looking at Kashmir through the prism of religion and security. The BJP thought that scrapping the special status would solve the problem. It doesn’t complicate the problem any more. A Hindu chief minister will help them garner votes elsewhere in the country. In the coming days, I see that BJP will also try to abolish the Indian Constitution, which lays emphasis on the foundation of the country which is secularism and democracy. Kashmir was a starting point. We are like a laboratory for them. We will not be surprised that one good morning the tricolor will be replaced by the saffron flag. They are working in this direction and a story is being prepared. Unfortunately the politicians of the country were silent when Kashmir’s move came. Now the same methods, whether NIA, ED etc. are used and politicians are being put behind the bars. What we have tasted will be tasted in the rest of the country.

Would you agree that global powers have normalized the situation in Kashmir after August 5?

The silence of global powers has more to do with economics. India is a huge market for them and they want good relations with them. China, on the other hand, has occupied 1,000 sq km of our territory. China is a new party in the region. Now we have to deal with Pakistan as well as China. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir remains complex. After all, it’s the people who matter. India can become a global leader once its home is settled. Modi has the mandate to become a ‘Vishwa Guru’. He has to solve the Kashmir problem and grab the bull by the horns. He can do this. Otherwise history will remember him as a man who destroyed mosques and renamed cities. Kashmir is the best bet for PM Modi. It will be very beneficial for the country. Both India and Pakistan are grappling with serious issues.

What do you expect from the Supreme Court (SC) as the Article 370 petition is before it.

The SC had given a decision long back on Article 370, in which it was said to be a permanent feature and it cannot be repealed. If one goes by the previous judgments of the Supreme Court, no fresh Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition should have been entertained. SC is not running late. Article 370 petitions have not been heard for more than three years. People have to fight politically. What we had (special status) was part of the agreement and enshrined in the Constitution. If the BJP waits for a resolution to be passed (in favor of repeal) and the constitution of the local assembly, it will be of no consequence. It was the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir that had to ratify any changes. It no longer exists. The Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory has been converted into a Municipality and the resolution has no meaning.