Distressed by the ‘rising hatred’ against Kashmiris after the Pahalgam attack, says PDP leader
NEW DELHI — Amid rising Indo-Pak tension following the April 22 Pahalgam attack, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Iltija Mufti, on Tuesday urged the Central government to avoid escalating the row with the neighbouring nation, opining that war is never a solution for any crisis.
While advocating for retribution against Pakistan for the terror attack, she cautioned against full-scale military escalation.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Iltija Mufti, daughter of former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, emphasised that the cost of war is paid by people in border states. She also reminded Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his earlier statement that the “era of war is over.”
She further said, “Whenever you talk about war or military conflict, it is the people of J&K who suffer in between, because we are a border state. We are the ones who will suffer, we are the ones who will face collateral damage.”
Acknowledging the government’s right to take necessary measures to maintain law and order, Iltija Mufti strongly advised against large-scale military escalation. “Some things are not in your control. The government needs to do something in retaliation, whatever they feel they have to do to maintain law and order, to keep India secure; that is something in their domain. But war is never an answer,” she stated.
Recalling Prime Minister Modi’s words during his visit to Russia, she stated: “Modi Ji, when he went to Russia, had said that ‘the era of war is over.’ And that means that the time of war is behind us, and it’s important to remember that.”
Expressing disappointment over the brewing “dislike and hatred” against Kashmiris in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, Iltija urged the Centre to take steps to address this divide.
“As a Kashmiri, I am very disappointed with the way we are looked at with suspicion. Even in Delhi, Kashmiri businessmen and students are being harassed,” she said.
She also appealed to Prime Minister Modi to bridge the divide between Delhi and Srinagar by facilitating dialogue with the common residents of Kashmir and making them a part of the decision-making process.
Invoking Modi’s earlier statement on reducing “Dil ki doori and Dilli ki doori,” Iltija said, “If you really want to reduce that distance from Delhi, then you will have to talk to the people here. You have completely stopped talking to the people of Kashmir.”
Speaking about the state of Muslims after the abrogation of Article 370, Iltija remarked, “After the humiliation we faced in 2019 and the way Muslims are being treated, it does break our hearts. Somewhere, he is not just the prime minister of Hindus, he is the prime minister of every citizen of India, be it Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian.”
Waqf Act ‘Divisive’
Raising concerns over the recent developments, including Waqf amendments, Iltija accused the government of promoting an anti-Muslim narrative through legislative means.
She said the Waqf Act was a divisive legislation, brought by the Modi government to treat the Muslim community as “second-class citizens.”
“Look at how many madrasas and dargahs have been demolished since the Waqf Bill was passed. It is a bill that is meant to disempower Muslims. You see your vote beneath the mosque, you can only see your vote after demolishing it,” she claimed.
She described it as a short-term political tactic for political gains. “In the long run, it is bound to hurt the soul of the nation,” she warned.
“This is Gandhi Ji’s country. This is an anti-Muslim bill. You are practicing short-term politics for short-term gain, but it is seen as an attack on the long-term soul of our country,” she said.
She also raised questions on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s handling of the law and order situation in Kashmir and on his silence on Waqf amendments.
“I think after 2019, the people of J&K have endured so much, they have to fight for a bigger cause. The narrative that the National Conference is running about statehood, that’s BJP’s narrative. NC did not speak about the Waqf issue in the assembly, and neither did the BJP. If NC is only going to echo the BJP’s line, then what is the point of people electing 50 MLAs? If you’re just going to follow BJP’s narrative, then you’re betraying the people of J&K,” she asserted. — IANS
