Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on April 19 released the party manifesto in Srinagar and pledged to raise a voice against “onslaught on Jammu and Kashmir’s identity and resources” in the Parliament.
“Since 2019, after the illegal abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir has been converted into an open-air prison. There has been an unending onslaught on our collective identity, land, jobs, resources and infringement upon the very freedom to speak,” Ms. Mufti said.
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She said people, in the past five years, were being made to believe that our collective disempowerment was our fait accompli. “They [the BJP] are trying to enforce a sullen sense of silence and defeat. But where there is a will there’s a way. Our voice is the only weapon to fight these nefarious designs. Our voice will be heard,” Ms. Mufti said.
She said a slew of decisions were taken thousands of kilometres away in Delhi on a daily basis “to disempower and dispossess us”. “There is a dire need to raise our voice against this onslaught on the floor of the Parliament. First starting with drastic changes to State subject and land laws. It was followed by outsourcing of our resources by gifting contracts to outsiders, from sand to lithium. Even development projects are handed over to non-locals,” Ms. Mufti said.
‘Govt. staff hit’
Ms. Mufti, who is contesting from south Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri seat, said hundreds of government employees were fired on flimsy grounds. “Along with livelihoods, passports too have been criminalised. Every recruitment scheme since 2019 stands tainted by murky scams. Thus, depriving our hardworking aspirants of job opportunities,” Ms. Mufti said.
She said thousands of youngsters continue to languish in jails in and outside Jammu and Kashmir as undertrials. “The backbone of our economy has been our vibrant horticulture sector. This too has borne the brunt of a set of anti-trade measures taken such as removal of tax barriers on imported apples and walnuts.”
She alleged that tribal communities such as Gujjars, Bakerwals and Paharis were being forcibly evicted from their lands which they had inhabited since generations. “Trade on the Uri-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot, which was a steady source of income to thousands of families, has been shut down arbitrarily,” the former Chief Minister said.
The party promised to improve road connectivity by pushing for construction of the Mughal Road Tunnel, Sadhna Tunnel, and Razdan Tunnel; empower women; agitate to return our power projects and advocate for their power supply to be sourced from either complimentary or inexpensive electricity in Jammu and Kashmir; and providing laptops and digital devices for government and government-aided educational institutions.
