Amit Shah sends strong message to Pakistan, regional parties from soil of Kashmir
SRINAGAR: Home Minister, Amit Shah, seized his just concluded visit to Jammu and Kashmir to send a strong message to Pakistan and the political parties at home which insist dialogue with the neighbouring country is the key to peace by asserting there can be no such engagement with ‘benefactors of terrorism and violence’ in the erstwhile state.
“Those who ruled for 70 years in J&K suggest me to talk to Pakistan. I have a clear view, I do not want to talk to Pakistan, I want to talk to the Gujjars, Paharis and Bakerwals here in Baramulla. I want to talk to the youth of Kashmir,” he said while addressing an impressive public rally in the frontier district of Baramulla on Wednesday.
Several J&K parties including National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are of the view that lasting peace cannot be established in the Union Territory unless Pakistan is taken on board and for this the resumption of dialogue with the neighbouring country is inevitable. Former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, the presidents of NC and PDP respectively, had recently urged the Narendra Modi government to resume the stalled dialogue with Pakistan to “ensure lasting tranquillity and peace” in J&K.
But Shah asked them to “open your eyes and minds” and give a thought to who “planted the violence of gun and spread terrorism” in J&K. “What good have they (Pakistan) done to Kashmir?”, he asked. He accused Abdullah and Mufti of shielding militants, separatist and stone-pelters. “Earlier, this was a terrorist hotspot, now it’s a tourism hotspot. You gave stones and guns in the hands of the youth, whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modiji has given laptops and mobiles into their hands by bringing industries here,” Shah said.
An equally strong message the Home Minister sought to send across was that violence and militancy will not be tolerated on the soil of J&K. He appealed to separatist militants to shun the gun as treading on the path of violence will only ruin their lives whereas adopting that of peace and development will bring success and happiness to them and ensure a bright future for them and their families.
However, while speaking at a security review meeting with the top-brass of the J&K police, Central armed forces, paramilitary forces, the Army, intelligence agencies and officers of the civil administration in capital Srinagar, he asked them to act tough with those militants who remain adamant and refuse to give up the gun. “The Home Minister asked the security forces and the J&K police to pro-actively conduct coordinated counter-terrorism operations to fulfil the Prime Minister’s vision of a peaceful and prosperous J&K,” an official spokesman here said. He also asked for making J&K free of the gun of violence in the shortest possible time, the spokesman added.
Local political watchers had attached ‘great significance’ to the Home Minister’s visit as it was taking place at a time when various political parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are gearing up for campaigning for the J&K Assembly elections. Shah said these elections will be held in a transparent manner once the final voter list and other preparations are completed.
The Home Minister during his 3-day visit, apart from attending official meetings and public rendezvous, met dozens of select delegations including those from political parties, trade organisations and civil society groups in twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu. He also laid launched several hundred developmental projects and schemes across J&K.
Apparently to strike chord with the followers of three main religions in J&K-Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs- he paused his speech at a rally in Baramulla for 'azaan', as the call for prayer was being given from a nearby mosque, paid obeisance at the revered shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in the Trikuta hills near Jammu and also visited Srinagar’s Chatti Patshahi Gurdwara named after Guru Hargobind Sahib, the 6th Sikh Guru who, who had stayed here for a few days.
