On PDP’s Foundation Day, former CM calls for reconciliation, slams rising inequality
AZHAR HUSSAIN
SRINAGAR, July 28: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday launched a passionate appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abandon what she described as a “war-like approach” in Jammu and Kashmir, and instead embrace a path of dialogue, trust, and reconciliation. Speaking at the party’s 26th Foundation Day event in Srinagar, Mehbooba said that real progress—both in Kashmir and across India—requires political engagement, not perpetual militarisation.
In her speech, Mehbooba emphasized that if anyone had the power and political mandate to steer a lasting solution in Jammu and Kashmir, it was Prime Minister Modi. “He represents over 120 crore Indians. If he truly wants India to compete with the likes of China, he must replace this hostile policy with sincere reconciliation. India cannot prosper with one region bleeding internally,” she asserted.
Recalling the founding vision of the PDP under her father, late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, she said the party was created on the belief that sustainable peace could only be achieved through dialogue—whether the party was in power or in opposition. “We never deviated from that vision. Our stand has always been clear: peace doesn’t come from silence, force, or submission. It comes from understanding, engagement, and empathy,” she said.
Mehbooba launched a scathing critique of the Centre’s current handling of the region, arguing that excessive security deployments have only deepened alienation. “They keep sending more and more CRPF companies to Kashmir. But how much security is enough? Will that solve anything? You can’t win hearts with guns and bunkers,” she warned, adding that trust and emotional integration cannot be built through coercion.
She further questioned India’s spending priorities, drawing a sharp contrast between skyrocketing military expenditure and the condition of basic infrastructure in many parts of the country. “We are pouring billions into buying weapons while thousands of schools in the country lack even drinking water or functioning toilets,” she said. “Where are our priorities headed?”
Commenting on India’s broader foreign policy stance, Mehbooba said that New Delhi cannot claim moral authority on the global stage without addressing the Kashmir issue. “What have decades of hostility yielded? Pakistan pumped money into arms. India turned Kashmir into a military zone. And China? It simply focused on its economy and left both behind. Even our own External Affairs Minister has admitted to this,” she remarked.
Mehbooba concluded with a heartfelt appeal for empathy and statesmanship. “Kashmiris want to be embraced, not ruled through fear. Unless the Government of India opens its heart to the people here, no level of surveillance or force will bring peace. The real solution lies not in domination, but in dignity,” she said.
Her remarks, coming on the anniversary of her party’s founding, served both as a reminder of the PDP’s political philosophy and a bold challenge to the Union Government’s prevailing policy in the Union Territory.
