The former Chief Minister and People's Democratic Party patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, on Sunday said Kashmir now presented an unprecedented opportunity to the country to respond to its problems with a large-hearted approach, understanding and boldness.
In a statement here, he said this opportunity needed to be seized.
“Genuine initiative”
The Mufti said the fact that there was an avowed disapproval of violence in all political expressions emanating from the State should be respected and genuine and meaningful initiative launched to resolve the issue amicably.
“To achieve this, a countrywide consensus needs to be built on addressing the issues in a dignified and democratic manner and sentiments of the people here taken on board.”
Denies charges
Regretting the observations of senior BJP leader L.K. Advani opposing any move by the government to address the Kashmir crisis, the Mufti said a more statesmanlike attitude was expected of the former Deputy Prime Minister, who had dealt with Kashmir at a very crucial moment.
Discounting Mr. Advani's accusations of the PDP providing manpower to street protests, the Mufti said it was unfortunate he chose to pick up small talk on a big issue that was confronting the moral core of the country.
It was an irony that the successor to Atal Bihari Vajpayee should have tried to reduce a political, moral and humanitarian challenge into a stone-pelting discourse, not trying to grasp the sentiment that his own party stalwarts in Parliament acknowledged in more wholesome terms.
Murli Manohar Joshi and Sushma Swaraj had categorically stated the sentiment to be of “Azadi”, the Mufti reminded Mr. Advani, and said the challenge was to address that sentiment in a humane, respectful and innovative manner.
As an inheritor of the Vajpayee legacy and seniormost leader, Mr. Advani should have led the “insaniyat” (humanitarian) agenda of the former Prime Minister to build a consensus on resolution of the Kashmir issue.
