Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the main opposition party in the start will start a door to door membership drive from September 29 across the state of Jammu and Kashmir besides organizing the seminar on the concept of Self Rule, the political ideology of the party.
A mass awareness campaign about the self rule proposal will be launched across the state of Jammu and Kashmir from September 27 so that the masses can be educated about various aspects of the proposal PDP president Mehbooba Mufti told The Hindu adding that she would personally conduct extensive tour of the state during which membership cards would be distributed among the general masses so as to strengthen the party at the gross root level. Interaction programmes, seminars, debates will also be organized in various parts of the state to educate people about the self rule formula of the party, she added. Asserting that the Self Rule Document of the party has been prepared keeping
in view the wishes and aspirations of all regions and sub-regions, she said that self-rule formula promulgated by the party was the only realistic and practical solution to address the external and internal dimensions of the Kashmir dispute.
National Conference leadership has been raising Regional Autonomy slogan but the fact is that the proposal remains a mystery not only for the people of the state but even for the Government of India and National Conference leadership itself, she said.
She said that the non-serious approach of the NC leadership has created chaos as a result of which people of the state have not been able to understand even the basics of the Autonomy slogan during the last 60 years. Contrary to this Self Rule proposal of PDP was introduced among the general masses recently and people have not only appreciated it but it is now been welcomed widely which is evident from the increase in the voting percentage of the party in recent held assembly elections, she added.
The PDP president said that while the proposal has attracted national and international attention and intellectuals, cutting across the ideological differences, have realized that Self Rule proposal is the only solution of Kashmir issue, Peoples Democratic Party has decided to take the proposal to the masses through mass awareness camping, seminars and debates to be organized by the party in coming months. Resolution of Kashmir dispute, she said, lies in the unification of both parts of the state divided by the LoC, which would be possible only when there would be no borders between people of two parts of Kashmir. While the formula suggests making the borders irrelevant at the same time it also exhorts upon India and Pakistan to set up of joint council, she said. Self-Rule was aimed at economic integration of both parts of the divided state by converting the LoC into line of trade and peace, she said adding, the proposal is aimed at creating the state as a bridge between India and Pakistan and both the countries should offer tariff reductions and develop this belt as regional free-trade area. Development of this area as free-trade zone would attract maximum foreign direct investment, he said. The PDP leader said the state had suffered huge financial losses due to the Indus Water Treaty and the self-rule proposes to set up a tribunal to compensate the state due to this treaty. He said regional councils could be formed by upgrading the Legislative Council, which could accommodate the members from both sides of the divided region. Besides ensuring equal opportunities for development to people of all three regions of the state, self-rule would make them self-reliant too,” said Mehbooba.
