Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Monday tried to strike a chord with the youth of Kashmir, saying he could well understand their sufferings as he himself has been a victim of violence. He said he had come to bring the youth into political mainstream.
Briefly speaking to journalists here, Mr. Gandhi said: “I have come to Kashmir in connection the membership drive to bring youngsters into the political stream and [to] listen to them. I had a good discussion with panchs and sarpanchs, and I am proud [of] what I heard from students and their hospitality”.
Amid tight security and a boycott call by separatists, around 1200 students of the Kashmir University and other colleges attended an interactive session with him at the convocation complex of the university.
Mr. Gandhi, who arrived here on a two-day visit, had a hectic schedule for the day. He first addressed a public rally in Kargil, then met students at the university, launched a recruitment drive for youth and addressed young panchs and sarpanchas of the Congress.
At the university, he said: “I am a Kashmiri. I have not come here to talk politics. The pain and suffering of this place is my suffering as well. I am not here to make a political speech. I have come to learn and understand how best I can help the people here.”
Linking himself with the sufferings of violence, he said: “My grandmother was killed when I was just 14 and my father was killed when I was 21. Pain and suffering is not something I cannot understand. I lost the world when I lost my grandmother and father to violence.”
On this, a student told him: “I lost my father when I was five. That is fate. But why don't you do something about harassment of Kashmiris outside the State. We are seen as suspects everywhere. We do not get a room in hotel; we are not allowed to pursue studies in colleges and universities, and are intimidated. Why don't you do something as you say you are a Kashmiri.”
Another student said there were no employment opportunities for them and multi-national companies were not coming here. There were mixed questions which reflected anger of the youth as well.
Mr. Gandhi assured them that he would take up their issues with those concerned. “I am not somebody who came here and will forget what you have told me. I will ensure that big corporate houses come here and create employment avenues in IT and other sectors. In a year or two, you will realise what I am promising you today is true. I have a Kashmiri origin and I deeply relate to that origin.” He asked the youth to play their role in nation building. “You have a responsibility towards nation and you should fulfil that.”
Addressing the panchs and sarpanchs of the Congress, Mr. Gandhi asked them to gear up for their role. “You are more powerful than the Chief Minister. You can be [an] instrument of change. So do your work with dedication.”
Central funds
Lamenting that most of the Central funds were not reaching the people at the grass roots level, he asked them to make that possible. “The funds are being siphoned off and you can change that,” he said, suggesting that members of panchayat from Jammu and Kashmir should be taken to Kerala and Andhra Pradesh to see how this system worked. “You are the backbone of the democratic system.”
However, the panchayat members demanded powers and asked Mr. Gandhi that the party should be given the next three years of leadership of the coalition government. “We are being discriminated and if you want the Congress strengthened, we should get the rotational chief ministership,” they said.
Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifuddin Soz and party in-charge of the State Mohan Prakash also addressed the gathering.
Mr. Gandhi also paid obeisance at the Hazratbal shrine. Hazratbal is the holiest Muslim shrine of Jammu and Kashmir.
