Mehbooba urges Centre to review J&K policy, calls for reconciliation drive

Srinagar, Dec 07: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday urged the central government to reassess its current policy approach toward the Union territory, calling for a renewed process of reconciliation that would allow people to live with dignity, confidence, and a sense of belonging. Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Mufti said the narrative presented by New Delhi after the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 does not match the realities on the ground.

The PDP chief said that while the Centre often claims that peace has returned to the region and that Kashmir’s youth are now focused on education and technology, the underlying situation points to continued unease and disillusionment. “After 2019, the Centre said everything is fine in Kashmir. It said that computers and books have replaced stones in the hands of the youth. But the ground situation suggests otherwise,” she said, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to personally review existing policies and engage with the concerns of ordinary people.

Mufti said her party recently hosted a large-scale public dialogue involving individuals from various social, academic and political backgrounds to better understand the hardships being faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. She recalled that the involvement of educated youth in last month’s Delhi blast case deeply disturbed her, not only as a political leader but as a mother. “It shook me as a mother. We wanted to understand why they were choosing death over life,” she said.

The PDP president added that this public dialogue was only the beginning of a wider outreach effort. She said similar interactions will be held across different regions of Jammu and Kashmir and even outside the Union territory to build a more comprehensive understanding of youth anxieties, social pressures and the changing political mood.

According to Mufti, a meaningful reconciliation process is essential to address the grievances of the people and break what she described as a cycle of alienation. She stressed that the people of Jammu and Kashmir aspire for peace, stability and dignity, but feel overwhelmed by the constant use of stringent laws and investigation agencies. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir want to live happily in this country, with honour and dignity. They do not want to be coerced by UAPA, PSA, NIA or other agencies,” she said.