Defence Minister’s statement unfortunate: Mehbooba

Srinagar,February 18 (Scoop News) -Terming the latest statement of Defence Minister A K Antony dismissing revocation of AFSPA as unfortunate, Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti today said the people of the state can’t be held hostage to unilateral opinion of security agencies. Antony had yesterday rejected any concession on the law that was enacted at a time when the state was bristling with armed fighters whereas all government agencies are now unanimous that only a few hundred militants are operating in J&K.

Mehbooba said of particular concern was the remark of the defence minister that “he did not want any public debate” on the subject. She reminded Antony of debate and discussion being the fundamental principle of democracy and said it was sad that a senior leader of UPA and the country should convey such a shrill and negative message to the people of a state that acceded on the basis of shared democratic ideals. “Nothing could be more unfortunate and antithetical to our democratic system than Antony’s rejection of even a public debate on this subject of life and death for residents of the state” she said.

Mehbooba said security forces have done their job in the civilian domain of the state and it was time to relieve them of this additional burden. The civil society and democratic institutions must be strengthened to take care of the daily lives of people and forces must take care of borders only. That was necessary also in view of the defence minister’s apprehensions on continued attempts at infiltration, she said pointing out how Chinese incursions in Ladakh or that country’s infrastructure development in state’s territory was going unchallenged.

The PDP president said while on the one hand leaders in Delhi glorify democratic system of the country, on the other hand they are making no bones about continuing to resort to force alone in the only state that added to country’s secular credentials and ethnic diversity. She said a leader of Antony’s seniority needed not to be reminded of the fact that the common perception in J&K was that while democratic institutions and debate prevailed in rest of the country, Kashmir was being treated only through the soldier and his gun. She said unless this mindset was changed the problem in the state would not go away whatever the level of forces or the laws that immunised them.

Mehbooba said it was people of the state who had changed the paradigm in J&K through their rejection of violence and repeated expression of confidence in peaceful and democratic methods. Their initiative needed to be responded with grace and not through insensitive proclamations and commitment only to use of force. “Laws like AFSPA will have to make room for full play of democratic institutions” she emphasised.

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