On Accession Day, Mehbooba Mufti calls for discussion on Kashmir: ‘Discussed everywhere, but here’

From the United Nations to states going to elections, Kashmir is discussed everywhere, but in the union territory, former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said on Monday, as she called for discussions on Kashmir.

Speaking at a party meeting on Accession Day, which marks the day the erstwhile princely state of Jammu & Kashmir acceded to India, Mufti said that in J&K, Kashmir is discussed only through central investigation agencies, anti-terror laws, the Public Safety Act (PSA), and curfews.

October 26 is observed as Accession Day. “The biggest thing is that Jammu and Kashmir is being talked about everywhere. You heard recently in the United Nations, Turkish President Erdogan also talked about Kashmir. Keeping with its tradition, Pakistan also talked about it.

Our people, the Government of India, said it’s an integral part of India, and no one can talk about it. And you will see, when the elections happen in Uttar Pradesh, in Himachal, in Punjab or anywhere, Jammu and Kashmir will be talked about.

But where Jammu and Kashmir is not talked about, it is here,” Mufti said, adding that if it does get discussed, “it is done through NIA [National Investigation Agency], through CBI [the Central Bureau of Investigation], through other agencies, UAPA [the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act], PSA [the Public Safety Act] and through curfews”.

The former chief minister said that while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre sees the silence in Kashmir as peace and normality, it is, in reality, a manifestation of fear. “We’re not allowed to go out.

We’re not allowed to talk, and BJP considers this silence to be peaceful. They consider it normal,” she said. “But this is not normal. This is fear, which is now being seen in the whole country.” Mufti said that even 80 years after accession, the people of Jammu and Kashmir were still viewed with suspicion.

“When we read a newspaper in the morning, we see how many raids were carried out in the name of militancy, in the name of corruption, in the name of drugs,” she said. Militants who surrendered years ago had become fathers and grandfathers but were still being called to police stations, she said.

“There are thousands of people, especially young ones, who don't have passports, who want to go out for education, jobs. You see, a journey that should have taken an hour takes three hours because the army, the security agencies, stop them,” she said.

“We have joined India, the India of Gandhi, of Nehru, the India of Ambedkar, of Azad, India which gave us all the rights which we are being deprived of right now. I request you to remember this,” she said, addressing the people of India.

She added that she had no expectations from the BJP. In August 2019, the Centre effectively abrogated Article 370, which granted Jammu & Kashmir special status, and the provisions of Article 35A, which provided special rights to its permanent residents.

It also reorganised the erstwhile state into the Union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The move remains a key point of contention between the Centre and regional parties, including the PDP, which has opposed the changes.

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir.

He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. Expertise and Experience Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development.

Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor.

Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans: Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance. Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population.

Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley. Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting.

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