No jail can imprison an idea : Mufti

                       “Meet argument with argument, release prisoners”
Srinagar, July 12 ::: PDP Patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has said the present coalition government has been responsible for maligning the name of Indian democracy and constitutional system by depriving peaceful and respectable citizens, their liberty and fundamental rights. “This government has lowered the prestige of country’s judicial system and constitutional scheme by muzzling the voice of dissent and putting in jail people like 85 year old Ashraf Sehrai and teen agers should have been in schools and collges”, he told a massive public meeting at Kupwara today. Senior PDP Leader Muzffar Hussain Baig, Adv Ab Haq Khan MLA, Sofi Gh Mohiudin , Fayaz Ahmed Mir , Irfan Sultan Pandithpuri and Mohd Afzal Wani were present and spoke on this occasion.He said false cases against more than 5000 young people had put a question mark on their career and many were on the run to escape police.


Mufti said denial of rights is not new to the state. It has experienced turbulant and dark times in the past, but the elections in 2002 had changed the fundamentals of our politics and course of struggle for rights. He said the forces of peace and reconciliation encouraged after 2002 had helped in starting a peace process that could have led to its logical conclusion; the peaceful resolution of Kashmir problem. “ Had the PDP- Congress cpoalition continued the history of the state would have been different even though I believe that the destiny of Jammu & Kashmir is bound to change anyways for better” he declared.

Mufti said it was a blot on the country’s name that hundreds of people continue to be behind bars for the mere use of their right to express a dissenting view. Democracy is a battle of ideas and no jail is strong enough to imprison an idea.

He said many ideas about the state, its problems and resolution have been articulated from time to time which has resulted in uncertainity and miseries for people. But the zerosum game can be ended only by meeting an idea with a more creative idea which is in tune with the spirit and reality of our times. He said the formulation of self rule is an effort in that direction. “It is my life’s ambition and belief that J&K will come out of its cycle of destruction and uncertainity sooner than later”, he said.

Mufti said strengthening of democratic institutions was a crucial component of our efforts at finding a resolution. He reiterated his belief that the institutions like the state Assembly and the Panchayats have an important role in articulating and channelising the aspirations of the people. “ They are not any body’s proxies or rubberstamps”, he said and referred to the autonomy resolution passed by the state Assembly many years back.

He said it was a different case that NC had bartered away even this reolution for a share in power but the fact remains that state Assembly has the authority and credibility to contribute to ultimate resolution. If the constituent of the state could endorse accession why can’t the same Assembly now carry forward the process of peace and resolution, he said and added that PDP will not compromise on the rights of the people whether in Assembly or in the Panchayat institutions.

Making ascathing attack on the coalition government senior party leader and former Deputy Chief Minsiter Muzaffar Hussain Baig said the Omar Abdullah government had failed on all fronts primarily because it had neither an agenda nor a direction. He said while the PDP in 2002 ensured that the resolution of Kashmir problem and dismantling of state repression was included in the common minimum programme (CMP) with the Congress. N C in its hurry to grab power forgot even about its own manifesto.

He said the Chief Minister was on record that in order to get a six year term has sacrificed even his party’s right to have more ministers and better portfolios, “ How can the people of the state expect such a government to lead them to any good, Beig wondered and said the only criterian for the NC is to grab power some how and use it for personal comfort. He said the present government had neither a political agenda nor a development road map.If they had only continued to carryout work on the major schemes and projects launched under the government headed by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed they would have done much better. But instead, true to its tradition of vindictiveness it almost shelved all such schemes which could have brought relief to the people. He said this government has brought governance to zero level and is dealing with the people only through police, security forces and filing of false cases against the youth.