Budgam, Aug 07: Hoping that the Supreme Court will deliver “justice” to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in its verdict on petitions against the abrogation of Article 370, Chairman Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) and former minister Hakeem Yaseen on Monday said the Article served as an “aspirational bridge” for mutual trust and faith between the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the country.
In a statement, Hakeem said, “Respecting socio-political aspirations of the people was paramount for strengthening the bonds of mutual trust and faith between the Centre and the people of J&K.”
While speaking at a meeting of PDF workers and office bearers here on Monday, Hakeem Yaseen said the people of J&K were yearning for protection of their identity and honour within the constitutional guarantees assured to them in the Instrument of Accession. He said the urge of the people about the restoration of Art 370 should not be construed as a separatist tendency but a sincere plea to allow them to live peacefully in the national mainstream with dignity and honour.
The PDD chairman outrightly held some political parties responsible for creating doubts and misunderstanding in the Centre about the loyalty and patriotism of the people of J&K for “satiating their vested political interests”. “Actually, these are the parties which during their long dispensations eroded the sanctity of Article 370 and made it hollow time and again to appease their bosses at the Centre, and were now shedding crocodile tears about its restoration,” he said.
Hakeem Yaseen said the people J&K have by conviction acceded to secular India on the basis of some constitutional assurances, adding that the way Article 370 was unilaterally abrogated has severely hurt the socio-political aspirations and sentiments of the people.
He said the people of J&K were no less patriots than other countrymen. “The people have now understood the machinations of these political parties who used to raise hollow slogans to befool common people for meeting their political interests,” he said, adding, “Gone are the days when people were befooled by raising emotional slogans. The people have now fully understood the chemistry of J&K politics and would no more allow any element to exploit them.”
The former minister asked the workers to expand their public outreach at the grassroots level to win the faith and goodwill of the common people. “Public representatives would now be elected on the basis of their performance and goodwill, not on emotional slogans and hollow promises,” he said.
