Budgam, Aug 02: Observing that trust deficit and discontentment towards mainstream was the outcome of “repeated betrayals” to the people’s trust by the successive State and Central governments since 1953, Chairman People’s Democratic Front and former minister Hakeem Muhammed Yaseen has called for renewed confidence-building measures (CBMs) to bridge the gap. He said the need of the hour was to restore constitutional guarantees and democratic rights of the people and assuage them about their identity, dignity and honour.
Addressing a party workers’ meeting here on Wednesday, Hakeem Yaseen said, “Some parties with vested interests were responsible for alienation from the mainstream. They repeatedly breached the trust of the common people just for pleasing their bosses at the Centre to remain in power unethically.”
“Doubts were created unnecessarily about the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India, notwithstanding the fact they were people who orchestrated this constitutional provision themselves,” the PDF chairman said. “After raising sensational slogans like Plebiscite, Greater Autonomy and Self-Rule, they hobnobbed with ideologically opposite the Central governments to grab power. The sentiments of common people were ruthlessly trampled from time to time for the lust of power.”
The former minister urged the Centre to go for a “quick socio-political course correction” in Jammu and Kashmir to regain the trust and faith of the people, especially the youth. “It was high time for the Centre to sincerely meet the aspirations of the youth who have understood the machinations of the power-hungry political parties and were eagerly looking for an alternative to meet their urges and aspirations,” he said.
Hakeem said the people of J&K were secular by conviction and true patriots like fellow countrymen but they have been exploited by vested interests. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the youth, were disillusioned with the politics of deceit meted out to them since 1953. They only yearn for safeguards to their constitutional guarantees about their better future, employment and demographic existence,” he said.
He said the people of J&K have “woken up now” and have full ability to differentiate between their friends and exploiters. “They cannot be hoodwinked by hollow slogans anymore,” he said.
The PDF chief asked the workers to reach out to the people in their respective areas to redress their problems.
