Diplomat Correspondent
Srinagar, (DD) On the 26th Foundation Day of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), party president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti delivered a forceful address in Srinagar, urging the Central Government to abandon its “security-centric mindset” and embrace a path of reconciliation, dialogue, and demilitarisation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Calling for a decisive shift in New Delhi’s Kashmir policy, Mehbooba Mufti said, “What is India’s foreign policy without Jammu and Kashmir at its heart? Decades of conflict have only deepened wounds. Pakistan invests in war machinery, while India—once admired as the wise ‘hathi’—has chosen coercion over compassion.”
Citing India’s economic lag behind China, she questioned national priorities. “These aren’t just my concerns. Even the External Affairs Minister acknowledges the gap. India cannot afford to sacrifice internal peace for external posturing,” she remarked.
She expressed concern over the widening socio-economic disparities, citing the lack of basic amenities like toilets and clean water in schools, while the government continues to deploy additional CRPF companies across the region. “How much security is enough? Militarisation cannot heal wounds,” she said.
In a direct appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she urged statesmanship over suppression: “You have the mandate of 120 crore people. If India wishes to surpass global powers like China, it must first win the trust of its own people in Jammu and Kashmir. Reconciliation, not repression, is the path forward.”
The PDP chief sharply criticised the abrogation of Article 370, calling it an act that has “deepened alienation” rather than fostering development. “The people of J&K are not enemies of the state—they are citizens yearning for dignity, justice, and inclusion,” she stressed.
Mehbooba Mufti reaffirmed PDP’s founding principles of dialogue and democratic engagement, emphasizing that the party’s mission, laid down by its founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, remains unchanged. “Whether in power or in opposition, PDP stands for peace through engagement—not through fear or force,” she said.
She concluded by calling on the Centre to restore democratic institutions in their true sense and to begin a credible process that respects the political and emotional aspirations of the people(DD)
