Informist, Tuesday, Sep 17, 2024

By Kuldeep Singh

SRINAGAR – The three-phase Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, set to begin Wednesday, are all about the locals reclaiming their voice and space, said Waheed ur Rehman Para, president of the youth wing of Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party.

The 36-year-old Para, who is contesting from Pulwama, expects the PDP to play a key role in forming the next government. The former secretary of Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council was booked under terrorism charges in 2020 and was incarcerated for nearly 18 months.

"…a lot of people actually see this (election) as an act of self-preservation," Para told Informist in an interview.

"…you want your own people to be in the system because we saw people being removed from all sorts of spaces and an attack on our social space, political space, and religious space. So this is an attempt to reclaim those spaces," he added.

Following are the edited excerpts of the interview:

Q. Elections are happening in Jammu and Kashmir after 10 years. What is the mood of the people?

A. There is a lot of vacuum here. And because of raids, arrests, and detentions, Kashmiris feel this election is also about ending their silence and reclaiming their voice... So a lot of people actually see this as an act of self-preservation… Whether it's (an) assembly – even if it's a weak assembly – whether it's about making roads, electricity, water, or whether it's basic governance needs, you want your own people to be in the system, because we saw people being removed from all sort of spaces and an attack on our social, political, and religious space. So this is an attempt to reclaim those spaces and that's why you see people, young people, coming out, whether they articulate it or not. But deep down, the realisation is to say what we can say.

Q. Separatists boycotted elections in the past. But we saw people coming out to vote in the Lok Sabha polls. What is the status of that separatist movement in Kashmir now? Has it weakened completely, and is that why people are coming forward to vote?

A. Yes, and no. Separatists are mostly in jail or banned. The leadership is detained. Second, the leadership is taking part in electoral politics. Now, whether it's out of conviction or out of compulsion, only time will tell. It's a good start that people see democracy as a means to achieve goals. So it's a good way to begin with, and we welcome this step. This is also the democratisation of dissent in many ways.

But now the question remains how sustainable this process can be, because it can't begin and end only with elections. Elections may be a step towards democratisation in Jammu and Kashmir. From 1987 we saw a huge push for violence, separatism, anti-India activities, and there was a space which was pushed into Pakistan, into anti-India activities by regional parties, by the National Conference in 1987 through rigging of elections, and by government mistakes as well. But there is a change now. People are coming forward. And this change has to be an evolving situation – you just can't draw conclusions right now.

Q. Is the abrogation of Article 370 an issue in these elections?

A. Yes, it is an issue, but not the only issue. The abrogation (of Article 370) is a very current issue because it relates to the latest insult done to Kashmiris. So people want to hear about it. They want to reclaim whatever has been abrogated.

Q. What are the other issues for the citizens of the Valley?

A. I think hopelessness. There is a lot of hopelessness among young people because of conflict and perpetual uncertainty. The future looks uncertain, the youth don't have jobs. There is a lot of depression among people. There is also a drug issue. So, young people are suffering huge anxiety here and see this election as a window of hope. It has created a lot of expectations.

But then what will you offer – because in a weak assembly, how strong the government can be? I think young Kashmiris need hope and they need dignity. And that can be jobs. Employment is one of the sources of engagement and economic empowerment, definitely. But young people are very cynical currently and are upset the way Kashmiris are being dealt with right now.

Q. What is the PDP's vision on employment and the local industry?

A. (We need to) bring more educational institutions, universities, foreign investment, national investment in Jammu and Kashmir and build agriculture and horticulture as the main backbone of economy. We need to revive and bring scientific farming like we did in (former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed) Mufti Sahib's time on horticulture. So, scientific farming, basically.

Tourism comprises 6% of our economy. But horticulture and agriculture is 70%. Not much focus is on that part. So there's a lot more which can be done to develop it. And there are livelihood programmes like poultry and milk production. Pulwama is one of the largest producers of milk in Jammu and Kashmir. It needs a lot of start-up schemes for young people, and interest-free loans. So all these programmes we have worked on in the past, we will try to work again on such schemes.

Q. Do you want more funds for Jammu and Kashmir?

A. If you need a post-conflict reconstruction programme, it has to be (based on) economic development, it has to be healing of conflict, and it has to be (about) releasing young people from cases. It has to be an inclusive programme which economically, politically, and socially involves people in Jammu and Kashmir.

Q. Do you think the election will have any impact on India-Pakistan relations?

A. This election is an opportunity for New Delhi to respect the mandate of the people of Kashmir and use democracy, which has become one of the weapons for Kashmiris right now. Respect the mandate, democratise people, and offer them whatever the elected representatives are asking for.

Q. What is the status of pro-Pakistan sentiments in the Valley?

A. There has been some sentiment of supporting them (pro-Pakistan individuals), I won't rule it out. There is a sentiment for India here, there is a sentiment which is anti-India as well. But that doesn't mean everybody is a Pakistani here. That's not true because some people may have ideological lineages, but it doesn't mean they are anti-India. So there are various circumstances.

This is a place which has been in perpetual conflict for 30-40 years between two guns, two nuclear-powered countries. So there are people who take sides because of circumstances. But it doesn't mean that, inherently, anyone is anti-India, a radical, or an extremist. That's not true.

Q. In case there's a hung Assembly, is there the possibility of post-poll alliances?

A. I think there will be alliances with shared interests, common interests, Kashmir interests, our constitutional interests, and regional interests, and they mostly ally with the INDIA alliance bloc right now. The mathematics will decide how government formation will take place, whether any party needs us or not. But larger interests are Kashmir-centric only.

Q. In 2015, the PDP had an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. But we saw in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the PDP lost all three seats in Kashmir. Was the alliance with BJP a mistake?

A. It damaged PDP a lot on the ground because the agenda of the alliance was aspirational, which was about actually resolving the conflict in Kashmir. (But) that didn't take place. It was not about governance only, it had a target to achieve conflict resolution and to involve stakeholders, political process, peace process which (former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) Vajpayee dived in with Mufti Sahib. So had Mufti Sahib lived, maybe the alliance would have succeeded.

And then there was so much turbulence in the government when Mehbooba ji became chief minister. Unfortunately, we could not achieve the objectives of the alliance and that's why it harmed PDP's interests.

Q. How many seats will the PDP win in these elections?

A. We are hopeful to cross (the 2014 number of 28)... we will throw a surprise. In 2002, PDP was nowhere. It got 13-14 seats. We will cross that number again. We are safe… And it's going to be a very key player in the government formation.

Q. How will you proceed towards restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir post-elections?

A. This is a process-driven issue, but restoration (of statehood) is not just a legal thing. It is also a political issue. It's an emotional issue for Kashmiris. We'll have to convince the people of India, the government of India, the Parliament that this is a demand and Kashmiris are not seeking anything anti-India or anti-Constitutional. This (demand for statehood) has been there for 70 years and is not a separatist demand. No separatist asks for (Article) 370; only the mainstream asks.

Q. What is your vision for Jammu and Kashmir?

A: A Jammu and Kashmir where peace is defined by the locals and not by India or Pakistan, and the dignity of people is intact. (I envision a state where) decisions are taken by locals, institutions are respected, and mandates are respected. And what we say is not criminalised. End

Edited by Tanima Banerjee

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