Dialogue only way forward: Er Rashid

Suhail Khan 

New Delhi, Mar 30: The Parliamentian from Baramulla Er Engineer Rashid on Monday pitched for dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, while flagging Pakistan’s role in fomenting unrest in the region.

Addressing Parliament, the Lok Sabha member from Baramulla said the external dimension of the Kashmir issue required Islamabad to stop supporting terrorism, but stressed that the internal dimension too needed a political resolution.

“Pakistan should understand that they should not support terrorism. We are fed up. One lakh people have died. Please let us live. But there is an internal dimension,” he said.

Referring to the August 5, 2019, abrogation of Article 370, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, Er Rashid alleged that several political leaders were detained under the Public Safety Act in the aftermath and accused of being foreign agents. He demanded that the government clarify the basis on which some were subsequently released.

“Tell this house, tell the people of Jammu and Kashmir. What was your deal with them? And why are innocent people like us, hundreds of children, in Tihar, Agra, Jammu, Kot Bhalwal, why are they rotting?” he said.

 

The parliamentarian commended the government for peace accords in Assam, Nagaland, and other border regions, and for the surrender of 10,000 militants, but questioned why a similar approach was not being adopted for Jammu and Kashmir.

“You can kill a Naxal. You can kill a militant. But unless and until you kill militancy, you will not kill Naxalism. Till then, you will not succeed,” he said.

Dismissing allegations of being an agent of any foreign power, the Baramulla MP asserted, “Kashmir is ours. Kashmir is theirs,” and accused the government of India attempting to establish “puppets” in the Union Territory.

He said, “We are not afraid of your jail. Do whatever you want. But talk to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. You will have to talk. You will have to listen to the people of Kashmir. You cannot suppress us by force.”

“Cruelty is cruelty. It will be erased. It will definitely be erased. If not today, then tomorrow,” he added.