On Accession Day, Mehbooba asks Govt to adopt path of dialogue instead of force

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday urged the people of the country to recall the promises made to Jammu and Kashmir at the time of its accession, saying the relationship was built on trust, secularism and constitutional guarantees that she alleged were being violated.

She told the people of the country that we have joined hands with such an India, which is the India of Gandhi, the India of Nehru, the India of Ambedkar, which gave us all the rights, which are being violated right now. I request them to remember this. This is not a piece of paper, Mehbooba said while addressing a party function at the party headquarters in Srinagar.

Her remarks came as Jammu and Kashmir observed Accession Day, marking the signing of the Instrument of Accession by Maharaja Hari Singh on October 26, 1947. The instrument was accepted by the then Governor-General of India, Lord Mountbatten, on October 27, 1947, formalising the erstwhile princely state’s accession to India.

She said Jammu and Kashmir had joined India despite being a Muslim-majority region because its people trusted the country’s secular leadership and believed their distinct identity and rights would be protected. She said the region’s people had placed their faith in the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, B R Ambedkar, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who, she said, envisioned India as a secular country where people of all religions could live together.

She said the Instrument of Accession and the subsequent constitutional arrangements reflected the assurances given to Jammu and Kashmir, including safeguards intended to preserve its identity, land and employment opportunities.

Recalling the circumstances surrounding the accession, Mehbooba said Pakistan’s tribal invasion had influenced the course of events in 1947, when Jammu and Kashmir’s leadership sought India’s assistance. She said the people had expected their political aspirations and concerns to be respected.

However, she alleged that the relationship had deteriorated over the decades, particularly after the August 5, 2019 abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir, which split it into two separate union territories.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir are still where they were kept in 1947,” she said, alleging that the region continued to face restrictions, widespread security deployment and difficulties affecting its residents.

She claimed that young people continued to face police scrutiny and that those seeking passports for education, employment and other opportunities were subjected to difficulties.

She also questioned the continued detention of people and the use of investigative agencies and preventive detention laws in the region.

Mehbooba said the government should pursue dialogue and democratic engagement rather than rely on force to maintain control over Jammu and Kashmir.

Invoking former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s approach, she said the region’s problems required humanity, democracy and Kashmiriyat.

“If you want to keep Jammu and Kashmir together, don’t drag it. Don’t drag it with your arms. Instead, hold its hand and teach it to walk with you,” she said.

She urged people across the country to take note of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and press for the restoration of rights and dignity, saying the region’s relationship with India should be guided by the principles and assurances on which it was built.