Statehood is a matter of dignity for us, but it can be achieved through talks, not confrontation: Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukahri
JK News Today
Srinagar, July 15: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari and Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir on Wednesday emphasized the need for dialogue between the Centre and the people of Jammu and Kashmir to address pressing issues, including the restoration of J&K’s statehood and the existing trust deficit between the people of J&K and the rest of the country.
Both the leaders were addressing a workers’ meeting at Dak Bunglow in Mendhar, Poonch. The meeting was organised by Constituency in-charge Mendhar, and party’s Spokesperson Raqik Ahmad Khan.
Speaking on the occasion, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari stressed that the demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir needs to be pursued through dialogue with the Centre, not through confrontation.
He was referring to the ruling party’s proposed sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, scheduled for July 20.
He said, “Statehood is imperative. In fact, it is a matter of dignity and honour for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. However, this can be achieved only through dialogue with the Government of India, not through confrontation.”
He further said, “Statehood alone will not fill people’s stomachs. They need employment opportunities. People need liberation from unemployment, poverty, hunger, underdevelopment, and other such problems. However, this insensitive government pays no heed to these pressing issues.”
Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said that the leaders who have ruled Jammu and Kashmir for decades have failed to provide the kind of effective and accountable governance that the people deserve.
He said, “Why are people here still deprived of basic amenities such as proper road connectivity, adequate drinking water, and reliable electricity?”
“The lack of basic amenities reflects the failure of those who have governed the region over the years to deliver effective governance and fulfill their responsibility towards the people,” he added.
Taking a further dig at the ruling party, he said that the leaders of the ruling party sought votes on the basis of false promises during their election campaign in 2024.
He said, “During the election campaign, the leaders of the ruling party sought votes by making promises to the people, including providing one lakh jobs to the youth within six months of assuming office. Why were such assurances made if they could not be fulfilled? People were asked to place their trust in these promises during the elections. This was a clear deception.”
He also blamed the Central government for the issues and hardships faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that “New Delhi has always imposed a leadership on the people of Jammu and Kashmir that was never interested in addressing their concerns effectively; rather, those leaders were interested in attaining and retaining power.”
“For the sake of power, these leaders had even hollowed out Article 370 long before the Centre finally abrogated it on August 5, 2019.”
Expressing his anguish over August 5 happenings, he said, “Even this hollowed-out Article 370 was an eyesore for the Centre. The Centre cared more about fulfilling what Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee had dreamt of but did not care about the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who had chosen Indian democracy in the hope of a better future. They took away our identity and bifurcated our state. What was our fault?”
Addressing the gathering, the party’s Senior Vice President, Ghulam Hassan Mir, spoke about the circumstances that led to the formation of the Apni Party in 2020. He said the party was established at a time when Jammu and Kashmir was in a state of turmoil, with people living amid fear, uncertainty, and apprehension.
He said, “At that time, thousands of people were in jail. People feared that, following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, outsiders would come to settle in Jammu and Kashmir and alter its demographic composition and Muslim-majority character. They were also apprehensive about losing their jobs and exclusive rights over land, as the abrogation enabled outsiders to purchase land and seek employment in the region. Those were truly difficult times.”
He went on to say, “In those testing times, the leaders of the Apni Party, under the leadership of Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, stepped forward. They went to Delhi and met the Hon’ble Prime Minister, the Hon’ble Home Minister, and other senior leaders, and persuaded them to allow the people of Jammu and Kashmir to retain their exclusive rights over land and government jobs. This was our contribution during those difficult times.”
Mir reiterated his demand that the Centre initiate a dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said, “We urge the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Hon’ble Home Minister to engage in dialogue with the people, especially the youth, of Jammu and Kashmir. They have chosen the path of peace and development, but they also need to be heard. Engaging with the people is essential to bridge the trust deficit between the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the country. Therefore, we urge the Centre to initiate a dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Addressing the meeting, the party’s Provincial President, Manjit Singh, said that “Apni Party is emerging as a political alternative for the people to get rid of the traditional parties, which have always exploited them for political dividends.”
He urged party workers to remain active and closely connected with the masses at the grassroot level.
Besides Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Ghulam Hassan Mir, and Manjit Singh, the prominent party leaders who were present on the occasion included Senior Vice President Jammu Province Shah Mohammad Tantray, State President SC Wing Bodraj Baghat, Provincial Vice President Jammu & Vice Chairman ST Wing Jammu Province Saleem Chowdary, State President Kissan Wing Badrinath Sharma, Constituency in-charge Mendhar, and Spokesperson Raqik Ah Khan, Zonal President Surankote Massarat Hayat Malik, Whadulla Khan, Yasir Ahmad Khan, Mushraf Ahmad Khan, Chowdary Zaffar, Syed Salahdin, Zulfikar Khan, Mohammad Fazil Khan, Mohammad Hafiz Khan, Mohammad Ayoub Khan, Syed Sarwar Hussain Shah, Mobin Qureshi, Vikram Sharma, Shahid Hilal and others.
