`No alternative to reconciliation for resolving J&K's larger issues'

Iltija Mufti, 37, is a third-generation politician from the Mufti family who will make her electoral debut in the upcoming Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. Her mother, Mehbooba Mufti, and her grandfather, the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, were chief ministers of the erstwhile state. Her mother is currently the People's Democratic Party (PDP) president.

Ms Iltija, who is making her political debut from the Bijbehara Assembly seat, spoke with Mint in Srinagar about her political jump, her party's plans, and how not even a single election has been able to resolve the larger issue of Jammu and Kashmir. Following are the edited excerpts of the interview.

How does it feel to make a debut in electoral politics?

It is indeed overwhelming. For the past five years, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been barred from any semblance of security. The abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 stripped people of their rights and liberty. There has been a mass exodus from the PDP, and the party is not what it looked like earlier. Given what Jammu and Kashmir have faced in the last five years, the party felt we needed people to raise their voices by participating in a democratic process.

What challenges lie ahead as you start campaigning?

You know, the Government of India sitting in Delhi has been trying its best to disempower the people of Jammu and Kashmir. People have suffered after the illegal abrogation of Article 370. People feel dispossessed. There have been people arrested on flimsy grounds. Nobody can speak his/her mind here. We have witnessed one psychological blow after another. There is an attack on our history, identity, and culture.

Clearly, Delhi didn't have the best interests at heart regarding Jammu and Kashmir. So, the immediate challenge would be to bring back that sense of safety and empowerment so that people feel there is someone ready to listen to them and resolve their grievances.

PDP and National Conference were part of the PAGD (People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration) alliance that spoke against Article 370 post-2019. The NC says it has sealed an alliance with the Congress. What do you say about the alliances?

Since 2019, political parties have focussed on the illegal abrogation of Article 370. In fact, PAGD, or the Gupar Alliance, was Ms Mehbooba 's brainchild. I think alliances are the key right now, which is what PDP has been discussing.

The PDP had an alliance with the BJP in 2014, and why didn't it work?

My mother (as the chief minister) was in a predicament when she led the PDP-BJP government. Mufti (Muhammad Sayeed) Sahab took a decision, perhaps expecting that it would moderate Prime Minister Narendra Modi like we had a moderate Prime Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Not all decisions you make in politics are the right decisions. Unfortunately, Mufti Sahab went to the grave, perhaps, with regret for the risk he took for the larger good of Jammu and Kashmir.

PM Modi accused regional parties NC and PDP of promoting dynasties in politics. What is your response?

They (the BJP) can have a minister in Chirag Paswan, son of former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan. They can have an ally partner in Chandrababu Naidu whose son Nara Lokesh is also into politics. It is clearly about your convenience. It is all right as long as someone is on your side. And it's not all right if someone is not with you. I think it should be left to the wisdom of people. We are ultimately a democratic country. Nobody can take my right to contest elections away only because I am someone's daughter or granddaughter.

When it is formed, the Jammu and Kashmir assembly will have a different structure with a lieutenant governor in office. How do you see governance in that scenario?

We are aware of the local issues that people have been grappling with. A team of babus has governed us, and we have been living in a 'babudom' since 2018. You have a police chief who is making political statements.

I hear the argument that the governance model will be different without a statehood status granted to Jammu and Kashmir. However, I have to say that there is no other alternative to resolving the larger issue of Jammu and Kashmir than peace, reconciliation, and dialogue with all the stakeholders. Not a single election has resolved the larger issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

                                                        (By arrangement with livemint.com)