SRINAGAR: Mehbooba Mufti president PDP said in a statement that she still holds on to the hope that GOI will review its approach to our state and instead of looking at it as a hostile territory sees the historical perspective of our relationship with the union. The recent indicators have created an understandable fear among the people. Our special status is the result of a unique historical process that defied the logic of partition. The constant erosion of that position has not only thrown us into an unending turmoil and uncertainty, it also has cost one of the most promising regions of the world its actual potential of growth and greatness.
Article 370 and its corollary 35A are now the only safeguards for the state’s unique ethnic, cultural and demographic architecture. The debate around them will be the last act in walking out of the covenant and the solemn pledges a secular democracy made to the only Muslim majority entity that ever in history trusted one. Any fiddling with it will convert a constitutional and valid legal relationship into a virtual assault. She added that she does hope that the PM will rein in the hawks and try not to shut this only window to a political resolution of a festering sore.
At the same time its important for all the stake holders within the state to get together to make a joint effort to prevent this catastrophe that can potentially lead to unimaginable problems.
Our constitutional status is something that is beyond politics as It concerns our very existence as a distinct cultural entity in a country of continental proportions. Our response has to be calibrated peacefully and democratically at every level of society in all regions of the state.
I therefore earnestly request our civil society and socio cultural organisations, trade bodies, scholars and academics and even separatists to play their constructive role at this crucial juncture of our unfortunate history.
Those who didn’t repose faith in constitution can also feel how important it was for us to have listened to calls for a dialogue, now that our very existence is threatened. I do hope that they also join the United effort to salvage whatever we can through constitutional means. I do hope they join this constitutional battle as well in view of the imminent threat.Today we have to think for our collective interest and rise above personal or party considerations. For there may never be a tomorrow, for us or our children. There may be no J&K or India of our aspirations as we have known or grown with. (PTK)
