Post Mehbooba Mufti- Ram Madhav meeting on Wednesday evening, there is only one-sided story out in the public domain over the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir. It’s BJP that has spoken out, the PDP is maintaining a discreet silence.
The real story centres on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The reason: The PDP wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show the same statesmanship and boldness that he exhibited by undertaking a surprise visit to Pakistan on Xmas, which his predecessor Manmohan Singh could not, despite his wish to do so for the 10 years he was Prime Minister of the country. There was a standing invitation to Manmohan Singh from Pervez Musharraf, Asif Ali Zardari and Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, but he could not travel even to his native village.
Modi visited Pakistan. He stayed on the course despite the big terror attack on the Pathankot air base in the opening days of 2016.
As the TV screens started running the breaking news of Modi visiting Lahore on December 25, the former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was up and about in excitement at his hospital bed in Delhi and quipped instinctively, “This is a statesman like act.”
His daughter Mehbooba Mufti was with him at that time. Mufti Sayeed then turned toward her and said, “That’s why I call him the most powerful Prime Minister.” This episode Mehbooba has shared with her relatives and colleagues a number of times to underscore the point that how her father had a vision of a peaceful and stable Jammu and Kashmir in South Asia and how much he had pinned hopes on the Prime Minister.
This reflects a widespread yearning that the Prime Minister should take unconventional steps vis-a-vis Kashmir to bolster the mood of the people; give them a hope translatable in action in a time-bound manner. If the Prime Minister could show his statesmanship with the neighbouring country, Jammu and Kashmir is part of India so there should be greater investment in trust, economics and politics so that the things could move forward not just for the formation of the government, but for a sustainable positive and peaceful and stable landscape in future.
Modi holds the key— this is how Mehbooba and her party have said it time and again.
Ram Madhav’s interaction with the media on Thursday revealed that most of the things in circulation as the confidence building measures (CBMs) supposedly suggested by Mehbooba Mufti were not at all there.
There is a firm belief of Mehbooba Mufti, as was that of her father that Modi alone can reach out to Kashmir and own them in the way they wanted.
Modi has to invoke his own commitments and conviction with regard to Kashmir. He alone can deliver on the promises made in the Agenda of the Alliance, which is realistic, if there is a sincerity of purpose in implementing it in the timeframe. The document in reference to Jammu and Kashmir, the most sensitive state in the country, cannot be kept hanging for infinity. In fact, Mehbooba wants Delhi to bring Jammu and Kashmir on the page of trust and confidence so that optimism fills the air.
That’s how she expects her father’s vision to be realised.
PDP wants Modi to own Kashmir
