SRINAGAR: After remaining largely away from the public eye since 2019, former Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Minister Tasaduq Hussain Mufti made a rare public appearance in Srinagar on Saturday, saying he had returned and that “something will happen.”
Tasaduq, son of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and brother of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, made the remarks while speaking on the sidelines of an environmental event.
Asked about his absence from the media and public life, Tasaduq said he had not deliberately kept himself away.
“Now it is time for all of us to understand. I myself was away from these things. Now, God willing, I have come back. Something will happen,” he said.
The former minister, however, did not elaborate on what he meant by his return or whether he intended to resume political activities.
Tasaduq, a cinematographer by profession, joined the Peoples Democratic Party in January 2017 and was inducted into the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government in December that year. He served as Tourism Minister until the coalition collapsed in June 2018.
He has since maintained a low public profile, particularly after the constitutional changes in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.
Tasaduq also spoke at length about environmental issues, including waste management, traffic congestion, increasing concretisation and the need for better planning in Kashmir.
He said the environmental event had provided an opportunity to listen to people working on these issues and understand the problems facing the Valley.
“It was very good. I got to hear a lot and learn a lot. I think all the people here think alike. Whatever problems we have, be it waste or traffic, we need to understand them comprehensively,” he said.
Tasaduq said environmental issues should receive greater attention in public discussions and that the focus must be on finding solutions.
“Everyday living needs to become important. It needs to be addressed in a manner driven by solutions and by a common dream that we all have for Kashmir,” he said.
He said the aim should be to make Kashmir free of waste and improve public spaces so that people, particularly children and the elderly, could move around comfortably.
“We have taken it upon ourselves to make it waste-free, to make it a place where children and old people can come and walk and see this Valley as beautiful as it can be. The possibilities are endless. We just need to imagine,” he said.
When asked what the present government should do to protect the environment, the former minister said people must first look at their own responsibilities.
“The biggest question is what you should do yourself. When we do our work, let us see how far the government will come. It will come with us. Why not?” he said.
He said people should examine their own role in addressing environmental problems instead of expecting the government to act on every issue.
Referring to increasing concretisation, Tasaduq said urban planning required a wider discussion involving experts from different fields.
He said road design, drainage, water absorption and the condition of land were complicated matters that needed proper study and planning.
“When you run a state or a large place, street design, how the roads should be, how water should be absorbed and how you give back to the land are complicated questions for which a multidisciplinary team is needed,” he said.
Tasaduq also questioned the lack of discussion on environmental issues in mainstream media.
“I don’t see these discussions happening in mainstream media. This is possibly one of the few gatherings where I have seen people talking about such issues,” he said.
He appreciated the work of Manzoor Wangnoo, saying his efforts on environmental issues were an inspiration.
On tourism, Tasaduq said the priority should be to make Kashmir a better place for its residents rather than looking at development only from the perspective of visitors.
“The tourism industry is just one part of the whole picture. First of all, make the place useful and good for Kashmiris. After that, create an environment for them. Tourism will automatically catch up,” he added. (KNS)
