SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said growing frustration and depression among the youth in Jammu and Kashmir were driving them towards extreme and misguided actions, attributing the trend to the prevailing political and social climate.
Speaking to party workers on the death anniversary of her father and former chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, Mehbooba said recent incidents, including one at the Red Fort, should be viewed against the backdrop of increasing alienation among young people. She said many youths feel unheard and neglected, leading them to take “wrong steps”.
Calling for an urgent reassessment of the political philosophy associated with Mufti Sayeed, she said his policies were aimed at protecting the interests of the people but were often misunderstood during his lifetime. “Had Mufti Sahib been alive today, the situation would have been different,” she said.
Referring to decisions taken during her father’s tenure, Mehbooba Mufti cited the establishment of the Islamic University of Science and Technology on land previously occupied by the Army as an example of his people-centric approach. She expressed concern over what she described as threats to orchards due to railway projects and distress among farmers, saying Mufti Sayeed would not have permitted such developments.
Criticising the current political leadership, she alleged that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah lacked sensitivity towards agrarian issues. She also rejected allegations that Mufti Sayeed’s engagement with the BJP was motivated by personal or political gain, insisting it was guided by the interests of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mehbooba Mufti further alleged that the present situation in the Union Territory was chaotic, claiming that families were unable to meet prisoners lodged in jails and that public issues were being ignored.
Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, a veteran politician and two-time chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, died on January 7, 2016, at the age of 79 after prolonged illness at AIIMS, New Delhi.
