Shadow Correspondent
DODA, JAN 07:
PDP incharge RS Pura Jammu South Narinder Sharma and PDP incharge Suchetgarh constituency Karan Singh today paid floral tributes to former J&K Chief Minister Late Mufti Mohd Sayeed on his death anniversary at party headquarter in Gandhi Nagar on Tuesday. Earlier both the leaders addressed party cadre at Kotli Shah Doula before leaving for party headquarter in Gandhi Nagar to attend grand tribute programme to pay tributes to founder of PDP.
Narinder paying tributes to Late Mufti Mohd Sayeed said that responding to the people’s innermost yearning for peace with dignity, Mufti after assuming charge as the Chief Minister of J&K in 2002, crusaded the “Healing Touch” policy to repair the people’s hurt psyche, salvaging their bruised dignity, rekindling a new hope in their hearts and motivating them to mould their destiny through a participatory political and democratic process. The result was there for all to behold and fortunately, the country’s leadership, at that time also understood and appreciated the rejuvenating and hopeful political transformation in the State and responded to it in good measure.
Seen as a visionary leader, a smart political strategist and masterful politician, Narinder said Mufti’s arrival on the stage in J&K in 2002 and his deft handling of the delicate political equations resulted in an almost instant change in the situation, both within the State and in the regional context. His invitation to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to address a rally in Srinagar, first ever for a Prime Minister in nearly two decades, from the PDP stage, triggered a new wave of peace efforts which culminated in withdrawal of forces from forward areas, ceasefire along the borders, disbanding of instruments like STF and SOG, scrapping of POTA and release of political prisoners. It also led to a direct engagement between India and Pakistan and of the Central Government with the separatist leaders in Kashmir, added Narinder.
Narinder further said that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed believed that facilitating free movement of goods and people through the traditional cross-LoC routes in Jammu & Kashmir would help the policymakers on the two sides of the divide to facilitate the political changes that the people in the region so badly need. He saw the opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakote roads along the LoC as a stepping stone towards forging a new economic alliance in the region. Within the State, Mufti’s political focus was on connecting communities and regions into one conglomerate of harmonious diversities. His emphasis on improving the trust levels between two main regions of Kashmir and Jammu has remained the driving force for his party PDP’s political engagement in all the regions and sub-regions that it could emerge as a unifying force that offers channels of aspirations and representation to each one of them. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was a strong votary of friendly relations between India and Pakistan, which he believed was critical to the political stability in J&K as well the Subcontinent. He was a staunch believer in the democratic polity and was responsible for introducing political competition in the state, added Narinder.
Speaking on the occasion, Karan Singh said Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had an illustrious political career, that culminated when he became the Chief Minister of the state for the first time in 2002. He was sworn in for the second time as Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir on March 01, 2015. Mufti Sayeed had also earlier served as Union Home and Tourism Minister. One of the last politicians in Jammu & Kashmir, who had grown into the mould of an upright and unblemished statesman, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed represented courage of conviction and a lifelong political struggle spanning over five decades. His vision for the state of Jammu & Kashmir as a distinct feature of the idea of India is complemented by the clear-cut democratic construct of his political thought, an inclusive polity and ingenious development, added Karan Singh.
Karan Singh said late CM distinguished himself through remarkable political acumen and vision.Throughout his life, Sayeed worked for the socio-political transformation and betterment of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.In his passing away, we have lost an outstanding public figure who was always in touch with the grassroots of society. Sayeed’s contribution to Jammu and Kashmir and India through long years of public service will be always remembered. Senior politician Mufti Mohammad Sayeed came a long way from being the man with little popular connect and someone who couldn’t win elections outside his south Kashmir stronghold to twice become the chief minister of a state scarred by decades of violence.
