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10 HERITAGE messenger
June 26 to July 2 : Weekly News Magazine

some solution. It is not fair to allow your kids to get involved in this problem MM: For me, it is not about just restoring the trust of people. It is not about
and get consumed by it. that. My philosophy, my commitment, my conviction is about my father’s
commitment to reconciliation. I have never ever for even a second given up
Q. Did you feel any remorse?? on that. I am here as Chief Minister with the BJP and the basic reason for
MM: I felt angry. I also felt very helpless, very sad. I mean there were so that is that we want reconciliation. We want to take J&K out of what you
many emotions at the same time. I was angry. How could people allow their have seen during the last five six months. This is the basic purpose. It is
kids to go out in such a charged atmosphere, when there is a hartal call, very challenging. My father, when he was on the hospital bed, even then he
there is a chalo (march) call, there is curfew, security forces are out to take was thinking about reconciliation. He was asking me about PM Modi’s visit
control of the situation. How can you allow your kids to go out? to Lahore and he was very pleased about it. He was so upset when
Pathankot happened. A person, who is on his death bed and if he is at that
time so committed to reconciliation, how can I being his daughter be
Q. Were you angry at the State machinery at any point??
MM: I was at times angry of course. At times, when I would feel they could committed to something else??But some things were thrown at me.
have been more cautious. At times. But it is also easier said than done Encounters have been happening but never ever had I imagined that there
because when you are sitting at a place (away from the spot) and you feel is going to be this kind of public upsurge of emotions wherein some
why did they use this pellet gun or why did they use tear gas shell, you don’t elements are going to use young boys as a shield. If you look at the age
group of the people who have died or got injured, a majority of them are very
young boys. But the people who were behind the
scenes organising it — who were moving during the
nights organising the chalos — are all elderly people.
The people who got injured and killed were young boys.
This emotional upsurge was used by some people to
achieve their own ends.?There were some elements
behind the scenes seeing to it that there should be some
kind of reaction (from the police) that leads to a death or
an injury. Otherwise why would you first block a road
and after seeing that the policemen have come out of
their vehicles to clear the road, you start pelting stones
at them. I think there were people, I don’t know who they
were, who planned it very well, and unfortunately they
used these young children to do their work.
Q. It wasn’t quite that simple. I was reporting on the
ground from south Kashmir. And almost everyone we
spoke to was talking about azadi. There was clarity in
their demand. Burhan Wani’s killing was a trigger and
there wasn’t any evidence to show that someone was
pulling their strings. It was spontaneous.?
know what is happening at that time there. While so many people were MM: I am not denying the issue. I am saying that some
injured and killed, at the same time a good number of policemen also got people used death and destruction to highlight it. And unfortunately I feel
injured. But then I would get upset and angry because I feel police and over the years it has become a norm to see death and destruction and
security forces are disciplined forces and they are elders (adults). Maybe, violence as an end in itself. They think more the casualties happen each
by being a little more cautious, we would have saved some lives. day, the issue is alive.?For any kind of reconciliatory measure or whatever,
you need to create a conducive atmosphere. The people who you say want
resolution of the problem are there but people in general would like to see
Q. Will there be an investigation into the killings, blindings, allegations of
excess?? an end to the violence. But there wasn’t enough time given to me so that we
could create a conducive atmosphere. In spite of everything, the all-party
MM: Of course, I am going to pursue these cases. Wherever there has been delegation came from Delhi and tried to meet them. I wrote a letter (to the
anything that was brazen, definitely there is going to be some kind of Hurriyat). It is a process… If you go back to 2002-2003 onwards, when
mechanism, because I personally feel this is something that has gone roads started to open up, delegations started to come and dialogue
beyond. I am personally convinced. We also got feedback. It is not what started, it was a process. If you recall, then deputy prime minister L K
people feel alone, I am myself convinced we need to do something about it. Advani asked the Hurriyat to give something in writing about their ideas.
It won’t be swept under the carpet, particularly the cases I have been The Kashmir problem isn’t something that has happened yesterday and
talking about — the ATM guy ( who was killed while driving his motorbike will be resolved today. I always keep on saying that it is an idea, you need to
home), the Zewan fellow (the lecturer who was beaten to death by the address that idea or come up with a better idea to replace that idea. But if
Army), and other similar cases.?I have a relationship with the people. It is you feel that creating violence, creating death and destruction is the
not like I am the Chief Minister and they are the people. I have a relationship solution to the problem, you are wrong. I don’t think it is good to go for death
with them. My father would always say that I am brutally frank. Whenever and destruction only for the sake of keeping the (Kashmir) problem alive. I
he had to introduce me to someone, he would say meet my daughter, she is think it is weakening the case instead. If you look at the whole world,
brutally frank. So when I talk, I talk my heart out. So when I tell something to nobody is ready to stand by violent means, the gun, no matter how genuine
the people, I am talking to the people, I feel I am talking to my own. It is very your case may be.
difficult to explain my relationship with the people and how I feel, but it (the
relationship) is close-knit.
Q. During the protests, the groundswell for azadi was clearly visible. For
the last five months, the state goverment’s response to this was as if it was
Q. In 2008, 2010, you were vehemently opposing all the measures that a purely security issue. The BJP government at the centre also saw it this
your government is now taking since July. Many of your supporters say that way only. This is also one of the worst times in the India-Pak relationship.
they would never have thought that under a PDP government, scores of The Line of Control is hot again. You insist that your party is committed to its
people would be killed in protests, injured by pellet guns, around a agenda of reconciliation, how are you going to pursue that??
thousand blinded, a newspaper banned… So when you go to the people
now, go to your supporters, how do you regain that trust? ? MM: Do you think things are worse than when there was Kargil invasion?