‘Choose honest leader who’s a deep thinker, don’t jump and drown in river’
‘We have to change Lal-Chowk into Istaq Lal-Chowk’
Kashmir issue: We have drawn lines and sketch, only Indo-Pak need to add colour
‘Break walls, join hands, draft resolution to impress Indo-Pak for talks’
Srinagar: “I won’t speak in a traditional way today. This is not a plain talk, but a message to Indians, Pakistanis and Kashmiris—which also includes people of Jammu and Ladakh. Don’t read my speech in words or sentences, understand its pain and message,” this is how the former chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and Muslim Conference Chairman Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, opened up with his speech.
“Darkness is your candle”, Bhat quoted famous saying of Rumi, adding, here Rumi doesn’t talk about the light of moon or stars, he talks about understanding, and the light of mind.
“You won’t get anything if you don’t have deeper understanding of the situation,” he said relating it with the present Kashmir unrest and its future.
“It is the light of mind and faith. If you don’t have a deeper understanding where do you go? If you jump into a river, you will surely drown if you don’t know swimming. Everybody in Kashmir has now become a leader. There are all leaders around and no people. This has to end,” he said.
Bhat said people will have to choose the most honest, sincere person who has deeper understanding of things as their leader. “I will want capable people to come forward. I never shall contest elections. Even if Kashmir achieves freedom, I won’t choose power,” he said.
Bhat said while addressing a jam-packed audience at his official residence here, before releasing his book “Beyond Me”. The audience mostly comprised educated class, thinkers, journalists, writers, academicians and lawyers.
Terming Kashmir as a foundation stone of darkness that has engulfed whole of the south-Asia, he said the line that was drawn by Cyril Radcliffe along with a representative of Congress and Muslim League, only to be redrawn later gave rise to the darkness in Kashmir, India and Pakistan, otherwise what was the need to redraw a line that was already drawn.
He said India entered into Kashmir with a roar of gun amidst the noises of democracy. “The collective soul of Kashmir was deeply wounded that time. Soul doesn’t shout slogans, but soul never forgets the lessons it is taught. So we vividly remember the lesson like sharp minded students we have been taught by none other than India’s first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, that Kashmiris will be give a chance to decide their fate,” Bhat said, adding, even after 70 years Kashmiris have not forgotten the lesson and will never even forget.
“Kashmiris are very sharp minded people. I will say sharper than people of many regions around us. It is our (Kashmiris) sharp mindedness that we have been able to lock horns against the world’s second largest populous country,” he said.
He said, “We have to change Lal-Chowk into Istaq Lal Chowk. It is already lal (red), but we have to convert it into Istaq Lal Chowk where we will decide our fate,” said the senior Hurriyat leader.
Bhat said Kashmir is inexplicitly linked to the future of the whole south Asian region.
Senior Hurriyat Conference leader and Muslim Conference Chairman Professor Abdul Gani Bhat today said they have drawn the lines and the sketch and it is now India and Pakistan who have to add colour to this sketch, and start a meaningful and sustained dialogue process. “Start dialogue and we know how to guide you,” he said.
Asking people to raise one slogan… “We want dialogue, Hum Baat Cheet chahtey hain, masail ka hal chahtey hain aur Shaandar kal chahtey hai,” it will lead to togetherness and its message will flow from Kashmir,” he said.
He said he would want the leaders of all the recognised parties to break the walls of egos and join hands conjointly and draft a resolution to impress upon India and Pakistan to start a sustained dialogue process involving a third friendly country.
“This friendly county will play a vital role between India and Pakistan to sustain with the dialogue during the time of crisis between the two countries,” he said.
He said the worlds two big powers are in south Asia which have changed the dynamic of politics here. “America is in Afghanistan and China is in Pakistan,” he said, underscoring the need to understand the importance of these two countries in south Asia.
Bhat said there is not only an issue of Kashmir between India and Pakistan, but there is another rising issue of water, and its solution is also through Kashmir. (PTK)