Another son is about to rise on the political horizon of Kashmir. Tasaduq Mufti, the son of the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is all set to plunge into active politics. Though reluctant to dabble into electoral politics initially, he says he will have to give in to family and party pressure.
An opportunity to test the electoral waters presents before him in the next month's parliamentary bypolls. There is pressure on him to contest from the family stronghold of Anantnag - the seat vacated by his sister Mehbooba Mufti.
Anantnag is making the family and party command go emotional. The party is also busy calculating the numbers because it wants the Mufti scion to make a successful political debut. If things fall in place, the 45-year-old cinematographer may take a shot soon. Or he won't.
A: It was a fair verdict. Without Jammu, the valley cannot exist in isolation. It should be called state of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. It was the most logical way to go forward. I think that showed his statesmanship. There was no clear verdict then. The best you could do was to have clear agenda of alliance. And he spent a lot of time to iron out the intricacies and to have an agenda on ground. He ensured a clear roadmap. And I will have to ensure that those great ideas are taken forward.Q: There have been a lot of bumps in the relations between BJP and PDP on issues like Pandit and Sainik colonies, Article 370, rehabilitation of West Pakistan refugees, talks with separatists and so on? A: Of course, there would be bumps in relations. There are contradictions but you need to pull out the best of all the possibilities. Contradictions and contrast are part of politics. You cannot move forward without that.Q: Has Mehbooba Mufti mellowed as a chief minister and is no longer the tough party president she was known to be?A: There is a point of view. I will wait and watch how things move in the next coming months. Everything will get clear. True, she has mellowed down. She is more cautious now. There are some obvious reasons. I can't comment on what her strategies are. We do not talk about these things.Q: What is your vision for Kashmir?
A: It is a paradise on earth. We want happiness for all. Lot of bees and butterflies. Happy kids. No one wants miseries.Q: Your father was a strong advocate of soft-borders between India and Pakistan, making divided Kashmir a free economic zone? Do you support his ideas?
A: Borders need to be made irrelevant within the valley as well. Borders within parties, bureaucracy. There are too many borders within ourselves. South Kashmir-North Kashmir. We must address these borders. Foremost is we secure the identity of the state. We are in a mess. We are apathetic to our own situation, our own resources.Q: The Army chief and Jammu and Kashmir director general of police are favouring tougher action against people who hinder operations? Do your fear such actions would fuel another bout of violence in the Valley?A: All I can say is that they have to exercise extreme caution. They have to exercise sensitivity in dealing with people because we cannot afford to go back to six or eight months of stalemate. Anyone making these statements has to be very cautious. People have to be handled with care. We cannot afford another cycle of violence.Q: Do you think Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the best thing to have happened to the country?A: For me, imagine the kind of challenges the prime minister has to face on daily basis. PM Modi has put forward great set of ideas. That is a good start. That is most important thing. We now need to see how these ideas are set in motion. The Congress did not do amazing things and in the end had to lose power.Q: When will you start to canvass? Would it be a struggle given that you had a rather cushy life?
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