Former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir and President of JKPDP, Mehbooba Mufti paid glowing tributes to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 100th beginning anniversary, remembering him as a statesman who transcended ideological boundaries to deal with the nation’s most complicated challenges, significantly these confronted by Jammu and Kashmir.
Mehbooba Mufti praised Vajpayee’s tenure as Prime Minister, calling it a golden interval for Jammu and Kashmir, the place his imaginative and prescient of humanity (Insaniyat), democracy (Jamhuriyat), and Kashmiryat (Kashmiri Sentiment) formed his strategy to resolving the area’s points.
“Regardless of his ideological background, Vajpayee Ji rose above partisan politics and prolonged a hand of friendship to Pakistan, even within the face of immense hostility. His perception that ‘neighbors can’t be modified, however relations will be reimagined’ was a testomony to his statesmanship,” Mehbooba Mufti stated.
The previous Chief Minister highlighted how Vajpayee’s outreach to Pakistan, together with the historic Lahore bus journey in 1999 and subsequent peace initiatives, laid the groundwork for constructing belief and lowering tensions within the subcontinent.
“His braveness to pursue dialogue, even after the Kargil Warfare and quite a few terror assaults, confirmed his unwavering dedication to peace. It was Vajpayee Ji’s management, coupled with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s crucial understanding and advocacy, that led to historic confidence-building measures in Jammu and Kashmir,” she added.
Mehbooba Mufti credited Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s function in persuading Vajpayee to take daring steps that broke the ice and initiated a brand new period of hope for the area. She recalled how Vajpayee, with Sayeed’s insights, facilitated people-to-people contacts throughout the Line of Management (LoC), initiated a ceasefire, and emphasised reconciliation as the one means ahead.
“Vajpayee Ji’s strategy mirrored the pragmatic but humane imaginative and prescient of leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. He believed in therapeutic wounds, fostering belief, and creating alternatives for dialogue. His insurance policies offered a beacon of hope for Jammu and Kashmir, displaying how management rooted in empathy and foresight can deliver transformative change,” Mehbooba stated.
She additional careworn the necessity for comparable management at this time to raise the folks of Jammu and Kashmir out of decades-long violence and uncertainty. “We’d like leaders who can rise above divisive politics, encourage confidence, and bridge divides not simply inside the area, however throughout the subcontinent. Vajpayee Ji’s legacy reminds us that Jammu and Kashmir can function a bridge of peace, not a battleground for discord,” Mehbooba stated.
Ms. Mufti paid her heartfelt tribute to Vajpayee, remembering him as a towering chief whose imaginative and prescient continues to encourage. She reiterated her father’s pivotal function in shaping a story of reconciliation throughout Vajpayee’s tenure, a partnership that is still a permanent instance of how collaboration and imaginative and prescient can rework even essentially the most difficult conditions.
