Srinagar, August 1:
Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday urged the Central government to bridge the “dil ki doori” (emotional disconnect) between New Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir through dialogue and engagement, asserting that violence or the use of force cannot resolve long-standing issues.
Addressing the Friday congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Mirwaiz welcomed the united stand taken by Jammu and Kashmir’s Members of Parliament during a recent debate in the Lok Sabha.
“Recently, Parliament witnessed a debate on the India-Pakistan war in the backdrop of the heinous Pahalgam incident. Various political parties expressed differing views about the war, its objectives, and its outcome,” he said.
Mirwaiz observed that very few MPs, mostly from the opposition, touched upon the human cost of the war and its connection to Jammu and Kashmir. “This reflects the prevailing mindset and mood of the times,” he remarked.
He praised the three MPs from Jammu and Kashmir—Mian Altaf, Sheikh Rashid, and Aga Ruhullah—for raising the concerns and hardships faced by the people of the region. “They spoke with genuine passion and pain about the disempowerment and dispossession of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Their words echoed the very sentiments we have always highlighted,” he said.
“It was heartening to see them united on such crucial issues, speaking in one voice,” he added.
The Hurriyat leader expressed hope that their message reached the corridors of power in New Delhi. “If the government truly wishes to reduce the emotional distance, it must listen to these voices,” he said.
Reiterating his long-held position, Mirwaiz emphasized that sustainable peace cannot be achieved through coercion. “I have always maintained that war, violence, and force are not solutions. The people of the subcontinent — especially the poor — deserve peace and prosperity. Meaningful engagement at all levels is a far more evolved and cost-effective alternative,” he concluded.
