‘AIP is alternative to puppet mainstream parties’
Of late a number of young Kashmiri youth have left their promising
careers in international companies and jumped into political fray with an aim
to serve people of Kashmir. Zeeshan Pandith is one
such young man. He joined Awami Ithad Party (AIP) and is party’s District
President for Srinagar. In an interview to Rising Kashmir's Online
Editor Daanish Bin Nabi, Zeeshan
says that by providing basic facilities to people and also empowering them are
must for stability of any political party. Excerpts:
·
Returns from Philippines to
serve Kashmir?
From 1990 till 2005, I was in Philippines. I was always in touch
with Kashmir and wanted to serve my own people. But to understand Kashmir and
its people better, I had to be on ground zero.
·
Joins Awami Ithad Party?
Awami Ithad Party is an anti status-quo party that was main reason
I joined it. It is only Engineer Rashid Sahib (AIP President) who highlighted
political issue of Kashmir in assembly. Rashid Sahib is the only MLA who is
accessible and reaches out to people 24/7. I strongly believe working with
people at gross root level and to be accessible to people can only solve our
problems. When Rashid Sahib launched AIP, I was one of the founding members of
the party.
·
About joining Hurriyat?
Hurriyat is also struggling for the political cause of Kashmir as
is AIP, but they have limited access to people because of regular curbs on
them. They are not allowed to meet people on regular basis. How can a person
achieve anything in such a curbing atmosphere? Very importantly, Hurriyat’s
total focus is on political solution and they are not addressing socio-economic
issues of Kashmir. It may take 100 more years to get Kashmir issue resolved
politically. We can’t let our society decay till we get a political solution.
We are also striving for cause of Kashmir issue but we are on different
platform striving for socio-economic problems of Kashmir as well.
·
About mainstream parties?
All the other parties have been literally taking dictations from
New Delhi. All these parties have given nothing to the people on ground. They
have miserably failed as representatives. This is where an alternative is
required and AIP has emerged as an alternative. Now it is high time that people
chose those representatives who can represent their sentiment in the assembly.
·
Vision on Kashmir
resolution?
AIP has a clear vision on Kashmir resolution. There should be a
permanent solution to Jammu and Kashmir problem. As representatives of people,
we do not only want to address socio-economic problems of people but more
importantly the political resolution of Kashmir as well.
·
Vision for youth?
Youth is facing lot of problems in Kashmir at present. Freedom of
expression has been snatched from them. We have Public Safety Act (PSA) because
of which youth are not able to express themselves. They don’t have freedom,
avenues or any platform to voice their opinions on Kashmir. Till date, youth
have not been provided with a proper platform so that they can address
political problems. Our agenda for youth is to provide them a suitable platform
so that they express themselves for the political solution for Kashmir. If you
track PSAs on youth, Langate is the only constituency where no youth has been slapped
with this Act. In other constituencies youth are still serving jails terms
under PSAs. So, as an assembly member, Rashid Sahib has made it very clear that
in his constituency the youth should not be booked under PSA. He has given them
space to express themselves on Kashmir and youth of Langate know that there is
somebody to defend them.
·
PSAs on Kupwara youth?
There was an incident in Kupwara when a youth was taken in custody
and was slapped with PSA. Engineer Rashid took out a protest demonstration to
defend this youth and in process he was also jailed. As a representative he
took his stand and stood by his people. MLA has the power and capacity to
change things on ground. Since then, police has been very careful when it comes
to indicting youth. No one from past four years has been booked under PSA from
Langate constituency.
·
Development in Langate?
We have Tourist Reception Centers in South and Central Kashmir. We
did not have them in North Kashmir. During last six decades, we had 11
elections and during all these years no Tourist Reception Center was
established in North. Now, a Tourist Reception Center is coming up in North
Kashmir as well. Other tourist places are like Bungus valley is also coming up.
Blacktopped roads are coming up in every part of North Kashmir. Likewise, we
have solved water woes and also improved basic facilities for locals. We are
working on infrastructure development. From main Handwara to Mawar, roads are
also coming up. AIP’s take on Indian media vis-a-vis Kashmir issue We
definitely do see a biased approach from Indian media on Kashmir. There are
many issues that should have been highlighted are not highlighted. They are
also silent on Kashmir issue. They do not properly highlight this issue.
·
AIP not to bank on Indian
media?
AIP’s real aim is to empower common people. It is very simple. AIP
has to empower people from the very grass root level. It is people who bring
change and can make or break a society. And socio-economic empowerment is must
for people and rest will fall in line. We should not always bank on Indian
media to highlight our political issue. Expectations from 2014 elections It’s
too early to say anything about 2014 elections. Equations keep on changing
given the political scenario of Kashmir. Anything can happen. Let us wait and
see what happens.
·
AIP’S stand on sedition
charges slapped on Kashmiri youth who cheered for Pakistani team?
It is very clear that anything that is not ‘just’ becomes ‘just’
when issues are related to Kashmir. Uttar Pradesh government has literally made
mockery of Indian democracy by indicting Kashmiri youth with seditious charges.
·
Who Zeeshan cheered for?
I am not interesting in cricket as I have grown up playing
football.
Published on 15/03/2014