‘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

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