‘PDP has grown manifold in Srinagar’

Known as PDP’s face in Srinagar, Tariq Hamid Karra is one of the party’s most vocal leader. As Finance Minister in PDP-Congress coalition, he advocated dual currency for J&K. Having lost the assembly elections in 2008, Karra is upbeat about his fight for the Srinagar Parliament seat against the NC President Dr. Farooq Abdullah. In an exclusive interview to Rising Kashmir's Online Editor Daanish Bin Nabi, Karra talks about PDP, its preparedness and their chances of making it to the parliament in the forthcoming elections. Excerpts:

• NC tactically rigged 2008 polls 

• There is a selected section of Indian establishment who do not want pro-Kashmir representative  

• We are strategically important to New Delhi as well 

• We tried to be a bridge between India and Kashmir 

• We do not have dynastic hereditary like NC

·         Why all sitting ministers of PDP lost 2008 election apart from Muzaffar Beig?

Basically there are two main reasons for PDP’s loss of 2008 elections. Firstly, NC at many constituencies did tactical rigging and atmosphere was created at many places so that people do not come out to vote. Dilawar Mir Sahib only lost because of some 100 votes that only because of tactical rigging. Secondly, Omar Abdullah was somehow still a new face on Kashmir political stage and he was very young and energetic at that point of time. He said many unachievable things to the people like he will give jobs to 8th pass students, would bring down tariff of electricity and number of other unachievable things. People got deceived by his blunt lies and on ground we see now Kashmir going from bad to worse. Now people are repenting for what they did in 2008. It was tactical rigging with unachievable rhetoric of Omar Abdullah that we loss 2008 elections.

·         Why you lost 2008 elections?

Let me quote Mufti Sahib here, he said, “My defeat was engineered from Delhi to Srinagar and it was on some purpose.” I personally believe many people in Delhi might not have liked my pro-Kashmir stand from time to time. New Delhi might have been thinking that such voices may get stronger day by day and if such people are not stopped there can be a problem in Kashmir from New Delhi’s point of view. Then in summer of 2010, when Prime Minister of India came to Kashmir, every party delegation met him. Ours was a delegation of five to six people and in front of everybody PM’s National Security advisor said that Tariq Karra’s seat seems to have been engineered. So, I would I like to leave it there only. And it is a well established fact people who did not want to have a strong pro-Kashmir voice were responsible for my loss.

·         Does it mean New Delhi do not want pro-Kashmir representatives in Kashmir Assembly?

Yes, there is a selected section of Indian establishment who do not want pro-Kashmir representative. There is a miniscule mind set in New Delhi who would like to dictate terms on their whims and wishes to the representatives in Kashmir. I always was a pro-Kashmir representative of my people that is the only reason my seat in 2008 was manipulated.

·         What exactly do you mean by pro-Kashmir?

By pro-Kashmir, I mean to protect the interests of Kashmir and Kashmiris within the Indian constitution. May it be political, economic or in terms of natural resources. I must emphasize here, if Maharastrians, Bengalis or Punjabis can come out and protest against the government of India why New Delhi don’t allow Kashmiris to protest against government of India. So my pro-Kashmiri stand or our party being pro-Kashmir is not so obnoxious.

·         How has Khwaja Mohiuddin Karra influenced your life?

Khawja Sahib was a revolutionary person. He was a pro-Kashmir from bottom core of his heart. He came out of National Conference (NC) in 1956, and floated the idea of political conference. He was also among the first people who opposed the politics of Sheikh Abdullah. It was Khawja sahib who has inspired me to join politics and I have learned a lot from him.

·         What in your view is the problem with New Delhi? Why are they against any pro-Kashmiri government in J&K?

As I said, it is the only selected section of Indian establishment who do not want to see a pro-Kashmiri government in Kashmir. We are strategically important to New Delhi as well. Kashmir is all together different ball game for them. This state is a very different from any other common state of India. Our state is a flash point between India and Pakistan. So, anything spoken here has entirely different connotations and political ramifications for New Delhi.

·         What different strategies you have for 2014 election to win more votes?

Who am I to make strategies? It is Allah who gives and takes. I am only toiling myself to win back and I guess I can only do that much. I firmly believe that now Kashmiris have understood the differentiation between agenda of National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP). They themselves have seen and observed that ours has been one of the best times Kashmiris have ever enjoyed. PDP had given Kashmiri people a sense of identity and we had tried to be a bridge between India and Kashmiris.

·         As PDP has a good support base in Batamaloo constituency. What are your expectations from 2014 elections?

PDP has good support base all over Srinagar and not only in Batamaloo. We are excepting good results all over Srinagar from upcoming elections. The only drawback which we are facing is that, support is not getting converted into votes. If we look growth wise at PDP, maximum growth has been shown by Srinagar district against all other district and we started from zero in Srinagar. In every other district there was some kind of support for PDP. But in Srinagar it was me and Pardesi Sahib (latter deserted PDP) only.

·         You are considered to be temperamental. How do you control your temper while dealing with public as Mufti Sayeed has been saying to workers to ignore your anger?

Does anyone see any negative impact of my temper on the field. One has to follow carrot and stick policy. Sometimes one has to be tough with workers to get the job done. And about Mufti Sahib, I have not heard him saying such things to our workers. Any person who has conscious will get angry whenever there is something wrong going on in society.

·         It is alleged by some of PDP’s opponent that PDP is creation of BJP?

These are absolute lies and simply absurd. When PDP came into being, who was at helm of affairs that time? It was National Democratic Alliance (NDA) supported by NC and it was Omar Abdullah who was part of NDA back then. He was made a poster boy of NDA by sending him all over world to say that Kashmir issue is resolved now. And today he says, it is conditional and we have not merged but acceded. So this is the cover up of NC’s own misdeeds and nothing else. Had there been any hand of BJP, in creating PDP then why Omar Abdullah was in the cabinet of Vajpayee. NC is only trying to cover their dirty face.

·         How has been your experience as Urban and Finance Minister? And what was your contribution?

Firstly, we had streamlined the working of finance department and we did much regularization also. Our stand was always pro-employees. As far as finance department is concerned, the employees of the state could be the best people to reply this question. Our period was the best time employees have ever enjoyed. They had not to come on roads to ask for their dues and rights. One of the reason today’s dispensation is being termed as worst ever. For the first when PDP-Congress was at helm of affairs of the state, there was no financial crunch in financial department of the state. Today, if we see treasuries there are no salaries, no pension money is being released, no bills are being released for widow pension and there is no proper scheme for old age pensions. As far as Housing Urban Development Ministry is concerned I am telling the fact that whatever projects are being implemented today were started during PDP’s tenure. NC is not even able to carry it forward. It was our time when we got seven flyovers. It was our time when we started the rehabilitation of Dal dwellers. Finance got transferred on time. Road widening happened during our time. They do not want to give credit to PDP that is the big hurdle for the incompletion of many project works. Is there any project which NC started in their tenure and completed during its tenure? We created history by completing Jehangir Chowk flyover in just only one year.

·         But there is no use of flyover you are talking about? Majority of traffic do not ply over this flyover?

That is simply because of poor management. Whole state is being mismanaged. In every sector we have mismanagement. We cannot say that flyover is wrongly built. This state is being misgoverned in every sense.

·         You talk about misgovernance, then PDP could have played much more positive role when Afzal Guru was hanged? It is also alleged that it was with PDP’s approval as well that Afzal was hanged?

How could we give approval? How is PDP responsible for his death? We came to know only after he was hanged. We also did come out on streets to protest his killing. The fact of the matter is Afzal Guru could not have been hanged without the approval of the state government. And what stories are circulating in Delhi is that Omar Abdullah was asked sometime earlier and he gave the approval. There are also reports that he was sitting in a five star hotel having dinner with some film stars when he came to know about his hanging.

·         But you had a very powerful role to play as being in opposition of the state to save his life?

Apart from agitating what could have we done and we did protest.

·         But most of your top leadership was in Delhi by that time?

No, we were in Kashmir. Mehbooba Mufti was house arrested, her security was withdrawn and her gate was locked, our leadership was not allowed to move out.

·         Why your leadership didn’t go to Sopore to meet his kith and Kin?

None of us were allowed to move or to go anyplace. Even our houses were locked down.

·         A year has passed by now, still PDP has not visited his house?

Tabassum Guru clearly said that she does not want to meet anyone from mainstream political party.

·         Does it mean Kashmir is living under dictatorship rather than democracy?

We are living in worse conditions than dictatorship. The governments that do not even allow to offer Friday prayers how can one say that we are living in a democracy. Democracy has been trampled and strangulated in Kashmir by NC. Even for agitating for basic rights Kashmiris receive bullets in return. They are not allowing democracy to flourish in Kashmir. Youth is only alienated because their basic rights have been trampled.

·         But people offer Friday prayers. Whom you are talking about?

I am frankly talking about Geelani Sahib and Mirwaiz Sahib.

·         Then are you supporting separatist ideology?

No, I am supporting religious rights of any person of Kashmir.

·         Your wife and sister-in-law have contested corporate elections? How does it make PDP different from NC, as PDP keep claiming about dynastic politics?

It was Mufti Sahib Government when 33% reservations were given to females and living in a conservative society like Kashmir, we did not get any formidable females who could have contested corporate elections. So, it was per force that my wife had to contest elections and as far as my sister-in-law is concerned, she has been working with Mehbooba Ji for quite a long time. So whatever she got is because of her own hard work. As of my wife is concerned we did not get educated females who would come out and contest elections. It was per force that my wife contested it and it has nothing to do with dynastic politics.

·         What is the qualification of Mehbooba Mufti for becoming party president? She is the daughter of Mufti Sayeed does it qualify her to become president of the party?

The only qualification she has is that she is elected president of the PDP. We have elections in our party after every three years and who so ever gets elected becomes the party president. It is not for the life time that she is party president. It is only because of elections that she is there. She came in limelight because of her own hard work. She is not our president for life time. We do not have dynastic hereditary like NC has.

·         You are a founding member of PDP. What are the reasons that people like Ghulam Hassan Mir parted ways from PDP and Muzaffar Baig has been cut to size?

Everyone in party has his own role and place in the party. So, to say Baig Sahib has been cut to size is not good. He has his own stature and space in party. And Mir Sahib can better reply why he parted from PDP. Nobody is cut to size or over sized ever body at given time has his role. Muzaffar Sahib is a much respected person in party.

·         Who is next CM from PDP camp? Is it Mufti Sayeed or Mehbooba Mufti?

It is too early to speak about it. The only concern in people today is that they want change. Especially youth is for change. They want change now.

·         Does it mean PDP’s slogan for 2014 election is “CHANGE”?

Yes, in other words you can say that.

·         Barak Obama had the same slogan of “Change” during his election campaign but failed on ground. What about PDP?

Time is the best judge.

·         Political analyst say PDP is only united because of Mufti Sayeed and it would dismantle if Mehbooba takes over? Your views on it?

No, I totally disagree with it. The fact of the matter is Mehbooba Mufti is the driving force for the PDP today. These kinds of talks are only from those people who are jealous of her growth and popularity.

·         PDP is sometimes sarcastically referred to as Papa Daughter Party and Peer Development Party. What are your views on it?

One can give any connotation to our party. I can also give some different name to it. But the bottom line is neither of the two is true. These names are given to our party only because we are pro-Kashmir and pro-people. These names are deliverance of sick minds and nothing else. We have Zimindar’s like me in our party and if there is any Peer in our party don’t they have right to represent the people of Kashmir. In a democratic set up every section of the society has a role to play. I and Muzaffar Beig is the best example that PDP do not belong only to elites of the society. There are thousands and thousands of people who are members of PDP today. Does it mean that all these people belong to Muftis or Peers of Kashmir?

·         You were the lone face of PDP in Srinagar? Now your party is likely to field new faces like Khurshsid Alam to contest against Ali Mohammad Sagar from Khanyar and Altaf Bukhari to contest against Nasir Aslam Wani from Amira Kadal. What are the PDP’s chances of making inroads into NC’s stronghold of Srinagar where it won all eight seats in 2008?

It is too early to speak who will contest from where. As far as inroads are concerned we have already gained much and NC has started to feel the heat. PDP’s growth is increasing and youth are joining us from every nook and corner of the society. It was systematic and tactical rigging which cost us 2008 elections. But now time has changed and I must say it has changed for good.

Published on 24/03/2014