Q: DO YOU SEE A NAYA KASHMIR?

My father used to tell me Mehbooba, we couldn’t take care of the minuscule population of Kashmiri Pandits. When he became CM, he built transit accommodations and talked about jobs for Kashmiri Pandits. He tried his best but he had this regret that the Muslim-majority state couldn’t protect Kashmiri Pandits. But today I have this complaint you couldn’t take care of your Muslim-majority state. In 1947, we only wanted some safeguards to protect our identity. We got those safeguards. Kashmiris chose Hindustan over Pakistan. But what happened after that? Some communal parties reared its head like a snake and gave a call: Ek samvidhan, ek vidhan, ek pradhan.

Kashmiris felt they would take away our existence, identity. Some people leaned toward Pakistan. The situation kept worsening for 30 years. Then came a statesman from BJP, Vajpayee ji. Kashmiris felt there was somebody who understood their pain. I salute him. Mufti Sa’ab thought Modi ji had India’s mandate that would change him. He couldn’t follow Raj Dharm in Gujarat, but he would do it as the prime minister.

But in 2019, Article 370 was removed unconstitutionally and illegally. And now they say we have built Naya Kashmir. Where is Naya Kashmir? Today, a daughter is asking for her father’s dead body. A sister is waiting for her brother’s dead body. The blood on the streets has to be washed with water. Unfortunately, most media outlets are running the government’s narrative. Naya Kashmir? Why not talk about Naya Hindustan? Those who talk about the constitution are called tukde-tukde gang; Muslims, even film stars, are socially outcast. This is not Gandhi’s Hindustan; this is Godse’s Hindustan. And they’re building Godse’s Kashmir.

Q: EVERY PICTURE HAS TWO SIDES. CHILDREN ALSO CRY IN THE HOUSES OF SECURITY PERSONNEL

I’m not attacking anyone. Nobody denies that security personnel have done very good work in Kashmir. They have improved the situation so much that elections are held in Kashmir and people cast votes. But if you think you will fire at Kashmiris from the shoulders of security personnel, you’re doing injustice to security personnel. This is not a security personnel’s job. There has to be a political process for dialogue, reconciliation if you really want to build Naya Kashmir. That cannot be done by showing pictures of snow in Gulmarg.

Q: WHAT CHANGED AFTER THE ABROGATION OF ARTICLE 370? WHICH IDENTITY AND CULTURE CAME UNDER ATTACK?

370 meant outsiders couldn’t buy land and jobs were reserved for locals. Several other states have similar provisions. What’s the problem with Kashmir?

Q: BABA SAHAB AMBEDKAR HAD SAID 370 WAS A TEMPORARY PROVISION

Please check it, the Supreme Court said it wasn’t temporary.

Q: BUT WHAT CHANGED?

A lot. For one, it broke our trust. You have turned Kashmir into a graveyard. You have confined people in homes. Even when a journalist says something, he faces UAPA. And this is happening across the country. Comedians also face UAPA. But Kashmir has become a lab. What is tested in Kashmir, happens in the entire country. In Bengal, BSF’s jurisdiction has been increased because you cannot fight your political opponents.

Q: GOING WITH BJP WAS YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE?

My father never did it as a mistake. Mufti Sa’ab’s experience with Vajpayee ji was fantastic. Mufti Sa’ab thought BJP wale were patriotic. But they can sacrifice anything, including Kashmir, for political gains. They run over farmers. They can do anything. When we came to meet PM Modi, the media showed us as if we were separatists.

Q: WILL 370 EVER COME BACK?

You didn’t see how three farm laws were repealed and the PM had to apologise.

Q: WHY DO YOU SAY WE SHOULD TALE TO PAKISTAN?

Why did Vajpayee ji say so? Because he knew you couldn’t change your neighbour. He could have done several Balakots and won many elections. But he didn’t. He was a statesman. He had a 60-inch chest.