Kashmir unrest: Protests an uprising, movement, says PDP’s Mehboob Beg

According to Beg, the present uprising as a movement is not aimed at any particular political party but is against the mainstream political system “as a whole”. Thus, he warned, “mainstream political parties must not be seen doing anything that will add to the existing ‘trust deficit’. They must look to bridge the gap,” he said.

Beg comes from south Kashmir, where most of the deaths have occurred since the current round of protests began on July 9 with the encounter-killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.

“If any mainstream political party feels it has a credible, overnight solution to the prevailing situation, it should come out with the plan. The PDP will not stand in their way,” he said. “(But) merely resorting to political rhetoric will not help. It shows a lack of respect for the current situation.”

On Monday, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had said in Jammu that only 5 cent people of the state are “misguided”. Otherwise, she said, “the majority of people in the Valley are peace-loving — they want to open their shops and other business establishments; they want to send their children to schools and colleges and lead a peaceful life.”