Last year, when elections in Jammu and Kashmir saw a massive turnout bringing to power Mufti Mohammad Sayeed once again, it seemed that Mufti, in his last lap of a long political career, hoped to break new ground with BJP in a government of opposites, pinning his hopes on Narendra Modi being another Atal Bihari Vajpayee for Kashmir. Today, however, Mufti seems to be “running out of breath”. People are restive. The Centre’s failure to deliver even the package for the flood-affected, which the Prime Minister had promised, the stalemate over talks with Pakistan, the raging controversy over the beef ban have added to create a restlessness, polarizing opinion in Jammu and the Valley. Militancy may not have revived but security agencies fear the return of many an old ghost. In his first interview since he took over as Chief Minister seven months ago, Sayeed, who has been keeping indifferent health, spoke on a host of subjects sitting in the garden at the “Bobby Cottage” in Pahalgam — where the film “Bobby” was filmed years ago — looking on the pine-studded mountain slopes and their snow covered peaks. He was excited about having inaugurated the Pahalgam Club and the building of the road to the more virgin spot Aru, 15 km away, which now takes only 20 minutes to reach, whereas in the past the drive there “would rattle your bones”. Excerpts from the interview: When you forged the alliance with the BJP, many in the Valley were unhappy with you. And yet, paradoxically, there was also an underlying expectation that Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, who had brought a healing touch last time, would be able to swing concrete gains for the state. Why has the Centre still not released funds for the flood-affected? This has caused a great deal of heartburn in the Valley, and weakened your position? At that time, it would have been done in a hurry. Ab soch samaj kar hoga. They (the Centre) have seen what we have done and delivered in the last six months, corruption has come down. May be they will now be more responsive. Der aye durust aye. Did you not raise this with the PM? The Prime Minister may come here before long, maybe by month end. Haseeb Drabu (J&K Finance Minister) has been following it up. I don’t feel I have to go anywhere. One thing I will tell you. This Government (at the Centre) does not rely only on IB for feedback. The BJP sends its own people for non-administrative feedback from the ground, to find out if money sent has reached where it should, and they report directly to the PM. The PM has taken a keen interest in several of the projects here. He knows Kashmir. At one of the earlier meetings, when the Governor started to brief the PM about Ladakh, he found that Modi, as a pracharak, had stayed in Leh for six months, then in Kargil, and in Badgam. There is buzz that you might make way for your daughter Mehbooba Mufti to take over the reins of the state as you have problems with your health? I had a prostate problem and at one stage it had become very painful. Then I showed it to Delhi doctors who said it was a muscular spasm, now I have relief. It is said that the BJP is not very keen on Mehbooba Mufti. Mehbooba is very competent, and capable of giving leadership and she is the most credible face today. There is no impediment from the BJP’s side to her taking over. But I feel I have to spend just a little more time to stabilise the situation. You hinged everything on Narendra Modi being a Vajpayee, as far as Kashmir is concerned. And to a commitment to talk to Pakistan. That has not really happened. There is need to talk to Pakistan, there should be dosti between the two countries. Modi did reach out to Pakistan, when he invited Nawaz Sharif to his swearing in. He told Jammu that the special status of J&K will continue. We took two months to negotiate. I feel the PM will take certain steps. Once they start to deliver on other issues, they may not have to resort to this kind of rhetoric (of Pak-bashing). We must not forget the vision Modi has displayed for improving relations with Central Asia, with Iran, he will want improved relations with Pakistan. Pakistan ko theek sambhalenge. Why not have them in your sphere of influence, why leave them to China? Do you know I am appreciated the most in (Pak-occupied) Kashmir. People there say that Mufti ne sabko milaya, they used to meet their estranged relatives here and many would go back and weep with emotion. Pata nahin kis ki nazar lag gayi. Pakistan is fighting a battle for survival as a nation. They have huge problems. They too have their hotheads. Their government also needs to take the line that there is nothing like a good terrorist or bad terrorist. Do you meet the PM regularly? I have met the PM, one-on-one, only once. I meet Ajit Doval regularly. I think there is no alternative to Modi today at the national level. Many people may not like it, but this is my view. I feel he is here to stay for the next ten years. There may be non-BJP governments in the states as was the case during Indira Gandhi’s time. You had her at the Centre and, say, a Ramakrishna Hegde in Karnataka. There is a saying in Persian, Mushte namoona, Az khirwas. It means you need to take out only a few grains out of a sack of rice to know how good or bad it is. You have to see not the present situation, but ane wala dekhna hai. Aur woh mujhe theek lagta hai. What is your stand on the ban on beef in the state, which has existed since the Dogra rule, but there are people who now want that law to be revoked? The question to ask is why has the beef ban remained in the state for 75 years, under successive governments, be it of Sheikh saheb, Bakshi saheb, Sadiq saheb, or others. Why was the ban not lifted? There is a sensitivity about the issue. And there is a toleration in the system. In the rural areas, it used to be eaten chori chori because it was cheaper meat, as happens in the villages in UP. Generally, people in Kashmir do not eat beef. Now the matter is with the Supreme Court, with two benches of the Jammu High Court having taken contradictory positions. But many are very agitated, they see it as an interference in their right to decide what they should or should not eat. It will soon die down. Now that the matter is with the Supreme Court, let us wait for what it has to say. But it was so problematic that you had to shut down the internet and social media over the period of Eid. That was essential . With the kind of pictures that were going viral, it would have created huge problems. The issue is linked to people’s ‘jazbaat’. Even Geelani Saheb (Pro-Pak Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani) made a very sensible statement that nothing should be done which hurts the sentiments of people. The last months have seen a rise in popular restlessness in the Valley, I would not call it a rise in militancy but there are signs of a pro-militancy sentiment resurfacing. And that is why people like Burhan Wani, only 21 years old, are getting a response on social media? It is nothing. It is very limited. What about talks with the Hurriyat that you had advocated in the past? Baad maen ho jayegi (Will happen later).
