‘‘Did I behave more like a father and less like the home minister?”

I have a sense of happiness about the last three years. Frankly, I did not expect so much on the political, peace and developmental fronts, and may be it was a coincidence. It may sound an exaggeration to you when I say that for the first time after 1947, people’s psyche has changed. Logon ke zehen mein thhehraav aaya hai, and they are no longer swayed by militant actions or by slogans.

There is also a greater appreciation of what the Government of India is doing. Earlier their attitude used to be of taking things for granted-that Hindustan ko yeh to dena hee hai. We as a government have also won people’s trust. By and large there is a turnaround in the situation. The democratic process is responsible for it.

Today human rights violation is minimum. People come out on the streets to protest when things are not right, the army is more transparent. Earlier when a boy went out his mother would wonder if he would return. The present PM’s focus is on Kashmir, he personally monitors the projects on a monthly basis. The railways project will be completed by 2008, the super highway by 2010 and the international airport by next year.

• In Delhi there is a new model of coalition government with Sonia and Manmohan Singh as two powers of authority. Here too you have a model where you are head of government and your daughter Mehbooba of the party, and it is said she keeps you in line?

A: She gives me feedback. Nok jhok bhi hoti hai. She is very reactive. Humein sakhti bhi karni padti hai, like we had to resort to a lathi charge on the teachers over the issue of pay anomaly. When there are atrocities, people contact her directly. She approaches me. It doesn’t mean I listen to her on everything. Sometimes I stand my ground. We have given employment to 50,000 people, 14,000 as anganwadi workers, and there was a lot of pressure from the party workers. But I said no, jobs must be given according to norms.

• How do the talks between the Government and the Hurriyat affect your government, the PDP and you?

It is a vindication of our stand. The main emphasis of our campaign was that the Government must talk to the militants and open dialogue with them. We also remained dogged in our stand of opening the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route. Even when there was cooling off, I used to urge the PM repeatedly to revive the process. At that time, Pakistan was opposed to it. Now Gen Musharraf is supporting the dialogue and that adds a new dimension to it.

• If the Hurriyat leaders decide to enter the electoral arena in the future, isn’t your party likely to be most affected?

If they decide to contest elections, it would be very good. Had India’s flowering democracy been applied here, there would have been no problem. When people defeated Omar Abdullah in his bastion, they began to gain confidence that it was them and not Delhi responsible for his defeat. This feeling is growing in people that they — and not Delhi — can make and unmake governments.

• The point I was making was that pitted against the Hurriyat, it will be the PDP which will be most vitally affected in the Valley.

Maybe we will get affected, but I don’t think it would be a one sided sweep. It will have multi party dimensions. The NC has strongholds. The Hurriyat has been an institution for the last so many years and has an area of influence. But I don’t think the results will go in favour of one party exclusively.

• You have talked of a turnaround in the situation and the change in the Kashmiris. Has there been a change in the other players?

There is a feeling in Delhi that force, money or manipulation will not work, and that they have to address the pain of the Kashmiris. This is not just true of the PM or Sonia Gandhi who have come here so many times. But even the government officers are different today. In the past they would not pay attention to what we were saying. If we said we wanted IT, they told us to stick to orchards.

There is also a change in Pakistan. The Hurriyat leaders conveyed their ideas of the ground reality to Pakistan on their recent visit there. The Pakistanis have come here and seen the situation. Last year, the PM’s meeting with Gen Musharraf in New York was a real breakthrough. The PM made his position clear that there could not be a partition on communal lines and there was no question of secession. But we can talk, he said. Now Pakistan is supporting the dialogue process. Once you start negotiations, you have to move from your stated positions. We have to get off the beaten track, as Vajpayee had put it.

• You have said you are ready to step down on Nov 2 when your three years will be over?

Yes, it is part of the agreement and we will abide by it.

• What if the Congress High Commands decides that you should continue in the larger interest?

That is a hypothetical question. I will be left with nothing if I try and manipulate a situation to continue in power and people feel that Mufti is after a kursi. To me the most precious thing is the trust I have got from them. In 1975, when Sheikh Abdullah was given power, Indira Gandhi had made me the president of the party for 14 years. Maybe she felt yeh darta nahin hai, I would hold my ground before Sheikh saheb.

• I believe you are planning to bring back some Kashmiri Pandits who left in 1989-91 next month, possibly on Oct 2, and I have seen the houses that are being constructed in Sheikhpura, Mattan and Kheer Bhawani for them. But is that enough to bring them back?

In Sheikhpura we are hoping that along with the Pandits, Muslims who have been under a threat can also be housed there so that it does not become a ghetto, which would defeat the entire purpose. We have also said that those who return will have the additional incentive of a government job. We have offered the same to those who remained here but do not have employment.

Even the Hurriyat has welcomed the return of the Kashmiri Pandits. The Pandits were a minuscule minority of 2% of the population and if we can’t rehabilitate them, then what meaning does our secularism or Kashmiriyat have? We have to make a gigantic effort for their return, without talking about it too much. Unfortunately, there are fringe groups which have given statements and created a sense of fear and uncertainty in them. There has also been a lack of determination on the part of the Government in Delhi for their return, even when the NDA was in power.

• Many in the Congress feel that if you continue after Nov 2, it will make it very difficult for the party in the future.

Their fears are unfounded. We had two elections since 2004 and the Congress won two seats in Jammu. For the first time Jammu has got recognition, in the allocation of resources, in economic development.

In the Valley, I feel, only a diamond will cut a diamond. When in the Congress, I tried to build the party in the Valley, and there were problems. Why do you think I took the decision to launch a regional party? The last three years have established its utility. With a Congress CM here, people will say that Dilli ki sarkar aa gayi. If you have a CM from Jammu, people here will say, Ek yeh cheez thee who bhi gayi.

• It seems that during your present stint in power you have wanted to do something for which you will be remembered. Are we seeing a mellower Mufti, one who has learnt from the mistakes of the past?

That’s true. I have had this feeling for some time that I can do something if given a chance. I know people very closely in every village. When Rajiv Gandhi came here with Devi Lal in 1990, after Jagmohan was appointed Governor , Rajiv had told VP Singh, ‘‘Mufti can set the situation right.’’

After the kidnapping of my daughter Rubaiya, I have asked myself, did I behave more like a father and less like the home minister of India? From then on I have wanted to make amends.