Jammu, Dec 12 (PTI) Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said no talks will be held with Pakistan unless it does not reject and openly criticise terrorism.
He said terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is taking its last breath as its backbone has been completely broken.
“Some people are often batting for talks with Pakistan. They say security and normalcy cannot return here (Jammu and Kashmir) unless there are talks with them (Pakistan). I strongly reject this notion,” Sinha said.
He was speaking at a function here on Monday evening.
“As per the policy of the government of India, there is no question of holding talks with Pakistan unless and until it doesn’t reject terrorism and criticise it openly,” the Lt Governor said.
They (some politicians) try to raise it by saying that that is the only right path, he added.
He lashed out at those “spilling blood of innocents on this land”.
Quoting Abhimanyu in Mahabharata, he said, “Security forces dismantled and broken six barricades of terrorism. Now only the seventh barricade remains. I hope that this 7th barricade is broken fast.” Asserting that peace and normalcy cannot be bought to Jammu and Kashmir through “bargaining”, Sinha said, “GoI has a clear-cut policy that one cannot buy peace but it has to be established. We are following that.” He said at one point in time “bargaining” was done to buy peace in Jammu and Kashmir. “That era has passed away. Now it is time to establish durable and long-lasting peace.” “That time has gone when there were incidents of stone pelting (in the valley) and our neighbouring country used to issue calendars for strikes. Schools, colleges and universities used to remain shut,” he said.
Today, the common man is living in peace and earning his bread and butter in normalcy, the Lt Governor added.
“Security forces have been able to dismantle terror financing. Now houses are also being dismantled. This process will continue till the last sign of terrorism is wiped out here. We will be successful in ensuring peace, progress and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Sinha said some people used youths as cannon fodder to mislead them to engineer stone pelting and “give sacrifices”, while their children were studying in peace in other parts of the country and abroad.
Lives of thousands of people were lost and Kashmiri Pandits faced the worst as they had to flee their homes in the valley due to terrorism, he said.
However, there is change now. After a long time, youths are watching films in cinemas in Shopian and Pulwama districts, he added.
“At least 10,000 youths took out a tiranga yatra in Pulwama and raised ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’logans, while 8,000 youths took out a yatra in Tral. This could not have been thought in the past. As many as 500 startups have been started in Kashmir,” Sinha said.
Hitting out at people raising questions on the administration and governance, he said they used to get personal benefits in the past. “Efforts are being made so that common people don’t face any problem. Some selected people who benefited from the governance should know that it is for general people but not for the select few. Such governance will continue here henceforth.” PTI AB AB AQS AQS
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