Former IAS officer Shah Faesal said on Monday that India and Pakistan should start a dialogue so that peace prevails in Kashmir.
Faesal addressed his maiden public gathering of tens of hundreds of people in his native Kupwara district.
Recalling his days in the bureaucracy, he told the gathering, “I was in jail these years. Believe me I am telling you truth. I tried my best to help you all. The cruelty and injustice I witnessed these years. I was completely helpless. I felt that I was doing nothing for my Kashmir. I was not able to raise my voice. I was looking for a chance to speak to my people.”
Faesal said, “Kashmiri people should raise voice in Parliament, Assembly and all platforms in the world for their political rights”.
He said he always wanted to be part of electoral politics and people will “choose for me what I have to do”.
About his decision to join politics, he said he was advised by many to stay away. “I admit it is not a good thing. However, the fact is that only political persons are at the top (of the system) and they don’t have a sense of responsibility,” he said.
“I am living in a district that still lacks a district hospital, where a pregnant woman couldn’t deliver her baby. Then they are thrown out of hospital and called Gujjars,” he said. He said corruption has “sucked our blood” and during his tenure at the power development department, a company “offered me loan of around Rs 13000 crore to generate electricity on our own”.
But, he said, the politics got in the way.
“People from outside Kashmir came here to divide us on the basis of religion, geography and caste. It is time to fight the attempts at dividing us,” he said.
Faesal said “our educated youth are getting martyred and our boys are being accused of protesting for 500 rupees and politicians are enjoying their lives while people suffer”.
“My politics will be like that of Imran Khan and ArvindKejiriwal and my party members will work selflessly for the welfare of people,” he said.
“This generation of Kashmiris is not kissing hands of politicians. They are asking questions to the leaders. I am feeling proud when I see my youngsters asking their leaders about their wealth. In future they have to answer them. Some have one house in Kashmir and another in Dubai, they have to answer,” he added.
Faesal told the gathering that he has reposed trust in the people and hopes they will help him.