MH-KASHMIR-LD ILTIJA

Average Kashmiri sees India as occupation force: Iltija Mufti
    (Eds: incorporates related story)
    Mumbai, Sep 20 (PTI) Average Kashmiri views India as
"occupational force", Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Jammu
and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, said here on
Friday.
    Speaking at India Today Conclave, Mufti also said
that rest of India mourned when Chandrayaan 2 failed, but it
has shown very little empathy for the plight of Kashmiris.
    "Kashmiris feel a deep sense of shock and betrayal. I
don't know how you are going to undo the damage and the pain
you have inflicted on the Kashmiri people," Iltija, whose
mother is under preventive detention since the abrogation of
Article 370, said.
    The BJP's claim that scrapping of Article 370 will
pave the way for Kashmir's development and emancipation of its
women was just "shields" to engineer demographic change in the
lone Muslim-majority state in the country, she alleged.
    "You (rest of India) showed more collective outrage
when Chandrayaan 2 failed, you showed more feelings when it
failed...but you don't feel empathy for the nine million
(Kashmiri) people," Iltija said, referring to India's moon
mission and the failure of its lander to maintain
communication link.
    Asked what does the average Kashmiri want, Iltija
said, "The average Kashmiri -- I know this is going to land me
in lot of trouble -- but the average Kashmiri views India as
an occupational force. Most of them are not even thinking
about Pakistan, they want freedom. There, I said it, but it's
the truth."
    She also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi
meeting his mother on his birthday three days ago.
    "I said to myself, Modi sahab, there are 10-11-year-
old ones who have been kidnapped, their mothers are unable to
sleep in the night thinking where their children must be. You
(Modi) can meet your mother, don't we have the right to? Don't
I have the right to meet my mother? Why I had to reach out to
Supreme Court Modi-ji?," Iltija asked.
    "I also saw the other shot released by media of him
(Modi) releasing butterflies (during visit to the Statue of
Unity). You are giving freedom to butterflies, we are also
human beings, aren't we? We deserve freedom, right?" she said.
    The hearts of the Kashmiris cannot be won by brute
force, she said. They can be won over only by reaching out,
she added.
    She also said that every Kashmiri should not be seen
as a potential stone-pelter or terrorist.
    "Every Kashmiri is not a stone-pelter. We are as
aspirational as others," she said.
    Iltija also challenged the assertion that "political
dynasties" destroyed Kashmir over the years, as claimed by
BJP leaders.
    "The government pushes the narrative of some dynasties
having destroyed Kashmir, because that serves its narrative,"
she said.
    "We hear about lynchings (in rest of India). I want to
know how many people have been put under preventive detention
over these lynchings," Iltija said.
    Following the withdrawal of the special status of
Jammu and Kashmir, most of the top-level and second rung
mainstream politicians, including former chief ministers
Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, continue to
be in detention or under house arrest. PTI ENM VT
KRK KRK

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)