Single mother and sole woman in the J&K legislature, Mehbooba Mufti loves to speak the language of peace.
A politician and a mother, Mehbooba Mufti steers through troubled times. The politician is determined to give the common Kashmiri peace with dignity; the mother is guilt-ridden at being unable to play full time mom to her teenage daughters.
It’s only befitting that in a land torn asunder by terrorism and violence, the face of peace and hope is the hijab -clad Mehbooba, Vice President, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the only woman in the 87-member Jammu & Kashmir Legislature.
The common man’s politician who managed to make the weary and cynical Kashmiri believe in hope and the electoral process, did not bulldoze her way into politics. Hers is a case of the true grassroots worker and that is how she has chosen to remain, turning away from ministerial ranks and perks.
Appropriately, her simple but telling slogan is ‘Peace With Honour’. With the recent state elections over, the Valley now looks to the 40-year-old single mother of two girls to deliver her promise.
Daughter of former union home minister and current Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, she can almost undisputedly walk away with the titles of ‘people’s politician’ and ‘most popular politician’.
The PDP’s impressive showing in the aAssembly polls have been credited to her, and here again there are not many dissenting voices.
Mehbooba caught the nation’s attention when on July 23, 1999, she resigned from her Bijbehera constituency (to which she was elected in 1996) and the Congress party, to set up the PDP with her father. Since then, her political visibility has been high.
Excerpts from an interview:
Why are you not part of the state government? Why have you chosen to remain a party person?
Would you believe me if I tell you that I did not get excited or happy even for a second over our victory because the sense of responsibility is too great? People’s expectations are too high. Everyone in our combined government will have to keep the promises made to the people. I’ve chosen not to be part of the government in order to be available to the people.
I want to keep my channels of communication open and that would be difficult if I were part of the government, or a ministry. It would then be too official, there would be governmental responsibilities and I would be too involved in it all. I would like feedback from the people to our programmes, to find out whether they’ve been actually implemented. Whatever problems the people have, they should get a hearing and I should be available to hear them out.
What are your plans for Jammu & Kashmir?
The first priority is peace. There is a kind of hope, rather a euphoria that things will change now, and change for the better. We have our agenda — a programme for the common man and we have to ensure its political and economic implementation. The starting point is now, right now.
What is the crux of this programme?
Peace with dignity, with honour. People have had the feeling of being deprived of their dignity and honour. There has been too much harassment. I would like to see peace return to this strife-torn state, peace through honourable ways —people should not feel it was forced upon them or that they had to surrender anything for it.
Do people still expect anything from the government?
We’ve made a beginning. We instructed the security forces not to frisk people in buses during Ramzan; our government has begun releasing political prisoners against whom there were no substantiated charges. We have begun providing electricity for longer hours. These might be small steps, but they matter a lot. For instance, winter here can be very depressing without electricity. We’ve started the healing touch.
You are the most visible women politician in the state and the sole woman MLA — what can women in the state expect from you?
Anywhere in the world, in times of trouble, women have been the worst victims. They have the most maximum at stake where peace is concerned. There are mothers, widows, orphans — they’ve lost those they depended upon.
When we talk of the healing touch, we mean the healing of women, families. Our healing touch starts from there. Our government is too new, but we’ve a programme for the rehabilitation of widows, orphans. We’ve to ensure their proper care.
As a single mother, how difficult has it been personally for you?
Don’t ask me how tough it has been. It really has been difficult because till 1996, I was wholly and totally available to take care of my two daughters. I’d be there at lunch, goading them to eat.
Unfortunately, since 1996, I’ve not been able to take care of them... The older one was just 10 then; the crucial period when they became teenagers was also my crucial years in politics. I don’t feel too good about it, I feel guilty. I know I’ve not been able to do justice to my kids. My parents have been there always, my mom is there for my girls and yet I feel guilty.
Sometimes, I wonder if it has been worth it. But when I do small things for other people and see the difference it makes in their lives, I realise that I’ve made some contribution...
And as a woman how difficult has it been for you?
Honestly, my people have never ever singled me out as a woman. From the day I set foot into politics, I’ve been treated as a sister, a daughter, the general masses have never made me aware of my gender. I’ve never faced gender discrimination.