Date:04/06/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/06/04/stories/2005060404561200.htm

National

APHC does not represent entire State: J&K parties

Staff Reporter

JAMMU: People belonging to various political, social organisations have said that any attempt by the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference to present itself as the representative of Jammu and Kashmir during their stay in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan would be a negation of ground realities. The State has three distinct regions which are multiethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious. No political party can claim to be the representative of the entire State. The Hurriyat, by no means, can make this claim.

Gujjar United Front leader Shah Mohammad said: "Jammu and Kashmir is not just the Valley where Muslims are a minority. People living outside the Valley are in fact the majority in the pluralistic State. For instance, the Gujjar community, which is 100 per cent Muslim, strongly believes that accession with India is final and irrevocable. We will not accept the Hurriyat or any other separatist group claim that it represents the entire State. The Hurriyat should know its limits and then only speak."

According to Tahir Khurshid Ranna, leader of the Pahari Forum, people would be doing a "disservice" to the majority of the people of J&K by imposing the views of the Hurriyat leaders on them. "While in PoK, the Hurriyat leaders should not present themselves as the representatives of the people of J&K. We oppose this move tooth and nail."

The Ladakhi minister in the Mufti Government, Rigzin Jora, said: "[The] people of Ladakh [both Leh and Kargil] do not consider Hurriyat as their representative as we have our own urges and aspirations. Therefore one thing is clear: any attempt by the Hurriyat to term themselves as representatives of the State would be factually wrong."

Ghulam Ahmed Mir, Congress Minister said there could be no doubt as to who represented the people of the State: "We have contested the elections and people have voted us braving bullets. There is hardly any doubt who the real representatives of people of the State are."