Ashiq Hussain Dar is the state Vice-President of youth Wing BJP from Anantnag district of south Kashmir.
While revealing sensational facets of Kashmir polity in an exclusive interview with The Kashmir Scenario , Dar talks to Editor-in-Chief Malik Sajid.
What was that thing which turned you from a business man to a politician?
I had been a businessman. I had a Footwear showroom at junglaat Mandi in Anantnag. It was during those times when Anantnag was fully controlled and cornered by Ikhawnis (Government Gunmen). I remained associated with this showroom from 2003 to 2005. The sphere of terror unleashed by those Ikhwanis (Government Gunmen) was at its peak in those times. I still remember the way they used to torture us mentally. Sometimes they used to come late night at showroom and their reason of coming used to be nothing more than extortion, like someone used to take away shoes without payment. So all I could say is that every person was suffering from this torture and someone had to take the initiative rather a bold step to stand against the Sphere of terror which was unleashed by these Ikhwanis (Government Gunmen). My main reason of entering into politics was the terror I witnessed from Ikhwanis (Government Gunmen).
So in which year you joined politics?
I started my political career from Samajwadi Party in the year 2006. I was working there as district president. I remained associated with them for almost a year. After that I tried to analyse the aims or you can say the agenda of BJP and i finally joined BJP and i am still associated with them.
As you know that the BJP is looked in Kashmir with a blind eye. There is a lot of hatred BJP and is considered more over an Anti-Muslim party in Kashmir. So why u joined BJP and not any other Party?
Well you see, BJP has always thought good for the state of J&K. It is this party who has always been sincere to solve the Kashmir dispute. Former prime Minister Atal bihari Vajpayee had always stood to resolve the Kashmir dispute with the neighbours. In that case congress party has ruled the government for so long but no outcome to resolve the issue came from their side.
I want to mention that when NDA came in power, a lot of good thing and developing thing came along with it. During NDA tenure, livelihood was not costly. There was less number of innocent killings; system of bureaucracy was pushed to walls. So whatever happened, it went through proper channel.
You had also been associated with the separatist or you can say the Hurriyat party in Kashmir. What led to leave the Hurriyat party?
Well yes I was a part Muslim League from Anantnag, whose chairman was Ghulam Nabi Sumji. It was associated with Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani. My reason of leaving the Hurriyat was that i couldn’t as such find a single person in Hurriyat who had the calibre to uplift the youth o the Kashmir.
Does it mean that the leaders from the separatist camp are exploiting the youth of Kashmir and there is an organizational failure in Hurriyat?
No! You see what I have stated in my personal opinion about the separatist leaders. So what I felt was to address the issue to need to have a proper channel and to join the political system was the better channel. You can see what had been happening in the past few years. We have lost so many lives of our younger generation in Kashmir on which the future of the state depends. All these things can be countered when deserving people will frame the assembly, when real representatives will come in assembly who will be able to share the pain of the people. So I feel that the Hurriyat should also join the politics, become part of the assembly and address every issue and grievance in the state assembly.
As you know that the execution of Afzal Guru was a pending demand of the BJP, and it was BJP who wanted death sentence for Afzal guru. Now being a part of BJP, how do you take it keeping the view the larger sentiments of the people of Kashmir and the way it spread hatred and anger among the youth in Kashmir after Afzal guru’s hanging?
You see that Afzal guru execution happened in Congress Tenure. As far as BJP is concerned it was a demand set by the party long back but no such execution happened at that time. The sudden execution of Afzal guru was nothing more than to gain political mileage by the congress Party