Separatist narrative over, Centre should talk to Kashmir youth: G H Mir

Jammu, Dec 27: A day after Mirwaiz Umar Farooq removed the “Chairman, Hurriyat Conference” tag from his X profile, Apni Party Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir on Saturday said the decision reflects a larger political transformation in Jammu and Kashmir, signalling the end of separatist narratives and the beginning of a new engagement-driven chapter with New Delhi.

According to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Mir said political groups that once raised slogans outside India’s constitutional framework have now “accepted and understood that their future lies with India.”

He added that the discourse in Kashmir is no longer about confrontation, but about coexistence, dignity, and development.

“All those people, whether from Hurriyat parties, who in the past raised different slogans, have now accepted and understood that their future lies with India. We have to see how we can spend our life with India gracefully,” Mir said.

He urged the Centre to open structured dialogue channels to rebuild trust, especially with the youth, stating that both the Prime Minister and Home Minister have repeatedly spoken about engaging directly with the people of Kashmir.

“There are doubts between the people of J&K and the Government of India. There is a need to rectify it. PM and HM have time and again said they will talk to the people of Kashmir and the youth of Kashmir. This is the appropriate time, because the separatist narrative which was running here is now over,” he added.

Addressing a monthly party meeting at the Apni Party office in Jammu’s Gandhi Nagar, Mir accused the National Conference government of betraying the unemployed youth by failing to create employment opportunities.

“The NC had promised one lakh employment to the educated youth of J&K in the first six months of government formation. However, things are opposite, and the government is claiming they cannot do anything,” he said.

Mir also criticised the NC for unfulfilled promises, including 200 units of free electricity, Rs 3,000 old age pension, and subsidised cooking gas cylinders.

He pointed out how the politics of hate, regionalism, and communalism was promoted in both regions, putting regional harmony at stake.

“The Apni Party stands for unity, equality, communal harmony and development for all people of Jammu and Kashmir without biased approach,” Mir said.

He also raised concerns about local youth working in the mining sector being displaced by big mining mafia, increasing construction material costs while the government remains inactive.

Apni Party’s Provincial President Jammu and former Minister S. Manjit Singh was also present at the meeting along with other party leaders.