The Hindu : Human rights must for peace, says Mufti

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Monday, Dec 09, 2002

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Human rights must for peace, says Mufti

By Our Staff Reporter

Jammu Dec. 8. The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, today said his Government will ensure that human rights in the State is respected as it is a pre-requisite for peace and civilised life.

The State was committed to maintaining the highest standards in this respect, he added.

Talking to The Hindu at his residence here today, the Mufti expressed deep sorrow over the firing on demonstrators protesting against the blast in a house in Baramulla district on Id day in which one person was killed and two were injured.

"It was an unfortunate incident, especially on the day of Id. An inquiry has already been ordered into the incident and I assure full justice will be done to the aggrieved persons. The guilty will not be spared."

The Mufti said he the release of prisoners from jails had been ordered after considerable application of mind and in no case was it a "haphazard decision". Asked whether the "healing touch" had been toned down as the issue was being exploited in Gujarat, he said " bringing the State to normalcy is a big challenge before the new Government. There are a lot of expectations from us by the people of the State as well as the country. We have to deliver. There may be vested interests at various levels who want to derail the process which we have started but I am committed to persist. This is the beginning of a new era. I need the good wishes and cooperation of all sections of society. "

Asked about steps to improve conditions in jails, he said wherever there was scope for improvement, he would certainly do it. After all, a jail was a jail, he said. The Mufti said the thrust would be on decentralisation of powers. Powers needed to be devolved to the lowest tier in the State.

The middleman between the people and centres of power had to be weeded out. The panchayats would be fully empowered to take up direct responsibility for dealing with the promises of people at the grassroots.

In West Bengal, the success of the rural development programme testified to the robustness of the panchayati raj system. "There is no harm in learning lessons from the experience of other parts of the country."

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