Explore peaceful ways to express dissent: PDP tells youth

Srinagar, May 07: Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday termed the civilian killings in Kashmir worrisome and tormenting for one and all, asking the political, social and religious groups to stand united in their efforts in getting the state out of the vicious cycle of violence and bloodshed.
As per the party statement issued, a high-level district committee Srinagar meet was held at the party headquarters here which was chaired by the PDP General Secretary Mansoor Hussain Soharwardhy.
Addressing the meeting, the party General Secretary said the killings of civilians in Kashmir has emerged as a most worrying trend in the state, demanding concern of one and all in the society. He said it is the high time that all political groups irrespective of the party affiliations and ideologies, beliefs, and practices, must come forward and help the government in putting a lid to such crises.
Mansoor said the younger generation of Kashmir need to understand that the value of their life is much more precious than anything else for their parents and the dear ones. “What greater agony could be there than to find the young generation setting all their priorities aside and falling prey to the bullets. If such a situation continues, Kashmir will turn into a place wherein hopelessness would saunter and nightmares would replace dreams,” Mansoor said.
Appealing youth to understand the value of their lives, the PDP General Secretary said the youth must be guided towards the path wherein things can be achieved by means of non- violence and peaceful struggles. “How long should the parents shoulder the coffins of their dead children. How long shall the mothers wail over the bullet-ridden bodies of their sons? the leadership has to rise to the occasion and guide people not to tread the path of destruction. If we fail, history will never absolve us,” Mansoor said.
The PDP General Secretary added that if the political leadership in Kashmir this time fails to guide the younger generation, the judgment of the future ages will be harsh and unthinkable. “There is before all of us a precarious chance to turn the black tide of events and these proposals spring without ulterior motive or political passion, from our calm conviction that hunger for peace is in the hearts of every person in Kashmir,” Mansoor said.
The meeting was also attended by the PDP’s Srinagar district president Mohammad Khurshid Alam who said that the state has been bearing the brunt of the past mistakes committed by the leadership and that the core agenda of the PDP has always been to build a peaceful society based on the values of justice and Fair Play.
MLA Batamaloo Noor Mohammad Sheikh, VC Handicrafts Dr. Ali Mohammad Wani, Secretary PDP Abdul Hameed Kosheen and various others also took part in the meeting.