Iltija Mufti interview: ‘Parties must set aside differences and come together’

The Jammu & Kashmir elections next month will see a third generation from the Mufti family contest from the family borough of Bijbehara. Iltija Mufti, 37, is stepping into the fray from a family bastion -- represented by her mother Mehbooba and grandfather Mufti Mohammad Sayeed -- since the 1960s. Iltija spoke to HT about the chances of aligning with other parties, her party’s goals, and her political leap, among other issues. Edited excerpts:

What made you decide to take the leap into politics?

Honestly, I have to admit this is not my decision. The party felt it was best for me to contest because there’s been a complete vacuum in the past five years. The current state of affairs in Kashmir is such that the party felt that we need voices that are going to be strong and, more importantly, truthful. And they felt that I’ve been very vocal since 2019, after the scrapping of Article 370. And obviously Ms (Mehbooba) Mufti also had quite a big role to play in this. I’ve always been a very political being... when you grow up in a political family where your breakfast, lunch, dinner, conversations all revolve around politics.

Are you having the first challenge of dealing with charges of nepotism? Reports are that people are disappointed.

I think this is a figment of the media’s imagination, and this is something that is, interestingly, being planted in Delhi because I read about it as well. People in the party have no problem at all. In fact, this was an idea that was pitched by them. Like I mentioned earlier, I wasn’t very comfortable about getting into electoral politics, but they felt that this is a decisive role that I will have to play. And so I took it up. I’m sorry, I’ll have to dismiss data, speculation and gossip.

Read more: Iltija Mufti set for electoral debut from family bastion

What is it that the party and you are promising? And what do you think the people of the Valley need?

For the past five years, after the illegal abrogation of article 370, people have suffered immensely. And it’s just not economic strain. It’s also a psychological blow that’s been inflicted since 2019. There’s no sense of security. There’s no sense of dignity. There’s a sense that they’re going to be losing their identity because it’s almost like the government in India wants to do a lobotomy. They want us to forget our collective history, our collective identity, our collective culture. And so we want to reassure people that we keep fighting for their rights.

Statehood is something that the Congress has also talked about. What do you think of the alliance (with National Conference) that they’ve just announced?

I think an alliance at this point in Kashmir is a good idea because this is something that the PDP has consistently said. So much has been done to the state of Jammu & Kashmir. It’s imperative for political parties to put aside, set aside the political differences and come together on the same platform. Because, you see, BJP is a very formidable entity that you’re up against. They have agencies, they have the media, they have pretty much everybody in their pocket. So I think an alliance is a good idea.

The positivity with which you talk about alliances, does that mean that the PDP isn’t ruling out joining together, that something like the Gupkar alliance could be revived?

The Gupkar alliance was Ms Mehbooba Mufti’s brainchild. And she put aside her ego and all her differences, and she came up with this idea that why don’t we all get on the same platform and pass a resolution. And this was way back, five years ago, right before they revoked Article 370. I think an alliance is always a good idea. But as far as the nitty-gritty is concerned, this is something only the party can answer. What I’m telling you here is my personal opinion. It doesn’t necessarily represent the party stand.

Read more: Get representatives from both sides to sit together: Mehbooba Mufti to Amit Shah on getting back PoK

You are critical of the BJP but they were your allies at one point. Do you bear the burden of the alliance that went wrong?

Mufti Sahib gambled his party for the people of Jammu & Kashmir. There was a reason why he went with the BJP, because he felt that allying with a Muslim party would moderate Prime Minister Modi, just like it moderated Atal Bihari Vajpayee to a great extent. The kind of confidence building measures that were taken during Vajpayee’s tenure as prime minister, even a Congress prime minister wouldn’t have done it. So my grandfather’s intention was never wrong.What’s sad is that he died with this sadness, with this aching pain in his heart knowing what he was going to lose, (that) his party was at stake.