Economic development alone cannot address aspirations of Kashmiris, self-respect is above everything: Mirwaiz North Kashmir

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, MARCH 11 (STC): Mirwaiz North Kashmir Maulana Parry Hassan Afzal Firdousi in an interview with Muslim Mirror has highlighted “the persistent discontent among Kashmiri leadership, raising questions about the Indian government’s approach to the region and its policies over the decades.
Mirwaiz was reacting to a statement of the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, to news agency IANS, in which he had stated, “The rate at which economic development has taken place and the way India’s stature has grown on the world stage, people of PoK have started feeling that their development lies in joining a country like India.” According to the Defence Minister, the people of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) would compel Pakistan to agree to a merger with India, adding, “I believe the people of that region may not even need Pakistan’s consent for it.”
Reacting to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Mirwaiz Hassan Firdosi, stated, “If even after 75 years of independence, the Indian government has failed to win the hearts of Kashmiris, it must reflect on what went wrong and why the people of Jammu and Kashmir do not feel a sense of belonging towards India.”
He emphasized that economic development alone cannot address the aspirations of Kashmiris. “People don’t just seek economic growth; self-respect is above everything. Even after 75 years of association with India, Kashmir lacks basic infrastructure and healthcare. The prosperity of corporate giants like Adani and Ambani will not alter the faith of the people of India or Jammu and Kashmir,” he remarked. (STC)