Engineer Rashid calls for humanitarian approach to address IIOJK issues
Announces he will observe hunger strike on International Human Rights Day
New Delhi: Member of Lok Sabha, lower house of the Indian Parliament, from Baramulla, occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Engineer Rashid has urged the Indian government and members of the Parliament to address the issues of Kashmir with “humanity, sincerity and moral responsibility,” instead of “political expediency.”
According to Kashmir Media Service, Engineer Rashid, speaking in the Lok Sabha, announced that he would observe a one-day hunger strike on International Human Rights Day, December 10, as a symbolic gesture to draw attention to what he described as Kashmir’s “unresolved pain” and the urgent need for reconciliation.
He said that despite frequent assurances about bridging the “distance of hearts” with the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, “nothing substantive has changed on the ground.”
Calling for “collective wisdom,” he urged both the Treasury and Opposition benches to adopt a humanitarian approach and appealed to the authorities to initiate an inclusive dialogue with elected representatives and other stakeholders, asserting that such engagement is vital for a lasting and dignified resolution.
Rashid reminded the House of “35 years of turmoil and hardship” faced by the people of Kashmir, whose foremost aspiration, he said, is peace and stability.
Ahead of Human Rights Day, he appealed to “all stakeholders to give peace a chance.” Referring to his incarceration, he added with restraint: “At present, Tihar Jail is my home.”
