Valley celebrates new dawn

As the clock struck noon, several hundred pairs of eyes turned their gaze to the skies to see the plane. And when the plane taxied to a halt...

As the clock struck noon, several hundred pairs of eyes turned their gaze to the skies to see the plane. And when the plane taxied to a halt, the slogan-shouting and chanting began. Mufti Mohammed Sayeed was back in town, as the state’s Chief Minister.

The reception extended beyond the airport: supporters had lined up all along the 10-mile stretch between the airport and his Nowgam home, converting it into a sea of green, the party colour. They couldn’t see Mufti — he was behind security cover, inside a bulletproof vehicle.

But his daughter Mehbooba and senior People’s Democratic Party leader Muzaffar Beig, in an open Gypsy, accepted garlands and were showered with almonds and sweets, the traditional Kashmiri way of honouring victors.

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In all this, though, the discordant note was the absence of anyone from the Congress, the partner in the coalition, allowing all the conspiracy theories about problems between the two to resurface.

But there was good news from New Delhi: Sonia Gandhi would be attending the ministry’s swearing-in ceremony on Saturday. ‘‘The corrupt regime of Farooq Abdullah has collapsed. It is a new beginning, a dawn after a long dark night,’’ PDP supporters shouted as they danced and played folk instruments.

The chaotic scenes continued when the cavalcade arrived at Mufti’s home. All the gates were opened, throwing security concerns to the winds; when the large lawns were full, police opened the entrance to the neighbouring orchard. Supporters tried to scale the brick wall of Mufti’s house, which caved in; a large number of villagers sat on the highway outside while some climbed trees to watch the leaders address them.

The stage was set by Beigh who spoke with high emotion. ‘‘The people of Kashmir have buried autocratic rule once for all. We had been dreaming of this change for the past 50 years,’’ he said. ‘‘We will not commit political vendetta but we will inquire into every atrocity. Those officers who have murdered innocent people will have to give answers. Nobody will be spared’’.

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He said the priority of the new government would be restoration of peace in Kashmir. ‘‘We will talk to those young men who have opted for guns. Our doors will remain open to the Hurriyat and militants. But it won’t happen in one night,’’ he said.

The crowd was demanding that Mehbooba speak but it was her father who next appeared on the balcony. Mufti stressed on the coalition’s common minimum programme. ‘‘We will stress the Government of India to start a dialogue with the people of J-K, with the elected members of the Assembly and the other sections as well,’’ he said. ‘‘And this dialogue has to be unconditional’’.

He said that even the Prime Minister holds the same opinion. ‘‘He (Vajpayee) told me that Kashmir is a national issue and said history had provided us with an opportunity to resolve it.”