By Tehelka Web Desk
Awami Ittehad Party chief and Baramulla MP Er Rashid on Tuesday hinted at stepping away from electoral politics, saying he was seriously considering not contesting future elections.
Addressing mourners during the funeral of his father at his ancestral village in Mawer Payeen in Handwara, Rashid said, “Those who believe only in vote politics will be happy to hear that I may not contest elections in the future. I am seriously thinking about it, though I have not reached a final conclusion yet and will decide in due course of time.”
Earlier in the day, Rashid was released from Tihar Jail on interim bail and travelled directly from Srinagar airport to his native village to participate in the last rites of his father.
In an emotional address, the Baramulla MP said peace in Jammu and Kashmir was more important than his personal circumstances.
“Let me remain in Tihar Jail, but let peace prevail in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Rashid also spoke about the personal losses he had suffered during his incarceration over the past seven years, saying he had lost several close relatives during this period.
Dressed in a traditional Kashmiri khan dress, he urged people to reject hatred and revenge and instead embrace compassion and humanity.
“My struggle has never been against common people, but against injustice and the systems that allow it to continue,” he said.
Recalling the period before he contested the 2008 Assembly elections, Rashid referred to an incident in which authorities had attempted to capture a man-eating animal alive in an effort to reform its behaviour.
“If even a wild animal can be given a chance to change, human beings too deserve opportunities for reform, dignity and justice,” he said.
“My political struggle goes beyond issues like Article 370 or statehood and is rooted in the larger principles of justice, dignity and respect,” the MP said.
He also thanked people who visited his ailing father, attended the funeral, or conveyed condolences.
“I hold no enmity with the people of India. My differences are only with systems that perpetuate injustice,” he added.
Rashid further said that many prisoners lodged in Tihar Jail had lost loved ones but were unable to attend their last rites.
Expressing concern over the growing menace of drug abuse, he extended support to anti-drug campaigns and said fighting the problem was a collective responsibility.
