‘THE FEAR, THREAT AND SHRINKING SPACE FOR DISSENT IS A KEY FACTOR THAT MARKS WINS AND LOSSES IN KASHMIR'

Rajani Patil is a third-generation politician. Her grandfather, Ganesh Pingle, a member of the Gadar Movement, was hanged in Lahore by the British in 1915. Her mother, Shantabai Pingle married her father, Baram Patil while they were imprisoned by the British. The former Congress MP is now in-charge General Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir. Ms Patil to Tarushi Aswani about recent developments and challenges that shape party politics and mainstream politics in a post 370 Jammu and Kashmir.

KASHMIR LIFE (KL): Last month in Jammu, Congress’ internal splits came to be displayed externally. How would you define these skirmishes?

RAJANI PATIL (RP): Moments that you are labelling as a skirmish, we don’t see it that way. Everyone has a way of putting across their point. The leaders, on whom fingers are being raised, are also our leaders and had written to the party President before expressing themselves publically.

KL: Why was a grand reception organized by JKPCC for Ghulam Nabi Azad on the first day in Jammu and why was it shunned later?

RP: I would like to put it this way that after working for over four decades as a politician and retiring as leader of the opposition, when one goes to his home, the locals will obviously organize a grand reception including his NGO workers. Now who shuns it and why is their prerogative. I personally believe that he has always been a very good leader, respected by people belonging to different political opinions, so people should understand when their leader wants to express something.

KL: JKPCC President Ghulam Ahmad Mir has lost the 2014 assembly polls, 2019 parliament polls himself and now his son lost even a DDC segment. Does Congress lack leaders to replace him?