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Er Rashid hints at quitting electoral politics, calls for peace in J&K
Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief and Baramulla Member of Parliament Er Rashid on Tuesday indicated that he may step away from electoral politics, saying he was seriously considering not contesting future elections.
“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,” he said.
Er Rashid made the remarks while addressing mourners during the funeral of his father at his ancestral village in Mawer Payeen area of Handwara.
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Earlier in the day, he 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 move away from 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.
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Drawing a parallel from the period before he contested the 2008 Assembly elections, Rashid recalled 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 pointed out 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 full support to anti-drug campaigns and said combating the issue was a collective responsibility.