Bangladesh Crisis Lesson For India; Dictatorships Don’t Last Long: Mehbooba Mufti

SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said the situation in Bangladesh was a lesson for India that the youth should not be pushed to the wall and dictatorships do not last long.

Bangladesh has plunged into uncertainty after weeks of violent street protests over job quota forced Sheikh Hasina to quit as prime minister and flee.

Thousands of protesters looted and vandalised Hasina’s official residence in Dhaka and set offices of her party on fire as they celebrated her departure.

Talking to reporters here, Mufti said, the country should learn a lesson from the situation in Bangladesh.

When you push the youth to the wall, disappoint them by failing to tackle rising inflation and unemployment, and make them feel helpless even after getting an education, a Bangladesh-like situation can arise, Mufti said.

“We should learn a lesson that a dictatorship does not last long and the people can lose their patience when they are fed up with policies or laws that are against them. Then you have to flee like Sheikh Hasina,” she said.

The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir said the situation in Bangladesh was akin to Jammu and Kashmir where the youth “face several issues”.

“The youth today feels helpless like in Bangladesh, and on top of that, they face oppression and force, the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act), and the PSA (Public Safety Act). So, we should learn a lesson from it (the Bangladesh crisis) and address the issues of the youth,” she said.

“God forbid, such a situation should not arise here,” the PDP president said, adding the Bangladesh crisis was a reminder that even the weaker people can fight for their rights when pushed to the wall. (PTI)