Iltija Mufti Gets Candid: Navigating politics, sexism, and the 'anti-India' sentiment in Kashmir

Newslaundry’s Manisha Pande sits down with Iltija Mufti, PDP’s candidate from Bijbehara, ahead of the first Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections in 10 years.

In this candid interview, Iltija, the daughter of former CM Mehbooba Mufti, speaks about the personal toll of growing up in a political family. “My mother was very distant growing up,” she says.

Iltija entered politics in 2023 and is fighting her maiden election. She discusses the irony of being in a mainstream party that’s viewed as neither “Indian enough” by the centre in Delhi nor “Kashmiri enough” by people in the valley.

She shares her experience as a woman in politics and also responds to her mother’s controversial remarks from 2016 on local youth who were killed in firing by the forces, besides sharing an important message for the youth of Kashmir.

Watch.

00:00-2:54 - INTRO
2:55-8:51 - 'I had a distant mother'
8:52-10:30 - joining politics
10:31-12:38 - being a dynast
12:39-15:26 - tough election for PDP
15:27-17:22 - agency role in election
17:23-20:11 - 'Kashmiri ko zaleel kiya'
20:12-25:03 - anti-India sentiment in Kashmir
25:04-27:52 - issues this election
27:53-30:10- Silencing Kashmir
30:11-30:53 - militancy
30:54-33:22 - 'I don't cover my head'
33:23-35:03 - On not being able to speak Kashmiri
35:04-40:00 - Kashmiri pandit issue
40:01-42:42 - relationship with BJP
42:43-42:54 - What if Iltija loses the election?
42:55-47:02 - Mehbooba Mufti's 2016 statement
47:03-47:45 - What Iltija learnt from her mother
46:46- 48:56 - politics is hard
48:57 - message for young people


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