August 5, 2019, changed Jammu and Kashmir's historical and geopolitical structure, splitting it into two union territories and restructuring the Valley's identity as an integral part of the Indian subcontinent. The abrogation of Article 370 brought a political avalanche amongst the leaders, voices were raised from the National Conference and People's Democratic Party, house arrests happened and the whole territory turned into a cantonment. But there were voices that supported this scrapping, and all of them were not from Kashmiri Pandits. Some afforded to believe that Kashmir would revamp after the removal of the article that differentiated it from other states. Some voices decided to rethink the development of Kashmir, one such voice was Junaid Jawaid Mir aka Mir Junaid.
No dialogues with Pak: Mir Junaid
When the biggies of Kashmir proclaimed that the valley was over, the political experts predicted the regional political parties would turn into negligibility, Mir Junaid formed his own party in February 2020 - Jammu and Kashmir Workers Party. The party that is pro abrogation of Article 370, the party that believes no dialogues can happen with Pakistan.
Ahead of the third phase of Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, Mir Junaid in his exclusive interview with ANI, Mir sternly said, "It is important to show Pakistan its place. The nation that is killing people in our territory, the nation that has raped our women, you want dialogues with that nation?"
Farooq turned J&K into Gaza
Lambasting the rule of Abdullahs and Muftis in one go, Mir Junaid said his objective is to expose them. He calls the National Conference A team of the BJP. "Mehbooba Mufti assured that they won't allow the BJP to cross the tunnel, then who introduced the BJP?", Mir questioned the stance of the PDP and NC in all these decades.
Farooq Abdullah who said during the resettlement that Kashmir would turn into Gaza had already made the Valley Gaza long before during his rule, we are trying to fix it, Mir further added.
Junaid Jawaid Mir calls Articles 370 and 35a a hoax. "It was gone when Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah accepted chief ministership over the prime ministership. The article was abolished by our own people", he said.
Mufti was HM during Pandits' exodus
On one of the highlighted points of the PDP manifesto which says that the party will launch a programme to bring back Kashmiri Pandits, Mir upfrontly answers, "When the exodus of Pandits happened, Mufti sahab was the home minister."
8th-pass candidate
Mir Junaid has a rational point of view on Kashmir, its history, and insightful answers to all the questions one may have on the Valley. He said that Kashmir was exploited by its own leaders and makes points to prove, points that would make one bang their head on the wall if one gets to know he is just an 8th-pass student. His electoral affidavit says that his highest educational qualification is senior secondary, '8th-pass' he wrote in the bracket.
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With no criminal records in his name, this 33-year-old candidate from the Langate constituency describes himself as a social worker who draws his income from agriculture. Mir Junaid has picked Langate to put his fate to the test in the assembly elections considering it's his native place. Notably, this constituency was bagged by Engineer Rashid 2008 who got it as an independent candidate in 2008 and as a candidate of the Awami Ittehad Party in 2014. Now that Rashid is an MP from the Baramulla constituency, Junaid Mir has an open court to play. The PDP has fielded Syed Ghulam Nabi Bukhari, a J&K High Court advocate from this seat.