The Indian Panorama

Tag: Mr. Abdullah

  • J&K Statehood to be Restored, says Amit Shah: Farooq Abdulla is surprised

    J&K Statehood to be Restored, says Amit Shah: Farooq Abdulla is surprised

    JAMMU (TIP): National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Sunday, October 24, expressed surprise over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood would be restored after assembly elections. The Home Minister said “urges and aspirations of people have to be satiated for lasting peace” in the Union Territory. Mr. Abdullah expressed surprise over the logic being advanced by the Central leadership that the statehood will be restored after completion of the delimitation of constituencies and holding of elections.

    “It is strange,” Farooq Abdullah said and recalled the all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few months ago in which he took up these issues. “(Mr.) Modi had at that point of time asserted that the gap between New Delhi and J&K would have to be bridged by winning over the hearts… Hearts cannot be won by undermining the status of Jammu and Kashmir, which was bifurcated and then downgraded,” the NC leader said while addressing a public meeting at Mendhar in Poonch district. Defending the BJP-led NDA government’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, Mr. Shah had on Saturday said August 5, 2019, was written in golden letters in the history of Kashmir. He had reiterated that elections would be held in J&K after the delimitation exercise to be followed by restoration of statehood. “Elections will happen. (Politicians from Kashmir want that the) Delimitation be stopped. Why? Because it hurts their politics. Now, such things will not stop in Kashmir.

    “The youth of Kashmir will get opportunities, so a right delimitation will be done, which will be followed by elections and then the status of the statehood will be restored. I have said this in the country’s Parliament and this is the roadmap,” Mr. Shah had said. Mr. Abdullah further said it must have happened for the first time that a State is transformed and downgraded as a Union Territory.

    “The urges and aspirations of the people have to be satiated for lasting peace,” he underlined.

    Pitching for India-Pakistan dialogue, the NC president said peace in the region will remain elusive unless a conducive atmosphere is made for talks between the two neighboring countries.

    He also decried attempts of dividing the society for political gains and said this is not good for the unity of the country and integration of people.

    “The nation cannot afford to get fragmented into bits and pieces on the basis of religion. Elections were not to be fought on religion, as these provide an opportunity to put in place responsive governments which serve the people in terms of development and economic emancipation,” he said.

    The former Chief Minister expressed grave concern over loss of life, and damage to standing crops and orchards due to heavy downpour, hailstorm and stormy winds across Jammu and Kashmir.

    Mr. Abdullah, who is on a four-day visit to Jammu Province, also sought an exhaustive assessment by expert panels on the damage caused, saying preliminary relief in terms of financial assistance should be provided to the affected till the assessment is completed. He also sought immediate release of compensation to the next of kin of those killed.

  • J&K parties find common ground on deepening democracy, early polls

    J&K parties find common ground on deepening democracy, early polls

    Restore the special status of J&K : Gupkar leaders

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, June 24, told a group of leaders from Jammu and Kashmir that the Assembly elections there will be held after the completion of the ongoing delimitation exercise, People’s Conference leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig said after a crucial meeting to chalk out the future course of action in the Union Territory

    This is the first interaction between the Central leadership and the mainstream parties since August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated it into union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

    Modi stressed that holding Assembly elections, just like the successful conduct of the District Development Council polls, is a priority and that the polls can happen soon after the delimitation exercise, the sources said, adding that by and large most participants expressed willingness for it.

    The Prime Minister stressed that an atmosphere of safety and security needs to be ensured for all sections of society in Jammu and Kashmir and he wanted to remove ‘Dilli ki Duri as well as ‘Dil Ki Duri’ (distance from Delhi as well as distance of heart), according to the sources.

    All the constituents of the Gupkar Alliance, including Dr. Abdullah and Ms. Mufti, reiterated their demand to restore the special status of J&K.

    In a freewheeling three-and-a-half-hour interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, J&K parties, across the political divide, find the common ground on deepening democracy, early process and taking the PM’s dialogue process forward.

    “Building trust is very necessary. Restoration of full statehood will be the first trust building exercise from New Delhi,” Dr. Abdullah, NC president and the Gupkar alliance chief, said.

    His son and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said there has been a breach of trust between Delhi and Srinagar and requires measures from the PM, as he described the August 5, 2019 move as “unacceptable” and “being contested in the court” by the party.

    “People do not like J&K’s status to be reduced to Union Territory (UT). They want the full State and J&K cadre restored,” Mr. Abdullah said. All the constituents of the Gupkar Alliance, including Dr. Abdullah and Ms. Mufti, reiterated their demand to restore the special status of J&K, as it existed on August 4, 2019 and “rebuild the broken relation with people of J&K”.

    “People of J&K have been in pain since 5 August 2019. They are angry and feel humiliated. The people of J&K do not accept the unconstitutional, immoral and illegal abrogation of Article 370. My party and my party will fight peacefully and democratically for its restoration, even if it takes months or years. It’s about our identity. Article 370 was not something granted by Pakistan to us,” People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said. Ms. Mufti said she complimented the PM for initiating dialogue with China and Pakistan and insisted that India should talk to Pakistan for peace in Kashmir. “We also sought security on land, jobs and minerals of J&K and an end to any kind of intimidation. We also demanded the release of political leaders,” she added.

    No concrete assurances

    CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami said both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister gave them a patient hearing as they expressed their concerns, demands and aspirations. “However, we did not get any concrete assurances from them,” he added.

    Kashmir-based Peoples Conference (PC) and J&K Apni Party also sought special provisions on the issue of land and jobs during the meeting, while describing the meeting as “cordial and dignified”. However, these two parties did not discuss Article 370, saying “it’s sub judice”.

    “I did suggest to the PM to incorporate 35(A) (special provision to secure jobs and land for locals) under Article 371. There was a thrust on getting together in strengthening democracy in J&K and the majority of leaders demanded restoration of statehood. The PM did suggest elections after the delimitation process completes its process and also promised on the restoration of statehood. After that, other issues will be taken up,” PC’s Muzaffar Hussain Baigh said.

    J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari said the meeting is likely to herald a new dawn for J&K. “Our party’s paramount demands have been restoration of Statehood, early assembly elections, delimitation on merit and constitutional mechanism that protects the rights of residents of J&K on their land, jobs and natural resources besides expediting the hearing of the Supreme Court on Article 370 and 35-A,” Mr. Bukhari said.

    He said he was hopeful that J&K parties will be able to arrive at a sustainable and meaningful roadmap keeping in view the best interests and the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

    Senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said the meeting was “meaningful”. “All parties talked about the development of J&K and presented their opinions. In the time to come, the political process is going to begin. Assembly will be constituted in J&K once again,” Mr. Gupta said.

    (With inputs from PTI)