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| Why are NC leaders abandoning Omar? | | Fear of decimation | | Rustam
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Nov 17: The Kashmir's premier political organization with a divisive agenda is facing one revolt after another. Many senior leaders, including former Ministers and lawmakers, have quit the party and joined other parties. All those who severed relations with the NC have targeted and lambasted the outgoing Chief Minister and NC working president Omar Abdullah. They have held him squarely responsible for their decision to say goodbye to the NC. The latest to abandon Omar Abdullah is Mehboob Beg. He distanced himself from Omar Abdullah on Sunday and declared that he would campaign for Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the PDP's Chief Ministerial candidate despite his being in the NC.
The decision of Beg to abandon Omar Abdullah at this stage would surely further damage the poll prospects, as his decision could not be construed as an insignificant political development in the Kashmir valley, where the NC is fighting the toughest ever election. Even far more significant was what made Beg abandon the roundly criticized Omar Abdullah. Commenting on his decision to sever relations with Omar Abdullah and campaign for Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Beg virtually acknowledged that had he accepted the party mandate for the Assembly election, he would have come out of the electoral exercise minus everything. His assessment of the prevailing situation in the Valley appears to be correct.
In fact, Beg, who has sensed the mood of the Kashmiri electorate, said since he had nothing concrete to show to the people, he took the decision to not contest the Assembly election on the NC ticket. "I am not at all scared of defeat. But tell me how can I face the people and seek votes from them when I have nothing concrete to show despite being in the Government for six long years. My conscience will never allow me to play with the sentiments of people. So I am taking this decision in the interest of the people of Anantnag and entire Kashmir," he candidly said. And what he said was a very poor reflection on the performance of the Omar Abdullah-led ragtag coalition Government. Besides, what he said vindicated the PDP and other non-NC parties which had held the view that Omar Abdullah Government had failed the people of the state and conducted itself in a manner that caused unrest across the state on an unprecedented scale.
Beg was quite assertive when he said that Omar Abdullah has caused an immense damage to the NC and failed to improve the lot of the people. Another comment that Beg made on Omar Abdullah was also very significant, as it indicated the direction in which the political wind is blowing in the Kashmir valley. The case in point is the decision of Omar Abdullah to abandon the Ganderbal Assembly constituency and seek election from two "safe" constituencies of Beerwah and Sonawar. This decision of his had further demoralized the already rather demoralized party leaders and cadres. Beg, a man on the spot, knew the implication of the Omar's politically unwise decision and hence, what he said was very significant. What did he say? Convinced that the decision of Omar Abdullah would prove a waterloo for the NC in the Assembly election, he said and asked: "When Omar left Ganderbal Assembly segment to contest from Beerwah and Sonwar, was it not against the party interests? And why wasn't I consulted? If he loses from both the constituencies, won't it devastate the party?"
All this shows that it was the fear of decimation that compelled senior NC leaders to leave the party to join other parties or to remain members of the NC but campaign for the PDP. Omar Abdullah has questioned the credentials of all those who had deserted him, saying he was expecting desertions. It would have been better had he democratized the functioning of his party and Government. Since he didn't do that and flirted with those who had only personal axe to grind, he lost the confidence of leaders like Sheikh Ghulam Rasool and Mehboob Beg. It is pertinent to mention here that there are many Rasools and Begs in the NC, who are more than willing to work for the PDP in the Valley. Indeed, things are assuming alarming proportions for the NC. |
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