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| Omar graduates in sentimental politics; Compulsion, theatrics or maturity? vArrogance, defamation suits go missing! Omar graduates in sentimental politics; Compulsion, theatrics or maturity? | | Arrogance, defamation suits go missing! | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Mar 5: If today's political somersault in the two houses of state legislature is any indication, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has come of age in Kashmir politics.
Omar has learnt craft of using choicest and politically correct words while talking about issues which have a significant emotive value across Kashmir valley. His tone and tenor has changed significantly. Speaking for the first time in the legislative council today, Omar left many tongues wagging when he responded in a satirical manner to the 'third grade daily wager' comment of PDP's political heavyweight Muzaffar Hussain Beg.
His speech in the council brought back memories of his father, Union New and Renewable Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah. Omar countered opposition with a smile on his face. There was no expression of anger or arrogance in his reply to the motion on Governor's address, though both have remained his trademark during the last five years. Twitter had gone missing. Gadgets which he would often use to keep himself busy seemed to have gone into hiding.
Clad in a white Salwar-Kurta, Omar seemingly spoke from where his father had left in the year 2002. Omar was seen taking notes, listening to Ministers and MLCs who took turns in sitting on the seat meant for CM and Deputy Chief Minister and above all, when he spoke, he brought laughter to the house for the first time in the last five years. Even PDP's Syed Asgar Ali was seen thumping desk in response to Omar's speech.
The 'third grade wage daily-wager' comment was expected to unnerve Omar and result in breach of privilege notice being slapped on Muzaffar Hussain Beig. But this did not happen. Instead, Omar accepted gracefully that he was a top daily-wager of Jammu and Kashmir. "Mein Jammu Kashmir ka sab sye Bada daily wager hoon," Omar said to the surprise of everyone including his ex-Political Advisor Devinder Rana.
What he did was in complete contrast to stance that he would often take when faced with such comments during the last four years. A look at the last four years reveals that when faced with something red-hot; Omar would get his legal team in action, slap legal notice on the person making the comment and this would always follow with NC leaders and ministers launching a vociferous attack on the opposition.
Aided and abetted by ex-speaker Mohammed Akbar Lone, who would even resort to verbal abuses in Omar's defence, National Conference (NC) would ensure that the opponent feels demoralized and victimized by brutal political mud-slinging. In the upper house, the then Chief Minister's political Advisor and MLC Devinder Rana alongwith other NC members would often do the business of trashing the viewpoint of opposition to pieces.
Political maturity seemed to have knocked at the door of the third generation of Abdullah's. He followed this up with tearful emotive speech in the legislative assembly. As a clever political opportunist, Omar took on New Delhi seeking revocation of AFSPA while responding to walkout of PDP over the issue of killing of a youth in alleged Army firing in Baramullah. His 45 second silence in the jam-packed legislative assembly with head down and pale face, spoke much about Omar having learnt art of valuing his vote bank, essentially in Kashmir valley.
The 22 minute speech shook New Delhi as well as Congress besides making news across the world with headlines "J&K Chief Minister in tears for being helpless in tackling the army and putting an end to the vicious cycle of killings." He spoke with political cleverness, using the occasion to press for revocation of AFSPA. Official handout issued by the state government made Omar's anger over the Baramullah killing focus of its news item.
Omar seemingly knew well how to use this occasion to score political brownie over PDP. The 45 second silence is also being seen as balancing act. Some tears had rolled down the eyes of PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti and it seems, NC may have reported of those tears having created a deep impact on the electorate across Kashmir valley. Omar has come of age in Kashmir politics and he is likely to intensify 'Pakistani Salt and green romaal' politics of NC.
Omar has after four years come to grips with what people in Jammu and Kashmir want. He now knows his electorate and unlike the past, he prefers to dramatize. Something has changed during the last six months. Omar today is seemingly a changed person, a man who knows how to use emotive slogans and theatrics to secure the political constituency of Kashmir. It seems that the survey report which intelligence agencies handed over to New Delhi and which predicted NC's dismal performance in 2014 has reached to the hands of Omar. |
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