| Wants another term to bring pandits back, create jobs | | Omar speaks heart out | |
Javaid Naikoo
SRINAGAR, Mar 8: Speaking his heart out, Omar Abdullah speaking on the second day at the "New Generation, New Politics, Kashmir Looks Ahead" of the 13th India Today Conclave sought another term to bring pandits back, create new jobs and solve other problems the state is facing.
On the issue of ensuring return of Kashmiri migrant Pandits back to Kashmir, Omar Abdullah said his Government has brought back 2,000 Kashmiri Pandits to Kashmir who are working in different sectors.
He said that it is a very small number though, but definitely a beginning with an assurance that more steps in this regard would be taken. Chief Minister said that he would like to do more in terms of overall development in sectors of tourism and extend avenues of job creation, ensure return of Kashmiri Pandits to Kashmir and progress on removal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) if he is re-elected again. Ruling out the possibility of returning to NDA, he said previous alliance with NDA was only because of Atal Bihari Vajpayye. However, while admitting Modi wave in Jammu division, he said "I think we are overusing the term Modi wave, rather there is an effect and added that it got exposed during Modi's rally in Jammu in which less people attended rally than expected."
While expressing his attachment to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Omar Abdullah said that we talk politics in our meetings. "If I am asked to advice Rahul Gandhi not to back off after an interview to a TV channel," he said.
On relationship with Pakistan, he said that he does not support the argument that India's ties with Pakistan are Kashmir centric. "There are other issues that need to be resolved other than Kashmir," he said. .
Omar admitted 2010 summer was tough for him. "However, I learn things every day," he said.
On AFSPA, Omar said that as long as Army is involved in internal security duties, it needed a legal cover to operate and added that however, we need to differentiate between legal cover and impunity as well.
"The sort of cover they get now is too much. I think that fear of consequences has to be built back into the system," Chief Minister added While accepting a gap between him and Kashmiri youth, Omar Abdullah said that there is an obvious disconnect though, He said it was an urban phenomenon. "It cannot be set right in a short span of time. It needs a longer period," he said.
When asked what he would like to gift to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar added that "I want to take away the uncertainty from the lives of young Kashmiris."
While concluding his conversation Omar said that though youth of state are slowly beginning to see some normalcy ahead, however situation is the state is not yet normal in real sense, yet it is closer to normalcy. |
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