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| Why Omar maintained safe distance from Modi during his visit to J&K? | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 5: Whether Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, was able to win hearts of people of Jammu and Kashmir can be an issue for open debate but he has not succeeded in winning the heart of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah during his one-day visit to the state on Friday.
If majority of people felt happy over the inauguration of the Udhampur-Katra rail link and 240 MW power project in Uri by Modi, the Prime Minister had caused some sort of irritation to the separatists who had given a call for shutdown in the Kashmir valley. The cause of irritation was two-fold. One, the call for shutdown had not forced Modi to either postpone or cancel his visit. Two, they complained that they were not allowed to offer Friday prayers in mosques, even during the month of Ramadan, because most of the top leaders had been placed under house arrest.
If these separatists failed to offer prayers in mosques it was the result of their mistaken belief that their call for shutdown will force Modi to cancel his visit to Uri and his address to the troops. Had they not called for hartal there was no need for the Government to place them under house arrest. This indicates that having failed to force Modi to defer his trip to Kashmir these separatists have started inciting people on the slogan of Government interference in peoples' religious obligations. Again a mistaken belief.
If Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, tried to shy away from playing a prominent host to Modi he had a reason to do so. First, he may not have felt comfortable in cosying upto Modi which could create some misgivings among people in the Valley that the NC leadership was trying to keep Modi and the BJP in good humour. Secondly, if Modi could not charm Omar to the extent of bringing a smile on his (Omar's) face it was because of the fact that Modi did not announce any special financial package for the state.
And Omar should have read his (Modi's) statement between the lines where he said that his mission was to win the hearts of people through development. And the Prime Minister believed that opening of the Udhampur-Katra rail link and inauguration of 240 MW power project in Uri had heraled the process of development.
There was another reason for Omar to maintain a safe distance from Modi. He did not want to get fully associated with the policies of the Prime Minister and the BJP which could cast a shadow on the electoral fortunes of the National Conference. Despite having failed to win even a single Lok Sabha seat out of three in the Kashmir province Omar Abdullah continues to believe that the party has its strong voter support only in the Valley. Since majority of people, besides those supporting separatists, in the Kashmir valley continue to be opposed to Modi and the BJP Omar did not want to sacrifice the political fortunes of the NC by playing a warm host to Modi.
It is something else if Omar Abdullah approaches the BJP led NDA Government with a begging bowl seeking increased financial assistance to Jammu and Kashmir. Even the separatists may not raise slogans against Modi if he sanctions adequate financial package for the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Have these separatists ever given a call for shutdown when the successive central Governments announced yearly hike in financial assistance to Jammu and Kashmir? They have not done so as they know that once they oppose increased financial help to Jammu and Kashmir these separatists will lose their already emaciated support base. For these separatists and for Omar Abdullah priorities keep on changing as do their wishes. Omar should give time to Modi who has already indicated that the Government has plans to develop Jammu and Kashmir and other north east region in the country. |
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