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| Dividing line between separatists and PDP, National Conference fast receding | | | EARLY TIMES REPORTER
JAMMU | AUGUST 20
With the return of National Conference patron,Dr Farooq Abdullah,from his recent London trip his organization has started locking horns with its main political rival,the PDP,over the issue of self-rule.The NC leaders have begun castigating the PDP leadership for misleading people with the slogan of self-rule.
A senior NC leader,Dr Mehboob Beg,has claimed that the PDP Chief, Mehbooba Mufti,does not even know the meaning of self-rule.But Mehbooba continues to be articulate over three things,self-rule to be experimented as a solution to the Kashmir issue,demilitarization followed by handing over security affairs to the police and end to human rights violations.As far as demilitarization and end to human rights violations are concerned Dr Farooq and Mufti have same perception. However,Dr Farooq is of the opinion that not self-rule but restoration greater autonomy could be the right solution to the Kashmir issue.The two political opponents keep on issuing conflicting statements,one discrediting autonomy and the other ridiculing self-rule.
In the process the congress,with which the PDP shares power,finds itself isolated.The proactive postures adopted by the PDP leadership is said to have forced Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad,to adopt defensive postures.He neither wants to annoy the PDP nor push the National Conference to the wall.
Political observers in the state are of the view that both the PDP and the NC leadership try to kill two birds with one stone by demonstrating pro-Musharraf and pro-militant postures.They say that both Mehbooba and Dr farooq Abdullah,who otherwise had a past of Pakistan bashing,speak nice words about Pakistan President,Gen. Parvez Musharraf,and have been a votary of involvement of militants in the talks.
This double edged weapon was being used to keep the Pakistani establishment and the militants in good humour so that attacks on their party leaders and activists became a thing of the past.The two have started taking the 2008 Assembly elections seriously and hence speak on issues that they find could help them mustering voters support in the Kashmir valley and in the muslim dominated areas in the Jammu region.
What seems to amaze political observers is the way both Dr Farooq and Mehbooba have been dilating on the issues which have been raking up by the Kashmiri separatists.
In fact the APHC leaders had,during their two rounds of talks with Dr Manmohan Singh,demanded demilitarization,end to human rights violations and release of detainees.They are for a discussion on the self-rule idea floated by President Musharraf.Hence in the tone and tenor of the speeches and statements there is hardly any difference between the separatists and the two mainstream political organizations,the PDP and the National Conference.The separatists have been always in favour of talks with Pakistan and of late Dr Farooq Abdullah has gone a step further by saying that unless Delhi held talks with Pakistan there could be no solution to the Kashmir issue.He has also supported Musharraf’s proposal on joint management which has already been supported by the Kashmiri separatists.Hence the dividing line between the separatists on one hand and the PDP and the National Conference on the other is fast receding. |
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