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| Farooq Abdullah fluctuating between liberal and fanatic | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Nov 25
The former Chief Minister and NC patron, Dr. Farooq Abdullah is characteristic for taking divergent stands at different times and his fluctuating like the pendulum of the clock from one end to another. Like many other Kashmiri leaders, he is notorious for speaking in one language in Kashmir, in other in Jammu and still in another while in country's capital or speaking in any other part of the country. It is also characteristic of him to project himself as a staunch Indian nationalist and opposed tooth and nail to the secessionists and separatists, while in power but when out of power adopting separatist and pro secessionist stance.
Nevertheless despite these occasional summersaults, he is generally known as a liberal and emancipated personally. There has been general impression about him of being opposed to the fanatic and fundamentalist Islamists. In this background his assertion, while speaking to media after the conclave of UNPA leaders at Vijayawada, that Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreem should apologize for "criticizing God" or else she will have "no place to hide", has shocked the liberals among the Muslims as well as the people in the country as a whole. His statement, "She has been turned out of her country and if she wants to stay here, she must say she is sorry" and his blaming Taslima Nasreem's presence in Kokata responsible for the violence and flare up there and prediction that the same will be repeated where ever she goes in India, while shocked the media, who is not used to his expression of fanatic views, it also embarrassed the other UNPA leaders present on the occasion, forcing the TDP leader, Chandrababu Naido to intervene to give explanation of Dr. Abdullah's statement, giving it a softer overtone by saying that what Farooq Abdullah meant was that sentiments of all the religious communities should be honoured and respected.
Farooq Abdullah who gave a shock to those, who appreciate him for his liberal views and religious tolerance, however backtracked on his earlier statement, obviously given in huff that his party, National Conference shall have to think afresh and even revert from its earlier stand of J&K's accession with India, in case the accesses by the security forces, on the innocent Kashmiris are not stopped. When asked about it by a media person, Dr. Abdullah asserted, "there is no question of any regret about the accession to India, but the government should understand that we are the people who are targeted." This gives the hope that Dr. Abdullah's statement about Taslima, which touches the bounds of religious fanaticism, too would be backtracked by him, after he becomes normal and is out of some emotional stress. |
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