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| NC and PDP are two faces of separatism | | | | Though they are the arch political rivals, running a race for wooing the separatists and identifying themselves with the separatist mindset and aspirations of secessionists in Kashmir, the National Conference and PDP are fighting to occupy the political space in the separatist sphere of Kashmir. In this competitive politics over pro secessionist overtures, the two are trying to outmaneuver each other. In practice both the Presidents of NC, Omer Abdullah and that of PDP Mehbooba Mufti are pursuing the same agenda during their visit in Pakistan to establish their proximity and equation with the Pak leaders, with a view to win the favour of separatist in Kashmir, in the forthcoming assembly elections. In the war of words between the two major coalition partners in the state government, the Congress and the PDP, the attitude of the main opposition party, National Conference is quite ironical. While ever since its ouster from power in 2002, the NC has been running a race with the PDP to woo the separatists in Kashmir, it has called to question the role of the PDP in raising demands only to placate the separatists. The clarion call given by former Chief Minister and NC patron Farooq Abdullah to Congress President and Chairperson of UPA, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi to give halt to the utterances of PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, calling J&K's accession with India to question is like a kettle calling the pot black. Farooq Abdullah himself and his son and NC President Omar Farooq too are lately making some statements and speeches which betray of secessionist overtones. Ever since being ousted of power in 2002 Assembly elections the National Conference has been slowly and gradually leaning towards the secessionist Hurriyat Conference and pleading for their cause. When in power Farooq Abdullah was dead set against Hurriyat and other secessionist outfits, openly giving went to his displeasure and discomfiture over the central government giving 'undue importance' to the Hurriyat Conference which according to him had no representative character among the Kashmiris and hence had no locus standi. He objected to the Union government holding parleys with the Hurriyat and other secessionist outfits like Democratic Freedom Party of Shabir Ahmed Shah and JKLF Chief Yasin Malik. He even reminded the central government of criminal cases against Yasin Malik pending against him, for his involvement in the killing of four IAF officers at Lal Chowk Srinagar as well as in the kidnapping of Rubiya Mufti, the daughter of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. But after losing the power Dr. Farooq Abdullah and more so Omar Abdullah have been pleading with the central government for involving Hurriyat and other secessionist outfits into the negotiations, for resolving the Kashmir tangle and its 'permanent solution'. Not only this much, but after Omar's visit to Pakistan to attend the PAGWASH Conference, when he availed of the opportunity to meet President Parvez Musharraf and hand over to him the copy of the resolution adopted by the J&K state assembly, during Abdullah's government, seeking greater autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, the NC has been making all out bid to convince the Kashmiris of the party's closeness to the Pak President as well as the secessionist Hurriyat Conference in Kashmir. The National Conference is at pains to claim that President Musharraf has been convinced of the autonomy proposal of NC of being the same as Musharraf's proposal of self rule. NC too talks of Jammu and Kashmir still being disputed and hence the need for permanent settlement of the issue. In this light Farooq Abdullah's outburst against PDP and serving warning signal to the Congress President is only an attempt to settle political score with their arch rival in Kashmir politics i.e. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba. It is also a political move on the part of Abdullahs and the National Conference to mend their fences with the Congress as well as to create distrust between the Congress and the PDP, the two main coalition partners in J&K. The game plan of NC has been to wean away at least the local Congress leadership and the cadre from the PDP and throw a hint of NC coming to the rescue of the Congress in case Mufti's PDP parts company with it. However the fact remains that the National Conference is trying to ride the two boats simultaneously. On one hand the party is trying to project itself sympathetic and close to the secessionists, within the Kashmir sphere, while at the national level it is trying to project itself to be still a mainstream pro-India party who is willing to join hands with the Congress in the state. |
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