Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 25: National Conference president and former J&K chief minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah has given up his demand that India should hold talks with Pakistan to settle disputes.
While condemning the killing of a retired police officer in a mosque, Dr Farooq said, “I regret the killing (of the officer). The commoners should understand that we are losing our soldiers, officers and commoners.”
When a reporter asked him whether he wants India and Pakistan to talk to address the problem, he said “The Central Government has to decide on the subject.”
It may be recalled that after every terror attack, Dr Farooq used to raise the pitch for dialogue between India and Pakistan. He on many occasions said that the J & K problem cannot be resolved without holding talks with the neighbouring country.
An analyst while talking to Early Times said, “It seems that Dr Farooq has understood that the Centre won’t allow Pakistan to interfere in India’s internal affairs. He seems to hav >Farooq has understood the Centre won’t allow Pak to interfere in India’s internal affairs.
> Kashmir based politicians have realized that they cannot dictate terms to the Centre.
>Local politicians have no say in foreign policy.
> For many years local politicians misled the people of J&K
The analyst said, “Kashmir based politicians, including Dr Farooq Abdullah, after remaining out of power for the past four years have realized that they cannot dictate terms to the Centre.”
An observer said, “Foreign policy and maintaining relations with neighbours falls within the domain of the Centre and local politicians have no say in it.”
He said, “For many years the local politicians misled the people of J&K by claiming that peace cannot return without holding talks with Pakistan but after the abrogation of Article 370 that myth has been shattered.”
Referring to Dr Farooq Abdullah’s statement that “We are part of India and we will remain part of India and if we have to end terrorism, we have to look for ways rather than claiming normalcy,” the observer said, “There is no doubt about J&K being an integral part of India and the ones who doubted it have been rendered irrelevant.” | 