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| Omar Abdullah campaign signifies betrayal & Theatrics | | | Omkar Dattatray
Sometime in the past after NC-Congress coalition came to power through assembly polls, it the NC has brought in the resolution about the restoration of the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir aimed to pressurise the Modi government but failed to have any positive effect. Omar, since the assumption of power has been off and on appealing the centre to give back the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir but all this of no avail. Now after the Supreme Court has given its observations on the restoration of the statehood, Omar Abdullah has invented a novel initiative of commencing a signature campaign in favour of the restoration of statehood to draw the attention of the centre government towards this pressing, genuine and right issue of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The signature campaign ostensibly for the restoration of the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir is in effect a betrayal of the rights and identity of Jammu and Kashmir’s gullible people. The NC Vice-president and the chief minister Omar Abdullah has chosen the Independence day function as the opportune time to demand and rake up the statehood issue instead of focussing on the development of the country including Jammu and Kashmir in all these 78 year’s of eventful and glorious time frame. Thus, instead of highlighting the achievements of the country and also to throw light on few weaknesses., Omar Abdullah raked the much controversial subject and issue of the statehood and the aim was to pressurise and even blackmail the centre and force it to restore the much -needed statehood to J&K. In his Independence Day speech at Bakshi stadium Srinagar on Friday, Omar said that he is going to launch a signature campaign across J&K for statehood restoration and will reach every house and village of the UT. The launch of a signature campaign for statehood restoration by chief minister Omar Abdullah has drawn sharp criticism from leaders across the political spectrum terming the move as shameful. Omar said ‘’In the next 8 weeks ,we will reach out to all 90 assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir, gathering signatures from the people in favour and support of the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. We will not rest until our rights are restored. We cannot be denied equality ,’’Omar Abdullah said while two former CM’s Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were in audience along with over a dozen legislators. The PDP criticised Omar Abdullah’s signature campaign.’’ Omar Abdullah owes an apology not a signature campaign for normalising 5th August. With 50 MLA’s behind him, he has reduced the fight for J&K’s statehood to token gestures after seeking votes door -to door on the promise of restoring pre -5th August status. This is not just retreat but betrayal The people gave him a historic mandate to fight for Article 370 and statehood, not to stage political theatrics. If he has already surrendered ,he must admit it and apologise to every citizen of J&K for selling promises he never intended to keep.,’’ PDP legislative party leader Waheed ur Rehman Parra wrote on X. People’s Conference chairman Sajjad Lone said he supports statehood but said signature campaign has no legal value.’’ I beg you, please, stop this childish and immature attitude. We will support any campaign unconditionally. But please ensure that a resolution from the state assembly is also passed and sent to the Supreme Court ,’’he said. Awami Itihaad party -AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi called the move ‘’a shameful confession of political irrelevance and utter failure .’’Omar had a golden opportunity to fight for the rights of the people when NC got a full mandate to represent the aspirations of Kashmiri’s ,especially on Article 370 and statehood. Instead of pursuing these goals with conviction.NC has chosen the path of surrender and soft obedience to BJP. This signature campaign is nothing but a diversion from their betrayal ,’’he said. He termed Omar’s statement a classic case of ‘’political theatre ‘’noting that the NC’s past performance in power and their silence during critical years post August 5,2019 ,speaks volumes about their priorities. ’’If Omar truly had the will, he would have mobilised the legislators including those of the oppositions, take legal and constitutional routes and build a national level consensus for the restoration of rights. Instead he is now going door -to -door collecting signatures ,as if Kashmir’s dignity can be traded with a petition paper.,’’ he said. In fact Omar’s signature campaign mocks at the Kashmiri’s self- respect. NC’s vice president and chief minister Omar Abdullah has found an easy way than sweating and toil as well as the hard work that is his signature campaign to enlist the support of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the restoration of the statehood. Omar and his National Conference -NC says that signature campaign is people’s and mass movement aimed at forcing the centre government in accepting to grant statehood to the erstwhile state. It is nothing but petition politics which will not have any significant effects on the political apparatus at Delhi. So way to take the struggle of going door to door for collecting signatures on the plan papers to be later petitioned and forwarded to the centre government with the hope that it will at lest move the Modi government and e will give back statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Some say petition politics is easiest form of politics as it does not need serious and deliberate efforts but what can do here is the mechanical way of collecting signatures which will be sent to the centre government with the hope that something positive for the people of Jammu and Kashmir will flow from the centre. Remember statehood was snatched in a day but it was the outcome of decades of selling the self- respect, dignity and identity for the sake of few ministerial berths and NC for that matter is no novice to this wrong which took decades to grow what we saw on 5,6 August 2019.Isn’t the NC the same party that sold our self -respect for winning the chair of the chief minister. While remaining in office for long six years tenure, he compromised Kashmiri’s dignity and autonomy which it once championed but today all that has been teared apart thanks to the subjugation of our traditional political class. In short the million dollar question is if Omar Abdullah really wanted statehood, he would have forged an alliance and cooperation of all political parties and even forged such alliance in the country’s parliament to press genuinely for the restoration of the statehood and mins it all his signature campaign is theatrics at the most and aimed to divert the attention of the people from pressing issues confronting them as the statehood can wait but the resolution of the day to day problems cannot wait. Statehood in fact is not a gift that will come to us by filling signatures on the plain papers or a notebook. For getting back statehood, We, the NC and all other political parties ,will have to unite and fight a lawful battle to acquire it and political theatrics is of no avail in getting statehood back. Signature campaign signifies surrender of National Conference for the sake of Power.
The author is a columnist, social, KP activist & Freelancer |
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