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| The gamble is not going to pay Omar | | | Yash Bhasin | 10/11/2010 9:47:24 PM |
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Speculations are rife over the motive that prompted J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to make a highly controversial speech in the state assembly on October 6, which has stirred the hornet’s nest. His out and out pro-separatist remarks, challenging the finality of J&K’s accession with India, describing dispute over J&K as an outstanding issue, which needs to be resolved permanently, has put the government of India as well as NC’s coalition partner in the state government, the Congress in a highly embarrassing position. All the vocal sections in Jammu region are up in arms against the young Chief Minister’s observations widely interpreted as his subscribing to the view point of secessionists in Kashmir that J&K is a disputed territory and the dispute needs to be settled through an agreement among the three parties, viz. India, Pakistan and the people of J&K.
It is for the first time that an incumbent Chief Minister of the state has made such a damaging statement for India, on the floor of assembly. It negates all the declarations and claims made by India in international fora and in its repeated rejoinders’ to Pakistan, China or any other country trying to poke its nose into the India handling affairs of J&K, describing the same as interference in the internal affairs of the country. Indian stand throughout has been that Indo-Pak relations are a bilateral matter between the two countries, which cannot be resolved in the interference by any third power. Omar Abdullah’s observations have further weakened the Indian position over J&K diplomatically, putting it in defensive for all times to come. No wonder that the Kashmiri secessionist have described it as vindication of their stand, stating that last long ruling dispensation in J&K has admitted the stark reality. They have made no secret of their jubilation over this development, since the same provides fodder to their propaganda mill.
The statement made by Omar Abdullah on the floor of J&K assembly is regarded by some observers as more damaging and dangerous, from Indian point of view, than the one made by his grandfather, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah in 1953 at R.S. Pura, which ultimately led to dismissal of his government and his landing into the jail. Between that day in 1953 and October 6, 2010 no statement of such a damaging magnitude has been made by any ruling party member and least by the Chief Minister of the state. The provocations and promptations between the outbursts of Sheikh Abdullah in 1953 and observations by Omar Abdullah on October 6, 2010 have been divergently different. While sheikh Abdullah was provoked and prompted by the strong and prolonged Praja Parishad agitation in Jammu against his misrule, authoritarian and vindictive attitude, and regional discriminations against Jammu as well as suspicion about his bona-fides and intensions caused by several factors, Omar’s observations have been in the background of his being under extreme pressure from the separatists and the violent protest in the valley against the alleged repressive measures adopted by the state and Central governments to quell the unrest, which has already taken the toll of over one hundred lives of civilians besides injuries to other several hundreds, which intern have exposed Omar Abdullah’s inability to tackle the situation imaginatively and tactfully. Besides he has been also under constant attack from the main political rival of the National Conference in the valley, the PDP, alleging his surrender of authority before the Center.
According to some observers Omar has made a calculated gamble to earn peace with the separatists and to spare his political future from doom. With his personal popularity and that of his National Conference nose diving in Kashmir and his credibility to deliver totally eroded, the separatist as well as the so called mainstream opposition, PDP describing him as puppet in the hands of the Center, Omar has made a bluff asserting his independent course by criticizing some Central authorities for treading into the domains which are purely in the state subject. In doing so he has forgotten that he had been daily running to New Delhi, with desperate appeals to the Union government to come to his rescue at this hour of crisis face by him, by announcing some sops to the aggrieved Kashmiris. It was only after SOS sent by him to the union government that it intervene in the matter. In their paniky reaction to the deteriorating situation in Kashmir, some authorities in the Union government might have over stepped their brief but Omar Abdullah has tried to bite more than what he can chew, by making the statement he made to assert his authority as an elected head of the state government.
In doing so he has put the UPA government in the Center, in a position of being in the devil and the deep sea. Despite the situation in Kashmir drifting fast and assuming volcanic turn, amply demonstrating young Chief Minister’s inability to handle the same, the UPA government in the center and Congress leaders stood solidly behind him and pleaded for giving him more time, all the support and assistance to meet the challenge. As long as he was shaky about the support of the Central leadership of the Congress Omar went on owing allegiance to the Indian stand on Kashmir as well as knocking at the doorsteps of Central government for help and sops to Kashmiris. But after obtaining all these and assurance of Center’s full support, Omar has virtually stabbed into their back by crossing all limits to mend his fences with the separatists by blowing their tunes and joining chores with them, complaining that India has violated the agreement on which J&K’s accession to India is based, by eroding the autonomy J&K enjoyed regionally. He has ignored the fact that all the Central laws have been extended to J&K on the recommendation of the successive state governments of and the resolutions passed by the state legislature, which voluntarily surrendered some of the clauses of state’s special status, under Article 370 of Indian constitution.
The gamble by Omar Abdullah in his desperation to save his sinking board in Kashmir is not going to pay him. While separatists, despite hailing his statement, have not lowered their ante and are continuing their calendar of protests and shut downs, with violence not coming to end, Omar Abdullah has opened a new front against him in Jammu, which is all set to be extended to Ladakh as well as among the Indian nationalists in the country. Besides he has lost sympathy of some silent pro-India elements in Kashmir.
The UPA government in the center and the Congress Party find themselves put in a straight jacket. After solidly standing behind him and extending him the unqualified support, they find it difficult to disown and dislodge him by Congress withdrawing support to his government. This course will make the Center further vulnerable to the charge of installing puppet governments in the state and throwing them out at their fancy. But the UPA government and the Congress can remain silent and play cool this development only at the cost of losing their own face and credibility in the country, with BJP and other right wing parties upping their ante against them for compromising with national interests.
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