news details |
|
|
| Who represents Kashmiris by the way? | | Beyond news | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 18: The visiting American Ambassador today made clear that the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah was the elected representative of the people. He also said he had no time to meet the separatist leaders though he spent quite some time playing basketball with the students of Delhi Public School (DPS) in the summer capital.
Omar must be very pleased with the Ambassador’s comment. A certificate from an American matters a lot in this part of the globe. Very few people will dare to contest the claims of the ambassador. But a question arises. Who represents Kashmiris by the way?
There is no denying the fact that people voted in large numbers during the 2008 assembly elections but the voters made clear that they had come to the booth to get their bread and butter issues solved. “We have voted for drains, roads, water and electricity”, Muhammad Rafi of Bandipora told a team of visiting journalists. Incidentally Bandipora set the polling trend. The views expressed by voters elsewhere in the Valley were not different.
According to political circles, the mandate of the NC led coalition government is limited to mundane issues like construction of roads and drains. Who then has to take political decisions?
The Chief Minister admitted his helplessness during last year’s unrest. He appealed the separatists to help him restore order. Omar was forced to play the separatist card in the Legislative Assembly. He became the first Chief Minister of the state to challenge the totality of accession. “Kashmir is an international dispute”, he said. This is exactly what Geelani has been saying.
Geelani had a dig at Omar and his father Farooq Abdullah. He dared them to walk from Lal Chowk to Regal Cinema to prove their `representative character’. Surprisingly New Delhi also does not accept Omar as peoples’ representative. The interlocutors talked to Omar but their desperation to have a session with the separatists is no secret. If Omar is the representative, as stated by the American Ambassador, why should interlocutors invite separatists for talks?
But does it mean, Geelani represents the people of Kashmir? Political experts hold a contrary view. The angry youth torched Geelani’s effigy during the unrest when he issued a statement on strikes. Similarly the Hizbul Mujahideen, `Supreme Commander’ Syed Salah-ud-Din’s effigy was also torched for similar reasons. The duo was also accused of sell out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
