Anantnag: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Sunday said the real purpose of the August 5, 2019 decisions, continue to remain a mystery.
While addressing a party convention at Dak Bungalow, Khanabal Anantnag, Abdullah said different grounds were given for undertaking these decisions across the country and worldwide. “The impression given out was that the Articles 370 and 35 -A was the major stumbling block to development, achieving peace, stamping out separatism and corruption. All said and done, what is it that has been achieved? I posed the same question to the people in the Chenab region yesterday at Baramulla. If truth be told, there isn’t anything,” he said.
General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, State Secretary Sakina Itoo, South Zone President Dr Bashir Veeri, District President Altaf Ahmed Wani, Advisor to VP Tanvir Sadiq, Provincial VPs Syed Tauqeer Ahmad, Ahsan Pardesi, Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, YNC Provincial President Salman Ali Sagar, Reyaz Khan, Peer Muhammad Hussain, Suhail Beg, YNC Zone President Feroze Shah, YNC DP Syed Saba Shafi, Umesh Talashi, DDC Chairman M Yousuf Gorsi, were also present on the occasion.
Dismantling the media propaganda on development activities post abrogation Omar said, “Much of the infrastructure, roads, hospitals, administrative headquarters, railways, the utility services and educational institutes existed before August 05, 2019. Let them show a single building, road, university, hospital that has come up post-August 2019. There is nothing to show. Where is that dawn that was promised on August 05 decisions would usher in?” adding, “Situation is no different in Jammu. People who celebrated the August 5, 2019 decisions thereby bursting crackers and distributing sweets have lost their sleep, worrying over the future of their kids.”
Expressing disappointment over the regressed situation, Omar castigated the administration for trying to “score propaganda and public relations victories rather than focus on the ground realities. “The situation is such now that the militancy has returned to areas, which were declared militancy free. We removed 40 bunkers from Srinagar during our tenure, and forces imprint was also brought down in wake of the improvement in the situation on the ground. But now the bunkers have returned, so has the forces imprint. Militancy has returned to the pockets, which were declared militancy free. Let alone repealing of AFSPA, more stringent laws like UAPA have been brought in. NIA and SIA are a few more additions to the list. Will any of these measures be taken for the return of peace? Is it?” he asked.
Exhorting the Party functionaries, workers to make the party stronger at the grassroots he said that current reach out involving Chenab valley and valley districts is aimed to close gaps and be thick with the issues concerning people, workers, delegates. “I am not canvassing for votes neither have we declared any candidates, nor has the manifesto been released. Our public outreach shouldn’t be misread as canvassing. The election trumpet hasn’t been blown yet. Whenever it is we will again seek the audience of our people, our workers, our delegates,” he said.
Speaking on how the Kashmiri press was silenced post-Aug 05, Omar said that governments before August 2019 feared the press. “Now the administration has gained influence over the Kashmiri press by controlling the levers of production. Government advertisements are being withheld or released according to the content that is being published. Journalists and editors critical of the government policies face legal action, harassment and violence. Writing truth these days invites the wrath of the administration,” he said.
On issues related to self-governance, he said, “The powers of these institutions have been diluted. PRIs are being caged and not allowed to step out. I’ve been receiving calls from these Sarpanchs, Panchs, and other Block council members. They cry of stepmotherly treatment. All they are asking the government is to allow them to migrate to Jammu. Most of these Councilors and Sarpanchs are independents, which puts them in a more precarious situation. Those who are associated with the ruling party or their local accomplices are being given the required permission, while the same is being denied to independent ones. How can they work in this atmosphere? At least in our times, these grass root level councillors were able to move freely.”
Omar Abdullah questioned the denial of rights of children of J&K at par with that of Ladakh and said that there are two separate sets of state subject laws for the two union territories. “Centre is treating the people of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir differently over the protection of their land and reservation in jobs and scholarships and demanded equal treatment. We were told that the aim of abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, is that there will be one order (system) across the country,” he asked.
He said that it was to fight against this divisive and discriminatory politics and for the right to employment, peace, justice that the NC cadre has to strengthen its rows. He said the party is working with a sole mission to protect and preserve the unique political, and cultural individuality of Jammu and Kashmir.
