Srinagar, October 06 (Scoop News) –J&K Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah in his about 90-minutes speech in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday said the accession of Jammu and Kashmir has taken place with India but the State has not merged with the country. “It cannot be placed at par with Hyderabad or Junagarh. The accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India has occurred under an agreement. We have not broken that agreement nor we have taken it back but you have gradually demolished it and people are aggrieved and angry for your this act. We both were required to uphold and respect the agreement. Many say that much water has flown down the Jhelum since then.
Omar was replying the debate on the present law and order scenario in the Valley, once again underscored the importance of external and internal dialogues to address the political issues of Jammu and Kashmir politically.
We also agree, but it is still a fact that Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India is under an agreement and it is not the merger. For this reason special provision has been made in the Constitution of India. When we talk of autonomy we are talking of granting it under the Indian Constitution”, he maintained and said, “we are not braking Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of the country but demanding solution under the constitution of India. Sheikh-Indira accord, the accord between Rajiv-Farooq and the autonomy resolution passed by the State Assembly are all political discourses under the constitution to address K-issue. People say, if this is not carried forward where lies then seriousness towards this issue. This is the thinking of my party, my allies in the Government has not stamped this ideology. They have their own thinking about the issue”, he said.
The Chief Minister said while there is urgent need for internal dialogue between the Centre and the State, the dialogue with the neighbouring country on Kashmir issue is a must to settle the issues lingering on since a long time and badly telling upon the peace and tranquility of the State.
Omar Abdullah said only internal dialogue with separatists and other shades of the opinion are not sufficient unless a sustained dialogue is started with Pakistan in the connection. He said K-issue is not any issue of development or the issue of governance. “It is the issue between the two countries in which the people of Jammu and Kashmir are being crushed”, he said adding that this issue cannot be resolved by the development process or by providing employment to the people.
The Chief Minister said successive governments in Delhi have accepted that all outstanding issues including Jammu and Kashmir will be discussed. “The Agra, Lahore, Delhi and other Indo-Pak summits were steps in this direction. If anybody thinks that the issue will be settled by talking to separatists alone, he is in make belief world”, he said adding that both external and internal track dialogues are imperative to find out permanent solution to the issue.
“We have given the proposal of autonomy which is not only Kashmir Centric but it covers Jammu, Leh and Kargil areas equally. We also seek regional autonomies for all these areas including upper parts of Jammu division like Poonch, Rajouri and Doda so that no body raises fingers against other areas for usurping its rights in the economic development. We want a resolution of K-issue as would be acceptable to both the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir and also to the neighbouring country”, he said.
Stressing on placing Kashmir issue on front burner, the Chief Minister said that it has been observed that when there is peace and tranquility in the State, the need for addressing political issues are placed at the back burner. “For God’s sake don’t repeat this kind of attitude at this juncture and don’t wait for deterioration of law and order situation again. Start the twin dialogue tracks and culminate these into befitting result for the larger interests of the people and the peace in the area. Keep the dialogues on till an amicable solution is worked out”.
Taking a dig on BJP’s approach towards the present crisis, the Chief Minister said, “it is easy to say that Jammu and Kashmir is the integral part of India and it sounds nice to the ears but if there is no doubt in your minds and hearts on this account, why you are time and again shouting this slogan from the top your voices? Why there is any need of saying this again and again? Why same slogan is not being raised for Tamil Naidu or any other State? At one hand you are granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir on the other you voice for removing it from the constitution. You have doubt in your hearts”, he said.
Omar Abdullah said that Union Home Minister has rightly stated in the Parliament that accession to Jammu and Kashmir has been in unique circumstances and the settlement of K-issue requires unique action. He said the K-issue and the unrest in the Kashmir is not any issue of governance as being propagated and circulated by certain quarters.
“Those who think it the issue of good-governance, they are living in the work of ignorance. Had it been any such issue then entire State including Jammu, Ladakh, Kargil and rural areas of Kashmir would have been in turmoil during last three months. Don’t you listen or read the slogans of Quite Kashmir and Go India Go in the present law and order situation in the Valley. My being in the seat of Chief Minister has nothing to do with the agitation. It is regarding the political issue which is lingering on for a long time and which has been kept bleeding by the 20 years of militancy”, he said. “If the Kashmir issue is settled by my leaving the chair, I will take no time to get down from the power. I promise, I will leave even politics If the resolution lies in it”, he asserted.
Omar Abdullah warned the consequences of not addressing the political issue of the State politically and said, “don’t blame me for future consequences on this count. He said either we have to work sincerely to stop this unrest and bloodshed once for all or we will be contributing to the unabated disturbances and killings”.
“When I talk about the softening of AFSPA or removing it from certain parts of the State where there is peace and no militancy, it is being connected with the Army and dubbed as a talk against the Army. How is it so, he questioned and said “I have never talked against the Army or any other force, I am only talking about the accesses committed against common people and this is nothing but advocating implementation of rule of law. We are against the doers of injustice and violators of law whosoever he may be. The Country’s constitution gives right to every citizen to seek justice as such wherever we feel any access has been committed by any force we bring the doers of it to the book. By removing AFSPA we mean removing it from the areas where there is no role of Army and no Army personnel is deployed there’.
“We have initiated FIR against five police persons in Anantnag for violating the human rights and they will be handed over the punishment in the due course of law. Similarly, we have initiated actions against those involved in use of excessive force and accused of human rights violation, in the past and will continue to give justice to the people in future. It is my duty to ensure justice to all and till I am sitting on this chair, I will do so”, he said.
On 8 point Jammu Kashmir package, the Chief Minister said that the initiative is to build confidence. “There are certain responsibilities on the State to accomplish while Government of India has to render certain responsibilities under the 8 point package. We have removed 15 bunkers out of the 16 identified for the purpose. Similarly, 50 students have been released and the decision about the detained under PSA is being reviewed today”, he said.
“The Union Government has the responsibility of immediately constituting the group of interlocutors and starting dialogue in the State. The group should not be of bureaucrats or retired officers but comprised of political persons having full knowledge of Jammu and Kashmir. Their minds should not be closed but the team should come with open mind and interact with people in Kashmir, Jammu, Leh, Kargil etc. The Central Government has sought our opinion in this regard and in regard of other related issues. Nobody should remain in this doubt that solution to the issues will be evolved by pushing a button. It needs sustained and thorough discussion”, he added.
Rejecting the concept being hyped by some quarters that Central Government is controlling the State Government’s functioning by a remote control, the Chief Minister said that seven points out of the 8 point package were discussed with him by the Union Government but the 8th point about the opening of schools was not in the agenda as the schools in most of the rural areas in the Valley were functioning and the problem about the running of schools was only in the city and the towns. “In fact, I had sorted out this issue with the State Education Minister and a decision for enabling functioning of schools in the city and towns was taken a day earlier than the announcement of 8 point package. If I had been consulted in this matter I would have told that there is no need of including this point in the package”, he added.
On the statement of Union Home Secretary about the lifting of curfew, he said it was not his domain to give any statement in this regard. “It is not either me or the DGP and Chief Secretary to decide upon the imposition or lifting of curfew. It is the District Magistrate who has to decide about this as per the prevailing ground situation”, he added.
He said “we want to work in unison with the Union Government to bring back peace and normalcy and carry forward the development agenda on accelerated pace so that the dream of peaceful and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir is realized. We only stand for the people and the cause of the State. We only work to ensure benefits and comforts for the people. We want to work in a conducive atmosphere to realize the goals. This should not be dubbed as if we are being controlled by the Centre or as if we are puppets. Nothing doing, we stand for the people and continue to do so. For this we sometimes fight, sometimes complaint and sometimes work in a coordinated manner but our ultimate objective is the public welfare”, he added.
“My Government received full cooperation from the Centre during the past and in the present law and order situation. However, the cooperation from people is most important in my efforts to move ahead towards the goal of prosperity and public service. I have sought mandate from you and you have given me an opportunity to serve better. Allow me to accomplish my agenda and render my duty towards you in the given timeline. If I fail in delivering, you are there to reject me next time”, he added.
On the role of PDP in present law and order situation, the Chief Minister rejected the idea that this party has launched the agitation. “The issue is not three months old it is decades long and 20 years of militancy has added to its gravity. The PDP has no strength or guts to initiate any such agitation. Yes, they choose to ride the bus on which they had no control. They sat in the bus but without any control on its staring or brakes. They could have helped in the efforts of the government to restore peace but the party decided to be the part of the problem and not the part of the solution”. He said that PDP could have elaborately deliberated upon the present crisis suggesting the ways and means to bring back normalcy, but they choose to be away from the House and the debate.
Expressing surprise over those who did not raise any voice on the issuance of agitation calendars, instigating youth to resort to violence and stone-pelting, the Chief Minister said that this has ignited the cycle of violence in which precious 110 human lives were lost. “The main cause of law and order situation and killings is the reckless calls of ‘Chaloo’. They tried to drag people like animals without thinking of the consequences. The Quit Kashmir slogan has only resulted in quitting of Kashmiri doctors, engineers, businessmen, students and peace-lovers from the Valley during last three months. No member of the security force or Army has left the Valley instead many have arrived to deal with the situation. For three months shopkeepers, bus operators, daily wagers, etc. have undergone tremendous losses and on development front there has been heavy damage too. Besides, loss of precious lives, infrastructures from Tangmarg to Mendhar has been destroyed. The total brunt has to be borne by the Kashmiris. The loss of education by the students is now the talk of the town. You can imagine how much loss we have incurred in all sectors especially in the sector of tourism. Common Wealth Games were in the Country and we were expecting tremendous tourist rush here this autumn but the hotels and houseboats are empty because of the situation created”.
“Till the danger of announcing calendars for strikes and chloos hangs on the heads of people, the situation will not improve. I have tied-up the hands of security forces and given categorical directions for minimum use of force in dealing with law and order situation. In my opinion even the minimum force applied is more. I want to stop the use of force at all and my request to all is to help me in this direction. Let us be part of a political discourse being started by the Centre. Let us talk on back channels, quietly or in any other manner but help the endeavour of addressing the political issues of the State politically. Leaders of the various shades of opinion should talk themselves keeping their party men and general public away from the political wranglings so that the economic losses incurred are made good of to some extent in the coming months. Entire working season in the Valley has been marred in most parts especially in towns. The progress of construction of infrastructure in the sectors of health, education, etc. has been hampered. The gigantic macadamization programme could not be accomplished due to unfavourable law and order situation. I have directed the Chief Secretary and the concerned in the Administration to work for complete functioning of the government offices so that employees render their service to the people and help making good of the losses incurred in the development front”.
The Chief Minister said that it is his responsibility to give justice to the people in general and those who have been bereaved in the recent law and order situation in particular and he will work in this direction with full determination.
Omar Abdullah appreciated the people of Jammu division for the patience and the responsibility exhibited during the time of challenge and foiling every attempt on disturbing peace and order in the division.
The Chief Minister appealed to the people for bringing back peace saying “much bloodshed has occurred, many graveyards have been created, countless tears have been dropped, gloom and sorrow have engulfed us, parents, mothers, sisters, fathers, brothers and others are bereaved. Let us now work together to stop it and seek solution of issues through political discourse”.