NC will form next Govt on its own: Farooq
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Dec 5: Three sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) of National Conference (NC) will seek re-election from three Lok Sabha seats of Kashmir valley during the forthcoming Parliamentary elections, Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah announced this at a function organised to observe the 108th birth anniversary of the party founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah at Hazratbal in Srinagar this afternoon.
“As long as I am alive, I will contest from Srinagar- Budgam Parliament constituency, Dr Mehboob Beg is our candidate from South Kashmir and Sharief-u-Din Sharik from North Kashmir,” said Abdullah.
Abdullah had won the 2009 Parliamentary polls from Srinagar-Budgam Lok Sabha constituency, Sharif-ud-din Shariq from Baramulla-Kupwara constituency and Mehbooba Beig from Anantnag-Pulwama constituency.
Without talking about pre poll alliance with Congress, Dr Abdullah said that party will not wait longer to start their preparations for forthcoming Parliamentary elections. “We have decided to announce our candidates to give ample chance to our leaders and workers to strengthen the party in every corner of the State. We have difficulties in many places, we have to work hard and make sure the success of our party candidates,” he added.
The NC president also said that NC will give a befitting reply to all those elements and parties who are undermining NC performance in coming elections. “The 2014 Assembly elections will silent all those voices, who are sidelining our party and NC will form the next Government on its own,” he said.
Dr Abdullah on the occasion stressed upon the party workers and leaders to work in unity for ensuring the victory of their candidates. “I want to announce here that, NC has not only enemies within the State and we have actual enemies outside the State at Delhi. Who created PDP and other parties to weaken NC? You must be aware about these things and must defeat such elements that are desperate to sideline NC from power,” he added.
Abdullah also said that a disinformation campaign has been started against the NC leadership to defeat the party candidates in the forthcoming Parliament and Assembly elections.
Earlier in his address, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah threw a challenge to BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for a debate on Article 370.
“If they want a debate on Article 370 with me, let them tell me where and when they want to talk about it. Even if they want to hold the debate in Ahmedabad, we are ready for the debate anytime,” Chief Minister said.
Omar in his speech was reacting to Modi’s call for a discussion on Article 370 and whether it has benefitted the people of the State or not which he said in his rally at Jammu on December 1. “I am surprised that those who know nothing about Jammu and Kashmir are commenting on Jammu and Kashmir. Those who have not read Article 370 are taking about it. Article 370 does not talk about property rights nor the residency laws. Article 370 is a provision that connects this State to rest of the country,” he said.
The Chief Minister said Modi lacks knowledge about the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “I am more surprised that those who are occupying high positions and dream of occupying higher position how little knowledge they have about people of Jammu and Kashmir. One such leader made a speech in Jammu recently and claimed that injustice is being done to the Gujjars in the State”, he said.
“Ours is perhaps the only State which has given Scheduled Tribe status to the community. Modi sahib if you had to raise this issue you should have done it in Rajasthan where the Gujjars are sacrificing their lives for this status,” said Omar.
The Chief Minister said Modi even lacked basic knowledge about Shias whose cause he tried to raise at the Jammu rally. “You talked about Shias and said injustice is being done to the community. Now tell me Modi sahib what do you know about Shias’? The Gujarat Chief Minister does not know whether the month of Muharram is a period of mourning or celebration” , he said.
“I was surprised to see a statement issued by his Government congratulating the Muslims of his State on Muharram and claiming that Muslim of Gujarat were celebrating the occasion with fervor. This is your knowledge,” Omar said.
The Chief Minister lambasted Modi for not raising the issue of Kashmiri Pandits during his Jammu visit. “And you forgot the section of the society which you tried your best to represent. You did not make even a passing mention about the Kashmiri Pandits,” he added.
Omar said that he has been maintaining that Kashmir is incomplete without the Pandits. “It was the slogan of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah ‘Sher-e-Kashmir ka kaya irshad, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh Itehaad’. We don’t divide people, we don’t pit people against each other,” he added.
The Chief Minister criticized those leaders in the State who change their politics on seeing the direction and the way towards which the wind blows. He said these leaders have no courage to face the reality and take decisions for safeguarding the interests of the people and the State like that of Sher-i-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah who took even hardest decisions for the people’s cause and got these approved by the masses.
Stating that Late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah regarded the interests of the State and its people above all considerations, Omar said that Indira-Sheikh Accord was a step in this direction when the great leader Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, the true friend of the people and the guardian of their interests, observed that a sea change has taken place on global spectrum, the map of the sub-continent has been redrafted and three wars fought between India and Pakistan on Kashmir resulted only blood-shed and destruction. “Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah saw only options to seek protection, honour and political dignity of the people of the State by talking to India and this resulted in the Indira-Sheikh Accord”, he added.
Chief Minister said that Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah soon after this Accord went to people for getting their consent for his decision which he received in 1977 State Assembly Elections by a thumping majority and whole hearted support of the people.
“This was not an easy decision to take for Sheikh Sahib but he took it for the interest of the State with the view that he will put it before the people to approve it or not and he went in the elections in 1977 and received complete assent of the people”, Omar said, adding that the similar historic decision taken by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1947 and putting it before the people for their agreement.
“Sheikh Sahib considered the people basis of power and recognized them as the real decision makers. He believed in democracy and public referendum as such he put his all decisions before the people for approval”, the Chief Minister said.
“Sheikh Sahib never indulged in putting the people of the State to trouble. He never took any step that would have endangered the life, education, economy and public safety. He put himself and his companions to the trouble and faced atrocity instead of putting people to difficulties and marring the future of youth”, Omar maintained and highlighted the high principles of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and his stupendous agenda for the State in his visionary document of Naya Kashmir”, Omar said.
The Chief Minister said that Sheikh Sahib was not like today leaders who create problems and difficulties for people in all fields of life even marring the educational carrier of students. He said that the propagandist elements and those nurturing enmity against Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and National Conference attempt at belittling the life size achievements and sacrifices of Sher-i-Kashmir and his companions which the history bears testimony.
Omar said anti-Sheikh and anti-NC forces try their best to veil and make people forget the role of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah particularly the one he played before 1977 and the decisions he took to revolutionize the socio-political conditions of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“These elements want youth not to read the chapter of struggle spearheaded by Sheikh Sahib and atrocities and difficulties he faced for the cause of the State and the dignity of the people”, Chief Minister said adding that those who target Sheikh Sahib for participating in 1977 elections themselves fought more Assembly elections than Sher-i-Kashmir.
Omar said his party National Conference upholds the highest principals of public service, unity, solidarity, amity and equitable development of all the regions and sections of the society irrespective of any considerations, preached and practiced by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah throughout his life.
“We are here to connect the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, strengthen Hindu-Muslim-Sikh Ithaad (Unity) trait, ensure comprehensive and equitable development for all the residents of the State in all the regions and sub-regions and seek peace and political stability for the peaceful and modern Jammu and Kashmir”, Omar said.
Omar underlined the need for making new generation aware of the glaring and stupendous role Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah played for the cause of the State and its people. He said that youth should also be given full account of the struggle spearheaded by Sher-i-Kashmir right from 1931 and the atrocities he faced for people’s cause.
The Chief Minister also referred to the historical decisions his Government took during the last five years to empower public and bring transparency in the functioning of the Government. He said he has brought the Government functioning under full public scan making people fully empowered to ask questions to the Government for its every action or omission. He also mentioned Public Services Guarantee Act and said that service delivery of over 70 services has been made legally time bound in order to make administration quick and responsive to public needs. He also mentioned the re-constitution of Accountability Commission, constitution of Vigilance Commission and implementation of Right to Information Act as also establishment of empowered Panchayat Raj System in the State after a long period of over 30 years.
While referring to implementation of Right to Information Act, Omar said: “We have given to each commoner the authority equal to the legislator for asking questions to the Government about its all activities, performance and fund spending.”
“They do not want to see the reality on ground as it makes them sad for they did not do anything remarkable during their tenure in Government, as such, are hell bent to astray people by false propaganda against the Government”, the Chief Minister said.
Omar said that besides batting for political empowerment and internal autonomy of the State, he will continue to strive to seek financial autonomy for the State so that it need not to beseech for funds from the Centre for launch and completion of development projects.
“I want to make the State financially as self-sufficient so that it would be capable of offering funds to the Centre for works rather than requesting to it for the same”, Chief Minister said. He said he had laid necessary edifice to generate 9000 MW of power in the State within next seven to eight years to provide 24X7 electricity to the people besides making the State financially self-reliant.
Omar said that his Government has launched power projects with a capacity of generating over 1750 MW of powers during the last five years and these will come to production within next four to five years. He said that the total power projects launched in the State since independence are of 750 MW capacities, as against his Government launched 1750 MW capacity power projects in five years.
The Chief Minister said that more than 9825 kilometres of new roads have been constructed during the last about five years by his Government besides connecting 1150 unconnected small villages with the main highways.
“My Government constructed 260 bridges costing over Rs.330 crores, opened 5500 new schools, upgraded 2500 schools, setup scores of ITIs, Polytechnics and Degree Colleges in addition of establishing two Universities”, Omar said adding that he wants to bring happiness on every face and seek prosperity for all areas.
“I do not want to see guns or stone in hands of the youth. I want to see pen and skill in their hands. I want to seek plentiful and better future for them. I want to seek substantial job opportunities and livelihood earning avenues for all my youth”, Chief Minister said.
Omar said he will not abandon his “mission” of getting AFSPA revoked from some areas of the State even though the “road was difficult to tread”.
“I have been told that why do I talk on AFSPA if I could not remove it yet. I say that it does not matter if the road is difficult. My job is not only to tread an easy path, but difficult path as well. If I try to tread an easy path, then I do not have the blood of Sher-i-Kashmir (Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah) in my veins. I have his blood and the blood of Farooq Abdullah when I am ready to fight a difficult battle.
“And I know that it would not be easy to get success on AFSPA, but I am not ready to leave the fight because the road is difficult. I assure the people of Jammu and Kashmir that till the time I am in power and even after that, I will not leave this mission till I get the state rid of AFSPA,” Omar said.
Criticising opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Omar said he was not like those people who talk differently while in power and outside of it.
“I raised the voice against AFSPA. And I am not among those people who waited for leaving the chair and then raising their voice. The leaders of ink-pot party (PDP’s symbol) are experts in those matters.
“When they are in power, they talk differently. That time they want that bullets be responded with bullets but when they leave the power, they say there should be talks, that AFSPA be revoked and Pakistani currency be brought here, and I don’t know which other slogans they use to try to win people,” he said.
Omar denied reports that militants who availed the Rehabilitation Policy of the State were returning to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), saying it was a “lie”.
“We opened the roads for the return of those people and till now more than 350 have returned and are living in their homes. Those who say that some have gone back are lying.
“I can tell you with authority that only one person has returned and that too as some people made a sinister plan to show me in bad light, otherwise all those who returned (to the State) are here only,” he said.
Omar also said that his Government had removed more than 40 security bunkers from Srinagar and would continue doing so.
“We got Srinagar rid of bunkers. We removed more than 40 bunkers and will continue doing so in the future as well,” he said.
Earlier NC leaders and workers today paid homage to the party founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on his 108th birth anniversary, which was celebrated across the State today.
Party patron Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and other party leaders including Ministers Abdul Rahim Rather, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mir Saifullah, Sakina Itoo, MLAs and MLCs paid floral tributes to Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.
The party leaders and workers offered ‘Fateh Khawani at the graveyard of Sheikh. Paying rich tributes to his father, Farooq Abdullah said he was the aspirations of people of State and symbol of unity and amity.
“Sheikh Sahib denotes the state’s high traits of pluralistic ethos and communal harmony. He nurtured and strengthened this characteristic and cemented the bonds of love between various sections of the society and different regions of the State,” Dr Abdullah said.
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