* ‘Dialogue only way out to resolve issues’
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Nov 5: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said today that if the path shown by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had been followed, the current situation in J&K would have been altogether different.
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Speaking during the obituary references at the ongoing J&K Legislative Assembly session, Omar said that whenever the situation deteriorated in J&K, Vajpayee always advocated for dialogue as the way to resolve issues, terming it “the only way out.”
“He always stated that only dialogue can help in resolving the issues and that there is no other way. He kept extending the hand of friendship despite challenges, and when it came to the issue of J&K, he always stressed Jamhooriyat, Insaniyat and Kashmiriyat,” he said while remembering Vajpayee.
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Omar added that Vajpayee opened roads to connect people across both sides of J&K and encouraged them to meet. “Unfortunately, these roads are now closed, but he wanted people and civil society to build relations. Today, it feels like we are being pushed apart so we don’t meet at all.”
“If we had dealt with J&K according to the path he showed, the situation we face today would have been different. He is no longer with us, and we have not followed his roadmap.”
The Chief Minister recalled that Vajpayee was the first Indian leader to take a bus to Lahore, making historic remarks at the border that are remembered even today.
“He also visited Minar-e-Pakistan, which is rare for an Indian leader; it was no small gesture. He stood at the border and said that we can change our friends but not our neighbours; in today’s time, no one would say that.”
“He always wanted to improve the situation in J&K and worked to end the violence. He stood for better relations between India and Pakistan, which have been affected due to J&K,” he added.
Remembering former President Pranab Mukherjee, Omar said that Mukherjee’s life teaches us that hard work pays off.
“His life shows that you will earn your share of success. He had no godfathers. He worked hard, fulfilled his duties, and succeeded,” Omar said.
He noted that Mukherjee became President during the UPA’s tenure, and when the Government changed to BJP, “he did not use Rashtrapati Bhawan for politics. Even the BJP didn’t question his integrity. He kept his post above politics, which can be said of few people today.”
Omar also remembered CPI (M) leader and former Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee, stating that his life teaches us that what truly matters are one’s principles.
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