Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 6: Former Chief Minister and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah today described Kashmir situation as “worst” and said the present State Government (PDP-BJP) has fully failed to control it. He called for taking immediate steps to find a solution to end bloodbath in the Valley.
Speaking to reporters after addressing a rally at Drass, Omar said: “no day passes in Kashmir when there is no bloodbath. Yesterday, three civilians were killed by militants…today five militants have been killed…there were reports that civilians have also been killed in the gun battle. Whether it is the militants’ bullets or security forces, the people were getting killed in Kashmir”.
Asserting that whether it was the militant or stone pelter they all are ours though they have taken to wrong path, Omar said it was duty of the Government to bring them out of this “but unfortunately the Government has completely failed in its duty”.
“This Government has even no regrets for the killing. We have more regrets,” he asserted.
Responding to a question on University Assistant Professor joining militancy and getting killed in today’s Shopian encounter, Omar asked: “what can be worst than this”? Describing it as very “disturbing trend”, he said it was time to understand why he gave up the job and picked the gun.
“We must ensure that there are no more incidents of similar nature,” he stressed.
Describing as very disturbing the offering of gun salutes to the slain militants by their colleagues at Eidgah in the heart of Srinagar City, Omar regretted that still the present Government isn’t worried.
Addressing the gathering at Drass, Omar said the Kashmir issue had to be resolved through sustained dialogue and engagement and added that unabated civilian killings were unacceptable.
“When educated, gainfully employed young men choose the path of militancy – it should serve as a wakeup call for those who have turned a deaf ear towards repeated pleas for initiation of dialogue with all stakeholders to find a solution to this quagmire,” he said, adding that turning a blind eye towards the alarming situation won’t change reality.
Omar said the growing levels of alienation and isolation are alarming signs and need to be acknowledged and addressed politically. “This is not an economic issue and cannot be resolved through economic packages”, he added.
The NC working president said the current PDP-BJP Government had neglected Drass and its people and brought developmental works initiated by the previous Government to a complete standstill.
“The power projects initiated for this region have been shelved for reasons best known to the current Government. Developmental works planned and initiated by the previous Government for Drass and Kargil have been stalled creating a huge infrastructure deficit in these regions. National Conference has always had a vision of equal and balanced development for all regions of the State and we will continue to remain dedicated towards people of all regions of the State, especially those areas that have been neglected and sidelined”, Omar said.
“The State is reeling under a failure of politics and imagination and the ruling dispensation seems more interested in remaining glued to power for as long as they could. The ramifications of their politics are there for everyone to see. This alliance has distanced the people of the State and divided them on regional and religious lines to seek political dividends from such divisive politics. The State needs to be pulled out of this morass through consensus, peace and a vision-oriented politics that brings the people of the State closer together rather than dividing them”, he added.
Omar was accompanied by NC provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani, Shameema Firdous, Shammi Oberoi, Tanvir Sadiq, Salman Ali Sagar, Mushtaq Ahmed Guroo, Ehsan Pardesi, Mudassir Shahmiri and office bearers of the local party units and the party’s youth wing.
Meanwhile, in a tweet, Omar said: “just providing jobs and ensuring development is not the solution that will end “violence and alienation” in Kashmir.
“Sadly this is also an answer to those who claim jobs & development are the solution to the violence & alienation in Kashmir. This is another tragic development in a steady stream of tragedies in Kashmir,” Abdullah tweeted on the killing of Mohammad Rafi Bhat, a contractual Assistant Professor in the Sociology department of Kashmir University, who was killed in a gunfight in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir today.
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