National Conference, which is a grand old political party of Kashmir valley has played a significant role in Kashmir’s modern history and the contribution of its founder Late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah in shaping up J&K’s political history since 20th century is undeniable. But unfortunately,the same cannot be said of party’s top leadership that took over NC after Sheikh Sahab.
Most political analysts would agree that transfer of power to Sheikh Sahab’s son was effectively the beginning of the destruction of Kashmir valley and start of an unending suffering for Kashmiri people after four decades of peace and prosperity. Rather than clean, honest and corruption free governance, what Kashmir got under Farooq Sahab’s early ruling tenure in 1980s was corruption, extremely poor governance and stifling of democratic institutions of Kashmir. The same Farooq Sahab, who is today preaching the world as to how Delhi sarkar is weakening government institutions in India, is widely believed to have orchestrated one the most brazen, shameless and unprecedented rigging of people’s mandate in 1987 J&K state elections in Kashmir valley, which not only destroyed the credibility of Kashmir’s valley’s democratic institutions, but it also paved the way for the entry of guns in Kashmir, thereby pushing the valley into a deadly fire of hell. Also, one must not forget that Congress party was Farooq Sahab’s partner in crime in laying down foundation for Kashmir’s future destruction.
J&K’s state’s constitutional autonomous status has been one the most sacrosanct commandments considered sacred by each citizen of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, which in the form of Article 370 of Indian constitution takes into account and respects our state’s unique cultural, social and religious diversity. Unfortunately, however, the trio of Congress – NC – PDP have politicized this most sacred constitutional provision pertaining to our state for their temporary political gains without any of these three parties genuinely being concerned about its safeguard. While the Congress party is directly and solely responsible for dilution of Article 370, the National Conference, especially under Farooq Sahab& Omar Abdullah is indirectly responsible for turning a blind eye to the rupture of Article 370. The father & son duo are also guilty of deliberately burying any serious debate about erosion of Article 370 in exchange for enjoying perks of power and that too three times with the support of Congress party that is actually responsible for murdering the very soul of Article 370.
When seen in this light, the recent utterance of Farooq Sahab, wherein he promised to bring an “autonomy resolution” within 30 days of coming to power is nothing more than a non-serious political gimmick and part of buffoonery antics for which Farooq Sahab is famous (or rather infamous) for in Kashmir’s electoral politics.
Didn’t Farooq Sahab pass the similar “autonomy resolution” in J&K assembly in 2000? What happened to that resolution? Well, that resolution was rejected by the then union government in which Omar Sahab was a junior minister. Did Omar Sahab resign from the union ministry to protest against the rejection of the resolution at that time in 2000? No Omar Sahab did not do so. Omar Sahab continued to enjoy perks of power till 2002, when he supposedly tendered his resignation to “protest” against Gujarat riots. However, according to commonly held belief in political circles of that time, Omar Sahab actually resigned due to refusal by Vajpayee government to appoint his father Farooq Sahab to the post of the Vice President of India, which was yet another seat of power that Sheikh family clan was eyeing at that time to further enjoy even greater perks of power.
But questions don’t stop here as both Farooq Sahab and Congress party need to answer for their long list of follies that have together destroyed Kashmir valley. Will Congress party apologize for issuance of more than 40 “presidential orders” most of which happened under the rule of Congress Chief Ministers, which effectively eroded Article 370, rendering it completely rudderless? Will Congress party do that?
Will Farooq Sahab explain why he abandoned Kashmir in 1990 after facilitating entry of gun in Kashmir valley through the cursed stealing of mandate of 1987 J&K assembly elections by his party along with Congress? Will he apologize to thousands of his own National Conference party workers from lower party ranks and poor families, who were left alone in Kashmir valley to fetch for themselves and/or to become victim of violence that swept through Kashmir in 1990s, even as Farooq Sahab(and his family) enjoyed his sojourn in foreign countries remaining absolutely untouched by death and destruction happening in Kashmir valley? Will Farooq Sahab explain that?
The fact of the matter is that the latest utterance of Farooq Sahabon “autonomy resolution” is nothing more than a non-serious jumla of National Conference, which no one in world (least of all in Kashmir valley) takes seriously. The issue of our state’s autonomy is neither joke nor an issue of political posturing to gain few cheap votes. The need of the hour is not to “pass resolutions” for J&K state’s autonomy” but to fight a strong legal battle in the Supreme Court of India for safeguarding Article 370 & Article 35A and then simultaneously working for the restoration of the autonomous character of these constitutional provisions. Will Farooq Sahab or Omar Sahab or NC or Congress party ever talk about it and come clean on this issue?
Well, given the fact that top leadership of the National Conference has strong family and friendly ties with top leaders of Congress party, which the National Conference sees as its unofficial permanent alliance partner and further given the fact that Congress has been largely responsible for disembowelment of Article 370, why doesn’t Farooq Sahab and or Omar Sahab along with top central leadership of Congress party hold a press conference and assure the people of Jammu & Kashmir that (instead of passing useless “resolutions”) they will all together restore the autonomy of the state of Jammu & Kashmir to the fullest if they come to power in the state of Jammu & Kashmir? Will they do it or will they restrict themselves to playing with vulnerabilities of the people of J&K? I think people of Jammu & Kashmir already know the answer.
Javaid Beigh can be reached at javadbeigh123@gmail.com
