Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India “was to be formalized through a plebiscite”, which of course never happened.
In an interview to News 18, Omar Abdullah, according to the news agency KNO, said, “If Article 370 was considered temporary and transitional, then Jammu and Kashmir’s accession with India was also subject to similar scrutiny.”
He criticized the unilateral abrogation of Article 370, stating, “It was scrapped without taking the people of Jammu and Kashmir on board. We had no role to play in it.”
He said that the provision was not time-bound, adding, “Transitional, because the status of J&K had not been finalized. Why was it temporary and transitional? What was the promise made to the people?”
He further elaborated that the accession of J&K was meant to be formalized through a plebiscite.
“A permanent provision could not be inserted into the Constitution for a region whose permanent status was yet to be determined. Over time, we agreed that the accession was permanent and needed no ratification. But the framework that guaranteed this accession also needed to be permanent,” he said. “You called the framework temporary and the accession permanent…!”
Omar Abdullah admitted that the revocation of Article 370 led to a decline in separatist activities. “No one can deny that separatism has declined in J&K. No one had imagined that Mirwaiz Umar Farooq would be provided security by the CRPF.”
Reflecting on the changes since his previous tenure as Chief Minister, Omar said, “Today’s J&K is different. There is a vast difference between governing a state with special status and a Union Territory. The difference between a state and a UT is like that between the sky and the earth.”
He expressed concern over the limitations of a UT with an assembly, calling it an ineffective system. “A UT with an assembly is not a workable system. If this system is so good, why not implement it in other states like Uttar Pradesh or Gujarat?” he questioned, adding that the present arrangement was “cheating the people”.
Despite the challenges, Omar Abdullah expressed confidence that J&K would regain statehood. “There is no doubt that J&K will become a state again. The Prime Minister and Home Minister have repeatedly assured us of this.”
He acknowledged that the elected government has been trying to reconnect with the people but stated that their tenure so far has been largely focused on managing inherited projects. “In four months, we haven’t had a chance for execution. Right now, we are only implementing what we inherited. Let’s present our first budget and move ahead,” he said.
He acknowledged increased participation in elections and highlighted Jammu and Kashmir’s potential in tourism, hydroelectric power, and lithium recovery in Reasi. “Jammu has vast potential in adventure tourism, pilgrimage tourism, and horticulture. We must create job opportunities for our youth, who are talented and knowledgeable.”
He expressed concern over the resurgence of terrorism in Jammu province. “It is unfortunate that terrorism has revived in Jammu. We had wiped it out, and it must be eliminated again,” he said, blaming Pakistan for continued interference in the region.
On the INDIA alliance, Omar Abdullah admitted that there was confusion regarding its scope. “If the alliance is only for parliamentary elections, then it means there is no alliance for assembly elections. If we are together, we should contest assembly polls collectively. Fighting separately has hurt the bloc, as seen in Delhi and Haryana.”(With inputs from KNO)
