Meeting of National Conference President Farooq Abdullah with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over current Kashmir crisis is his abortive attempt to neutralize the role of PDP President and Chief Minister Mehbooba in any proposed political engagement by the central government with either the separatist leadership in Jammu & Kashmir or with the Pakistan government. Farooq Abdullah a three time former Chief Minister is by all probabilities the senior most mainstream politician in the state and is known for having the capacity to hijack any political agenda in even a hostile political atmosphere. His pro-separatist remarks over the prevailing situation in Kashmir before and after the bye poll in Srinagar parliamentary constituency comprising three central Kashmir districts- Srinagar, Gandebal and Budgam speak volumes about his intents of reviving National Conference in the present holstile political atmosphere in the state. His recent meeting with the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, may not disturb the working of the PDP-BJP coalition government in the state but the change in the political posturing by Farooq would surely pose new challenges to PDP in Kashmir and BJP in Jammu.Farooq Abdullah who as Chief Minister used to cry over his demand for bombardment on Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PaK) and Pakistan during the Vajpayee led NDA rule at the centre is now demanding the execution of 2003 type of ceasefire agreement the architect of which was then Prime Minister Attal Bihari Vajpayee.
To thwart the attempts of Farooq Abdullah to play a new role in Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti needs support and backing of the Modi government. So for Modi government tends to play the cards of hostility and disengagement to deny both Abdullah and Mehbooba any role on the resolution of current crisis in Kashmir.
Farooq Abdullah’s insistence on the execution of 2003 type ceasefire agreement on Indo-Pak border conveys a message that he tends to play a role which then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had played in prompting then Prime Minister Attal Bihari Vajpayee in enforcing ceasefire on borders in the year 2003. Though Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has been talking much about a surprise visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Pakistan two years back but fact remains that Modi’s surprise visit to Pakistan could not bring New Delhi and Islamabad closer to any working relationship either on military front or conflict resolution process. After Modi’s surprise visit to Pakistan the Indo-Pak relations worsened so much that the armies on borders were in an eyeball to ball situation on border and even the clouds of a war breaking out between the two countries over Kashmir was not ruled out last year. Since the prevailing situation in Kashmir does not give Mehbooba Mufti a chance to talk about political engagement either with Pakistan or the separatist leadership, Farooq Abdullah has choosen to cease the opportunity and play a central role in Modi’s government’s future plans over Kashmir and resumption of dialogue with Pakistan. To thwart the attempts of Farooq Abdullah to play a new role in Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti needs support and backing of the Modi government. So for Modi government tends to play the cards of hostility and disengagement to deny both Abdullah and Mehbooba any role on the resolution of current crisis in Kashmir.
