Farooq Abdullah the leader of main opposition National Conference has created a flutter by declaring that “option of independence Kashmir is not a reality” as JKLF Chairman Yaseen Malik one of three strong leaders spearheading the separatist uprising has already objected to the views of Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Abbas Khakani against the option of Independent Kashmir. Since JKLF Chairman restricted his statement against the Pakistan Prime Minister to the extent that he said ‘situation is not ripe for debating the options but unity for furthering the causes of resistance struggle”, the National Conference President Farooq Abdullah obviously opposed the option of Independent Kashmir to divert the attention of people from the current crisis in Kashmir to debate over contradictions among separatist leaders on different options for Kashmir resolution. So ultimately the intents of National Conference President Farooq Abdullah to oppose the option of Independent Kashmir don’t showing his sincerity. As the mainstream leaders are finding it difficult to reconnect themselves with the people at grass roots after last year’s unrest in Kashmir valley, the National Conference President Farooq Abdullah is trying to divide the separatists on ideological lines and generate an anti-Pakistan sentiment in Kashmir only to make the mainstream political parties relevant in the state. Farooq Abdullah the senior most mainstream politician in the state vehemently pitched for dialogue and banning of pellet guns to revive his party National Conference and now when the central government has initiated the process of dialogue with the appointment Dineshwar Sharma as special representative for dialogue in Jammu & Kashmir the legendary National Conference leader tends to generate anti Pakistan and anti-separatist sentiments in Kashmir to revive the mainstream politics and his own party National Conference.
Political leaders including the likes of Farooq Abdullah are free to express their view on applicability of different option on resolution of Kashmir but they are not at liberty to talk about the division of the state for the purposes of political convenience.
Unfortunately Farooq Abdullah despite his central role in Kashmir’s power politics for more than last four decades has perhaps no idea about the political awakening that has changed the dynamics of Kashmir politics during last two decades in Kashmir. People in Kashmir are now politically to conscious enough to understand the intents of every statement of every political leader and so before issuing statements on issues of greater political concerns the National Conference President Farooq Abdullah and his followers need to show respect to the wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Political leaders including the likes of Farooq Abdullah are free to express their view on applicability of different option on resolution of Kashmir but they are not at liberty to talk about the division of the state for the purposes of political convenience.
