The confusing responses of top mainstream leaders to central government’s measures including domicile law , and delimitation exercise after their release from the detention centres in Srinagar prompts the hapless populations in Jammu and Kashmir not to cry for them. Why should people cry for leaders who look for power but not restoration of their basic citizenship rights on jobs and land. The people didn’t cry for the mainstream leaders during their detention period because of their U-turns and roll backs on core issues before and after the abrogation of special status . Their contradictory statements show that they are looking for an opportunity to grab power instead of mustering the courage to challenge the decisions of the central government which go against the basic citizenship rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Instead of filing an urgency memo for an early hearing of it’s plea in the supreme court of the country against the abrogation of Article 370 and J&K Reorganisation Act that divided the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state into two union territories, the National Conference President Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah are courting controversies by making conflicting and contradictory statements over their party’s participation in elections before or after the restoration of statehood. Forced to withdraw their own controversial statements over key issues both senior and Junior Abdullah don’t muster the courage to reach out to their own party workers’ for the purposes of any public mobilization against last year’s August 5 decisions of the central government. Shameless it is that Farooq Abdullah himself filed a plea against the house detention of some of his party leaders before the Jammu & Kashmir High Court but he was told by the court that non of his party leaders is house detained.
Mainstream leaders expected Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce time line for restoration of statehood but their expectations have been belied with Prime Minister making no mention of statehood amid promises of early completion of delimitation exercise for conduct of early assembly elections. Instead of trying to identify themselves with the political aspirations of the people in Jammu & Kashmir, the mainstream leaders are trying to identify themselves with a political reconciliation process at the whims and wishes of the Prime Minister and Home Minister .
Lies and half truths show the tendencies of Abdullah’s to evade public criticism. Clever politicking over detentions won’t absolve Abdullahs’ of their responsibility to carry forward the challenge against last year’s August 5 decisions to logical conclusion. Leaders of other mainstream parties too are trying to be oversmart as they demand resignations of NC MP’s in protest against last year’s August 5 decisions only with the intent of creating an atmosphere for a bye election drama just for fake public endorsement of the abrogation of article 370 and downgrading of the erstwhile state to a union territory. PDP too does not look for any public mobilization against last year August 5 decisions of the central government as none of the leaders released in last couple of months tend to move out for a public campaign against the hostile measures taken by the central government day in and day out. Mainstream leaders expected Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce time line for restoration of statehood but their expectations have been belied with Prime Minister making no mention of statehood amid promises of early completion of delimitation exercise for conduct of early assembly elections. Instead of trying to identify themselves with the political aspirations of the people in Jammu & Kashmir, the mainstream leaders are trying to identify themselves with a political reconciliation process at the whims and wishes of the Prime Minister and Home Minister .
