Srinagar, Aug 15 (UNI) Srinagar, Aug 15 (UNI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said that had the constitutional changes of 2019 not taken place, people in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) would have been demanding reunification with Jammu and Kashmir.
Delivering his second Independence Day address since returning to office at Bakshi Stadium here, Omar also renewed his call for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights and statehood, saying India’s federal structure must be strengthened by restoring the powers taken away from the union Territory.
He said strengthening federalism in India should begin with Jammu and Kashmir and that whatever had been taken away from the region should be returned so that federalism was not confined to “rhetoric” but reflected in practice.
Omar said that after eight decades of Independence, the country needed to reflect on whether it had achieved the vision of India envisaged by its founding leaders and freedom fighters.
Recalling the events of 1947, Omar highlighted the role played by the people of Jammu and Kashmir in defending the erstwhile state during the tribal invasion. He said Kashmiris had resisted the invaders even before Indian troops reached the Valley, with people from all walks of life joining the fight to protect their towns and villages.
Referring to the unrest in POJK, the Chief Minister said developments over the past eight decades had proved that the decision taken by Kashmir’s leadership in 1947 was the right one. He said the sacrifices made by those who defended Jammu and Kashmir during that period had been vindicated by the course of history.
“Today, when I look at the situation across the LOC (Line of Control) and across Jammu and Kashmir, I feel sad. I feel sorry. I feel worried. I feel that if our situation hadn’t changed in J&K in 2019, the people of that Kashmir would have been protesting to reunite with us,” Omar said. “That part of Jammu and Kashmir is ours. We consider those people as our own. No one is a stranger.”
Omar said seats are reserved in the J&K Assembly for POJK residents and there remains hope that one day those seats will be occupied.
Omar Abdullah said India’s two greatest strengths are democracy and federalism and that protecting both was a collective responsibility.
Omar reiterated his demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional guarantees and the return of statehood.
“Our country is a union of states. …In fact, this is accepted constitutionally…So today, when we talk of strengthening that federalism, we should start with Jammu and Kashmir. Whatever was taken from us should be returned so that federalism and identity do not remain confined to words but are put into practice,” he said.
He argued that federalism could not be strengthened by reducing the powers of one state or by converting it into union Territory.
“To strengthen federalism, we must strengthen all states. When the powers of states are eroded and central agencies begin interfering in matters that fall within their jurisdiction, federalism suffers,” he said.
The Chief Minister also linked recent student protests at Jantar Mantar to what he described as growing centralisation in sectors such as education.
He said education and health had traditionally been the responsibility of the states, but the introduction of centralised examinations such as NEET and JEE had reduced the role of states in determining admissions to medical and engineering institutions.
“The result is protests in Delhi against the same,” he said.
While acknowledging the importance of national entrance examinations for institutions such as IITs, IIMs and other centrally administered institutions, Omar said states should retain greater authority over their own educational institutions.
He also referred to recruitment-related irregularities in Jammu and Kashmir and said restoring public trust should remain a priority.
“It takes only minutes to lose trust in a system, but years to rebuild it,” he said, emphasising the need for transparency and merit-based recruitment.
Concluding his address, Omar reiterated his government’s commitment for restoring statehood and reclaiming constitutional safeguards .
“We will continue to represent you. We will continue to serve you. We will continue to do our work to bring Jammu and Kashmir to that level. The dream of Jammu and Kashmir, the people who were martyred in the fight for freedom, to salute that martyrdom, we will make those dreams come true. Whether it is to bring Jammu and Kashmir to that level again. Whether it is to restore the constitutional guarantees of Jammu and Kashmir. Whether it is to regain the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Whether it is to start a new era of development in Jammu and Kashmir. Your government is not only promised for all these things, but your government will implement it,” he said.
