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Son Takes Over As Kashmir Party President
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| Farooq
Abdullah puts his cap on the head of his son Omar.
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By
IOL
South Asia
Correspondent
NEW DELHI
, June 24 (IslamOnline) - Keeping with the Sub-continental tradition
of father passing the baton to son or daughter,
Kashmir
’s National Party leader Farooq Abdullah made his son Omar Abdullah,
his heir and party chief in
Srinagar
, Sunday, June 23.
Farooq's
father Shaikh Abdullah had done the same in 1982. In a symbolic
gesture, Farooq Abdullah took off his cap and placed it on the head of
his 32-year son at a huge function in
Srinagar
. Omar is the current minister of state for external affairs in the
central government.
Over
10,000 delegates from all parts of
Jammu and Kashmir
had thronged the Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in
Kashmir
's summer capital, where a special session of the National Conference
formally elected Omar Abdullah as the next party president.
Party
general secretary Shiekh Nazir Ahmed, while presenting the annual
report, charged successive governments at the Center of "trying
to finish" the party since 1983. The change takes place in the
backdrop of both father and son adopting aggressive posturing over the
Center not naming Farooq as the presidential or even vice-presidential
candidate. Farooq stood no chance once another Muslim was nominated as
president.
India
cannot have a president and a vice president from the same community.
According
to Omar, his father had helped
India
at various levels during difficult times, particularly in setting the
human rights record straight in front of the Geneva Commission on
rights.
Farooq
had presented
India
a fig leaf of "civilian rule" in Jammu & Kashmir while
the state is in fact ruled by the military and security forces over
whom the civilian government has no power or control.
Security
has been beefed up in and around the stadium to avert any militant
attack at a time when the entire NC cadre would be present to witness
the ceremony. Even then militants managed to lob two grenades at the
conference venue. However, no loss of life or damage to property was
reported as the grenades, which exploded in quick succession, fell
short of their target and landed in a drain.
Ahead
of the extravagant function, police had arrested several Hurriyat
Conference leaders the night before as a security measure. The
arrested persons were locked up in various police stations in
Srinagar
with the aim of ensuring security for the ruling party's convention.
Although
Farooq Abdullah had earlier hinted that he would take rest after Omar
takes over as party president, that seems to be a remote possibility
at present. Son Omar will stay at the Center as minister of state
while father Farooq will continue in his present post until it is
suitably adjusted at the Center at some post with ministerial perks.
Addressing
the special one-day National Conference session after his
"coronation", Omar said, "Our enemies are giving an
impression that we want to divide the state by seeking greater
autonomy. We have never talked about division of
Jammu and Kashmir
, but we do seek autonomy.. These people want to divide the state
along communal lines and hand over the valley to
Pakistan
," he said, hitting at the RSS and BJP.
Omar
renewed his challenge to the Hurriyat Conference to participate in the
polls and claimed, "We will win the elections. There is no doubt
about it".
But
he accepted the difficulties ahead. In old times had we nominated a
pillar in elections it would have won, but now it is difficult, he
said.
The
party's collaboration with the Center and Farooq Abdullah's playboy
image are largely responsible for the debacle. He was seen vacationing
in
London
while his Valley burnt. He was building a golf course while his people
suffered from rising unemployment. He carried on a lavish life in
security zones while his people were subjected day in and day out to
army crackdowns and security personnel brutalities as well as to
militants crimes.
Earlier,
in a hard-hitting speech while handing over charge of the National
Conference to his son, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said there
cannot be any peace in
Jammu and Kashmir
if there's no autonomy.
“You
may try and suppress the people of J&K and Ladakh, but till they
are not given autonomy there will be no peace in the region. Just like
the call for freedom struggle was not merely a slogan, similarly the
call for autonomy in the state is also not just a slogan. Thousands of
people from the state have given their blood for the cause. We will
achieve this autonomy,” he said.
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| National
Conference supporters waving party flags
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The
autonomy issue had led to a lot of acrimony between the Center and the
Jammu and Kashmir
government after the state legislative assembly passed a resolution
demanding it in June 2000. The Union cabinet had rejected the proposal
July 4, 2000
, but later agreed to hold discussions on it. The central government
has over the years abolished most vestiges of autonomy the state was
promised and enjoyed in its early years after accession to
India
in 1948.
Back
in
Delhi
, Minister of State for Home ID Swami categorically ruled out National
Conference demand for granting any pre-1953 status to
Jammu and Kashmir
. He said Sunday Delhi was averse to any fresh proposal being mooted
by the state government.
"Government
is very clear that the pre-1953 autonomy status cannot be
granted," Swami said while reacting to the demand raised by Jammu
and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah.
"
Jammu and Kashmir
has a far greater autonomy as compared to other states and if anything
more is needed to be done, the government will think over it," he
said.
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