Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the “normalcy” in the Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370, as claimed by the Centre, was not organic, but forced. Speaking at a media event in Delhi, Abdullah emphasised that the security situation in Kashmir was far from “normal” as indicated by the closure of Jamia Masjid in Srinagar on Shab-e-Baraat.
“If what is happening today in J&K is organic, then nothing like it. If it is driven out of fear, then there is a problem. Because you can only control a situation through fear for a limited time. If it’s organic, it will remain forever. But I will hazard that the security forces and the people don’t believe it is organic,” Abdullah said.
The J&K Chief Minister was responding to a question about the differences in the security situation in Kashmir between 2010, when over 200 youths died during protests, and the present day. The Centre has claimed several times that the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 resulted in a reduction in shutdowns and separatist and militant activities.
Abdullah referred to the authorities denying permission to Hurriyat chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to lead the funeral prayers of his father-in-law at the Jama Masjid to buttress his point.
“If they believed it was organic, they wouldn’t have closed Jama Masjid to prevent Mirwaiz Farooq from having his father-in-law’s namaz-e-janaza. The reason they cited was that they feared a law and order situation breaking out. A law and order situation doesn’t break out when normalcy is organic, it breaks out when normalcy is forced. What we have in parts of J&K today is not organic normalcy, it is forced normalcy,” Abdullah said.
DEPARTURE FROM RECENT VIEWS ON ARTICLE 370
Jammu and Kashmir lost its statehood on October 31, 2019, and became a Union Territory. The changes have left the LT Governor with more governance powers.
Speaking on this aspect, Abdullah said, “Trying to run J&K through a second model, where governance will not have a role in law and order and security, will have limitations. You won’t be able to carry the population as partners in normalcy.”
The remarks are a departure from the conciliatory tone that Abdullah has recently adopted towards the Narendra Modi-led government. Interestingly, Abdullah raised the change in atmosphere in J&K after Article 370 abrogation last month.
The National Conference leader has also gone soft on his demand for the restoration of J&K’s special status, a key pre-poll pledge. He has said that he was not “foolish” to expect Article 370 to be restored by the Centre. (India Today )
