Srinagar, Aug 15: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday said that people of Jammu and Kashmir were being treated differently and forced to feel separate from mainstream India.
In his I-Day address at Bakshi Stadium here, a visibly angry Omar said the way communal violence in Kishtwar was portrayed in New Delhi proved the State was being treated differently.
Omar said he was often being asked why people in J&K consider themselves separate from mainstream India.
“When I thought about it, there were no easy answers but the Kishtwar incident showed how it was exploited and I got the answer. We are treated differently as if we are not part of mainstream.
We don’t consider ourselves separate but unfortunately we are treated separately. I will try to explain it today because it is necessary to change this approach,” Omar said after unfurling the tri-color.
Condemning the violence in Kishtwar which left three people dead, Omar said it was an unfortunate incident, and he was sad it happened during his government.
But, he said, such an incident happened for the first time during his government and the Judicial Commission would probe it and the facts would be brought in public.
Apparently attacking the BJP and likeminded political parties in New Delhi for exploiting the Kishtwar clashes,
Omar said it was not the first incident of its kind in India.
“You treat similar incidents in rest of the country differently and in Jammu and Kashmir differently,” Omar said.
“It is most unfortunate on the part of these leaders to discriminate Jammu and Kashmir vis-à-vis other States and show biased approach while dealing with similar matters differently in Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the country.”
“Is it for the first time such a thing has happened in India? Is Kishtwar the only area in the country where communal clashes took place? I do not want to say what happened in Kishtwar can be justified because of what happened elsewhere in the country.” He referred to communal riots which have taken place in other states, saying during 2012 at least 34 deaths took place in Uttar Pradesh in communal violence, 13 deaths in Maharashtra, 15 in Madhya Pradesh, six in Rajasthan, three in Karnataka and five in Gujarat.
This year up to March, Omar said, eight persons died in communal clashes in Maharashtra, two each in Gujarat and Rajasthan and one in Madhya Pradesh.
“Did anybody talk about these deaths due to communal violence? Did Parliament discuss them? Did some big leaders go to these places to express solidarity or did they talk about them on Twitter,” Omar asked.
BJP leader Sushma Sawaraj locked horns with Omar on Twitter on Kishtwar clashes last week while her party and non-UPA parties including BSP hit out at Omar for his government’s “failure” to handle Hindu-Muslim riots in Kishtwar.
“You keep on saying that we are not treated separately and want to scrap Article 370 to make JK equal part of country. But the fact is that you treat us differently and your approach towards us is different. As long as you continue to do so, integration will not happen by changing the Constitution. It will happen when you change your attitude," he said.
APPEALS SEPARATISTS:Omar appealed separatists to come forward for talks with New Delhi for resolving Kashmir issue.
“I appeal those people who have remained away from dialogue to join the process for resolution of Kashmir issue,” Omar said.
He said there were “some people” claiming Kashmir was an internal matter of India.
“Had it been so, there wouldn’t have been three wars between the two countries and no Shimla, Lahore or Agra talks would have taken place,” Omar said.
Asking New Delhi to resume talks, both at internal and external level, on Kashmir, Omar said without talking to Pakistan Kashmir cannot be resolved.
“Have not we learnt in past 22 years that gun cannot solve Kashmir and money is no solution to this problem which can only be addressed by talking?”
He expressed concern over increasing ceasefire violations on LoC saying such incidents were not good for dialogue.
Omar said when Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan were scheduled to meet on the sidelines of UN summit in New York next month there was a need to build atmosphere for it to pave way for resumption of the talks so that people of J&K could benefit.
“But you (Pakistan) pass resolution forcing us to pass resolution too. What did we gain on either side of the LoC except for sufferings to people,” Omar asked.
The tension on LoC has put Government of India under pressure from opposition to cancel the Prime Minister’s scheduled meeting with his Pakistan counterpart in New York
Omar took a dig at New Delhi for shelving reports of its own committees for resolving Kashmir.
“You come up with big reports and suggestions on Kashmir. What happens to them?” Omar asked. “We will have to show to people that we don’t talk to you only when situation deteriorates but also when situation is peaceful.”
New Delhi has failed to act on the recommendations of two Working Groups constituted by the Prime Minister during UPA-I for providing a blueprint on political issue of Kashmir. It has also shelved the main recommendations of the interlocutors appointed during 2010 summer unrest for preparing roadmap for resolving Kashmir.
He said 2013 has been a good year for J&K. No doubt, he said, government faced problems like killing of two youth in army firing in Bandipora, the Gool incident in which four persons were shot dead by BSF, sectarian clashes in Budgam or Kishtwar clashes. “We fought these situations bravely and I salute people for their support,” Omar said.
The function was held under tight security as a large contingent of police and CRPF were put on guard around the Bakshi Stadium to prevent any untoward incident. All the roads leading to the stadium were blocked with drop gates and concertina wires to prevent people’s movement till the function was over.
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