Chief Minister’s wish list: ‘AFSPA
revocation, return of power projects’
New Delhi, Apr
5: Phase-wise revocation of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act
and return of power projects to Jammu and Kashmir are the two most ‘important
wishes’ of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Participating in the Mindmine Summit
2013 here, 43-year- old Omar was asked to list two most important wishes he
would like to be fulfilled. “If I had to select two points, it would be one,
the phase-wise revocation of the AFSPA and two, the return of NHPC power
projects to the state as recommended by the Rangarajan committee,” he said. Ever
since taking over the reins of the state, his government has been pitching for
phase-wise removal of AFSPA from the state starting from municipal limits of Srinagar and Jammu
cities.
Omar
said dealing with political problems of the state with inappropriate and
unsuitable methods created a complex situation. “The then Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Sheikh
Muhammad Abdullah was arrested and a saga of undemocratic nature crept in
making things more difficult,” he said, adding this also gravely alienated
people.
When asked
whether the states were ruling Delhi, he said there is set constitutional
position to run the affairs of states and the Union and accommodating
aspirations of the people of the states at the Union government-level is not
anything amounting to ‘ruling Delhi’. “The situation in J&K is special--the
accession to the Indian Union was only on four areas—communication, currency,
defence and foreign affairs —which have been gradually eroded over the years.
So there will be some resistance. You have to deal with it. You have to win the
heart of the people.”
Even
wearing a watch had become matter of life and death in the Valley because
forces wanted people to set Indian Standard Time while separatists asked for
setting Pakistan
time on watches. “If you live in an atmosphere of fear and when you leave the
house in the morning you don't know if you are going to return – for 25 years,”
he said and emphasised upon understanding the psyche of the people in the
state.
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