Will fight till my last breath for restoration of JK’s special status: Omar

Gool, Nov 27: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Saturday stated that NC will keep up with its struggle for the restoration of people’s rights, which were unilaterally, unconstitutionally and undemocratically abridged on 5th of August 2019.
He said this while addressing a one day workers convention at Block Gool of District Ramban.
Earlier the Party Vice President, who is accompanied by the Party General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, Political Advisor Tanvir Sadiq on an eight day long visit to the region received a rousing welcome at the venue.
Among others Party Provincial President, Jammu Ratan Lal Gupta, Senior leaders Sajad Ahmed Shaheen, YNC Provincial President Aijaz Ahmed Jan were also present on the occasion.
In his address, Omar said that he was baffled to see the government’s policy on Jammu and Kashmir. “We have no idea which direction Jammu and Kashmir is being dragged towards. We are clueless about what the present rulling dispensation in New Delhi wants to achieve for us. The only thing we keep hearing is that there was no development before 2019. Let us believe this postulation for a second, then where from did the infrastructure, which is present on ground in J&K came from? Where did the colleges, highways, roads, hospital come from? Does this mean that all the infrastructure, health and educational facilities came up out of nowhere in a jiffy? Such claims are implausible, since Jammu and Kashmir fared well on all HDI indicators and even out stripped various developed states before August 9,2019. This is shoddy propaganda peddled by GOI premised on the so called mishandling of J&K by few families. Now that the GOI is directly holding the reins of power in its hands and Articles 370, 35 -A aren’t in their way, what is impeding them from giving practical expression to their projected claims on development and investment? Where is the much touted development? Where is the promised job extravaganza for our youth?” he asked.
He stated that the NC government had brought in the Jammu and Kashmir’s Roshni Act to provide land to land-less poor but the present regime is using the pro people law for communal rhetoric about ‘land jihad’.
“Fate of thousands of people who had invested their hard earned money to buy land under this schene is in lurch. If there are was any discrepancy, it should have been brought froth,” he added.
He said that NC gave voice to voiceless but the decisions of August, 5 2019 took away that voice.
“Today the press in Jammu and Kashmir is not allowed to show the real picture. Not because press doesn’t want to write it. It is because of the threatening and intimidating journalists and not allowing them to operate freely. One only gets to see shoddy government propaganda and PRs of the government in Press. Those who fail to comply by are being subjected to discrimination in terms of government advertisements,” he added.
Today the situation has nosedived to such a low that we have to protest for handing dead bodies to their kin. “The situation is such that young Amir, who was killed in Srinagar had to be buried at Handwara. His father, who is still guarded by police for his his prominent role in curbing militancy in his remote hamlet is knocking on different doors to get his son’s dead body. This is what the situation is! We have to take to roads not for justice but for handing over of dead bodies back to their kin,” he added.
He said leaders who were elected from the Chenab region, failed to ensure equitable development in this region. “Far from keeping up the good work done by NC led government untill 2015, these people deliberately chose to shut their eyes to the development demands of chenab region. These forces are working with a single mission of dividing voice in Chenab and keeping out of the development radar,” he added.
Omar said the abrogation was premised to end discrimination and bring Jammu and Kashmir at par with other states. “One country, one law was the catch word. But today we have two laws for the erstwhile regions of the state, which acceded with the Union together in 1947. In Ladakh, the government has retained the state subject and exclusive rights of locals on land and jobs. Why is the same arrangement being denied to the people of Jammu and Kashmir? Let alone removing disparity at national level, the incumbent regime at center is using two yard sticks in a single state,” he said adding that while the exclusive rights of Ladakhis are being protected and those living in Jammu and Kashmir being liquidated.