NC asks Govt to reverse decision of detaining separatists

Omar to continue as CM, Ministers as Ministers, Farooq as President, Nazir as Gen Secy

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jul 22: With the Government already reversing its decisions, one by one, in reshuffle after reshuffle in Police and civil administration, ruling National Conference (NC) today asked its own government to immediately reverse its recent decision of arresting Kashmir’s separatist activists. If not botched up by the Centre, it would straightaway mean release of all separatist leaders----Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Mohammad Yasin Malik, Mian Abdul Qayoom and all others---as also hundreds of people detained under allegations of stone pelting in the last one month.

NC’s top decision making Central Working Committee, with almost all of its 22 permanent members, besides over a dozen permanent invitees and special invitees, today deliberated on the current political scenario in a seven-hour-long at the party President Dr Farooq Abdullah’s residence. Dr Abdullah, who presided over the meeting, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, NC’s General Secretary Sheikh Nazir Ahmed, prominent Ministers, Abdul Rahim Rather, Ali Mohammad Sagar and Mian Altaf Ahmed, were present in the day-long session.

According to sources present in the present, most of the speakers stressed on “strengthening the party”, creating a congenial atmosphere for Government of India’s dialogue with the separatist leaders by way of releasing “all political detainees”, carrying out struggle for greater autonomy, providing relief to sufferers of current spell of turbulence besides launching a “visible and timebound employment package” for the jobless youth. They invariable expressed confidence in the leadership of party President, Dr Farooq Abdullah, General Secretary, Sheikh Nazir Ahmed, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.


In his key address, Dr Abdullah said that the party rank and file had complete confidence in the leadership of “our young and dynamic Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Sahib”. He urged all members to strengthen the party as well as the coalition government. Setting aside speculations of changes in party and the government, Dr Abdullah said that he would continue as President of the party and Omar Abdullah as Chief Minister. He referred to yesterday’s high level AICC meeting and asserted that Congress high command as well as entire UPA government had conveyed their total support to the Chief Minister.

In response to a many speakers’ demand that he should spend more of his time in Srinagar and Jammu than in New Delhi, Dr Abdullah assured the meeting that the party would soon get traction with his personal presence and supervision of all urgent matters. He said that a five-member committee would assist him in all important matters. While asserting that the number of “hooligans” was not legion, Dr Abdullah asked NC leaders to fan out in their residential areas and reach out to majority of the people. He claimed that a decisive majority of the people in Kashmir valley was still in favour of peace and development and thus supporters of NC.

Speaking at the conclusion, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that Kashmir was essentially a political problem and its solution would have to be political. He said that, according to his party, one-odd political solution was restoration of greater autonomy to Jammu & Kashmir, as it existed till August 9th, 1953. He reiterated NC’s stated position that in case there was consensus on a better solution “acceptable to all sections of population in Jammu & Kashmir and to the country”, NC would appreciate it without hesitation.

Eight resolutions were passed in the meeting---first of its kind since Omar Abdullah was sworn in as Chief Minister and head of the ruling coalition in January last year. In its key resolution, NC demanded restoration of autonomy in his chaste form as it existed from 1947 to August 1953 and called it the most viable, practicable and imaginative solution of the Kashmir problem.

In yet another significant resolution, NC urged Omar Abdullah-led coalition government to reverse its recent decision of arresting and detaining separatist leaders and activists. It stressed on immediate release of all “political detainees”. While the meeting was underway, detained separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani was, first time since he was arrested under PSA on June 20th, shifted from his specially created jail lodgment at Cheshma Shahi to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura. He was admitted in ICCU. Informed sources revealed to Early Times that under pressure from the NC leadership, Government was asking Advocate General to pave the way of Geelani’s release by putting up minimum resistance during the hearing of his petition in the High Court.

Sources said that, on insistence of a Cabinet Minister, similar relief was likely to be extended to High Court Bar Association’s detained chief, Mian Abdul Qayoom, and many other separatist leaders. Monitoring the Centre’s reaction to this initiative, NC-led coalition government is now expected to stop detaining people under allegations of stone pelting and arson. Implementation of the resolution would lead to release of all the 300-odd people arrested, detained and being detained under PSA since last month. The resolution, nevertheless, stressed on the need to deal with the “hooligans and miscreants’ firmly but offered no elaboration.

In another resolution, NC urged its government to provide relief and compensation to all individuals and traders who had suffered losses in the wake of over month-long turbulence, curfew and shutdown. It also stressed on a visible and timebound employment package for over half-a-million unemployed youth. Speakers contended that disappointment among the mainstream cadres, who had enthusiastically participated in Assembly elections of 2008 as also in Lok Sabha elections of 2009, was a major reason behind the separatists and hooligans capturing considerable political space in Srinagar and few other towns in the Valley.

Dr Abdullah later briefed media about the decisions taken in today’s meeting. When a journalist wanted to know whether any Cabinet reshuffle was on the cards, Dr Abdullah argued that selection of Ministers was the exclusive prerogative of the Chief Minister. He suggested that there was immediately to possibility of any reshuffle in the Council of Ministers or key office bearers of his party.

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