NC mulling ‘future course’ after all-party meet

Options of Omar’s resignation, parting with UPA ruled out in Core Group

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Sep 14: Hours after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reacted to media speculations and made it clear that he was not going to resign, National Conference’s Core Group---highest policy making panel--- today observed that the party should devise its “future course of action” over its demand of withdrawal of AFSPA only after watching outcome of tomorrow’s all-party meeting followed by a possible meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (SSC).

The much awaited Core Group meeting was delayed by over seven hours due to the NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah’s late arrival from Africa. It finally began at Dr Abdullah’s residence at 1900 hours this evening and concluded at 2045 hours. Ferried specially in the state helicopters and an aircraft, all the members, with the single exception of Khalid Najeeb Suharwardi, participated in the meeting. Sources present in the closed-door meeting told Early Times that Dr Abdullah presided over the sitting and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah heard all the members with rapt attention.

Abdul Rahim Rather, Mohammad Shafi Uri, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Mian Altaf Ahmed, Ajay Sadhotra and Sheikh Ghulam Rasool made their respective points without any palpable conflict.

With a review of the latest developing political scenario, coupled with the violence of last three months, participants deliberated on the Centre’s treatment to the NC’s demand of withdrawal of AFSPA from some districts in Kashmir and Jammu provinces. Appreciating Omar Abdullah’s decision of not stepping down under any constraint, most of the participants opined that the party should assert in the best possible manner to pursue its demand but should not seek martyrdom over an issue that was “central to everything” but identified more with Mufti Sayeed’s PDP and the separatist Hurriyat Conference.

According to sources, participants held NC’s demand of ‘greater autonomy’ more important than withdrawal of AFSPA and believed that there would be no room for regular army presence if the demand was conceded by the UPA government. There was unanimity over the suggestion that the party should not rush to any impulsive decision and should, instead, wait for the outcome of tomorrow’s all-party meeting with Prime Minister in New Delhi, followed by a possible meeting by CCS. “We would devise our future course of action thereafter”, said a participant. He indicated that there was no compelling option of breaking away from the Congress-led UPA.

Members pointed out that the conditions needed for invocation of AFSPA in 1990 were no longer existing and removal of bunkers and “dominating military presence” from certain areas would lead to a psychological relief and automatically improvement of situation in both Kashmir and Jammu. They, at the same time, agreed that the demand could not be pressed beyond a reasonable point in absence of necessary capacity building and restoration of morale and dignity to J&K Police. Significantly, all the participants appreciated the role of the state Police in tacking the situation in the last many months and asserted that it needed to provide more support while being made accountable.

It was finally decided that a 5-member delegation, comprising Dr Abdullah, Mohammad Shafi, Abdul Rahim Rather, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan and Ajay Sadhotra, would leave for New Delhi in a state aircraft tomorrow to participate in PM’s all-party meeting on J&K.

Later tonight, Early Times learned that a 4-member PDP delegation, comprising Mehbooba Mufti, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari and the party General Secretary from Jammu, Trilok Singh Bajwa, would also participate in PM’s all-party meeting in New Delhi tomorrow. Mehbooba, Baig and Ansari would be flown in by a specially arranged aircraft of the Union Home Ministry. CPI (M) would be represented by its national secretary Prakash Karat and CPI by its country chief A B Bardan. BJP is among a number of opposition parties participating in the meeting with its stated position of opposing the withdrawal of AFSPA in J&K.

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