Farooq Abdullah Questions Delhi’s Intentions, Says Kashmir Issue Kept Alive by Pakistan

Abdullah, however, also said, “We joined Gandhi’s India, and never questioned our place in the Nation”.

Addressing a workers’ convention in Baramulla, 56-km northwest of capital Srinagar, Abdullah delivered a combative message to party workers and the people of J&K, urging them to show courage, remain united, and steadfastly defend their political and constitutional rights. He warned that silence and passivity in the face of challenges could prove detrimental to J&K’s identity and future.

Abdullah suggested that the people of J&K could not afford complacency when dealing with the Centre. “What can you expect from Delhi? If you do not have the courage to stand up for your rights, you will be pushed to the margins.

Your identity, your voice, and even your place in history could disappear. Our neighbour continues to raise the Kashmir issue across the world and, in a way, that keeps the spotlight on us. Otherwise, I fear the intentions towards Jammu and Kashmir are not what they should be.

They say one thing and do another. The truth is never easy to speak, but unless we have the courage to stand by it, our future will remain uncertain,” Abdullah said.

However, while reiterating the NC’s long-held position on the accession to India, Abdullah said the party had never questioned J&K’s place within the country.

“We have never said that we are not Indians. We have always maintained that we joined Gandhi’s India and Nehru’s India, an India founded on democracy, pluralism and justice,” he said.

The NC chief said J&K was passing through a difficult and defining phase that required collective resolve rather than despair. Calling for unity and determination, he said people must stand together if they wished to safeguard their rights and shape their future.

“If you have courage, we will fight and overcome these challenges; if you do not, you will perish,” Abdullah said, adding that resilience and resistance had enabled the people of J&K to survive numerous political upheavals over the decades. “We have endured because we did not surrender. It is courage and persistence that have kept us standing,” he added.

Abdullah also expressed disappointment over what he described as the Centre’s failure to honour its commitment to restore statehood to J&K. Recalling assurances given after the delimitation exercise and Assembly elections, he said the promise remained unfulfilled.

“We were told that statehood would be restored after delimitation and elections. Those assurances were given in Delhi, but where is that promise today?” he asked. “The people are still waiting,” he added.

Emphasising the need for social cohesion, Abdullah appealed to people to rise above religious, regional and sectarian divisions. He said unity was the greatest strength available to the people of J&K in confronting political and economic challenges.

“Governments and rulers are temporary. They come and go. Oppression never lasts forever. What endures is the will of the people when they stand together,” he asserted.

Abdullah, a three-time chief minister, also voiced concern over what he described as a growing disconnect between younger generations and J&K’s political history. He urged the youth to study the erstwhile state’s past and understand the circumstances that shaped its present political realities.

Turning his attention to political rivals, Abdullah criticised the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), alleging that its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (PDP) contributed to the developments that culminated in the abrogation of J&K’s special status in August 2019.