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.

“When India gained independence in 1947, Jammu and Kashmir stood at a historic crossroads. Ours was a Muslim-majority state, yet we did not choose Pakistan. We made a conscious decision about our future. Then came the tribal raiders. The people of Baramulla witnessed their brutality with their own eyes,” he said, asking people if their children know this history.

“Have you told them what happened in those dark days of 1947? Have you told them how innocent civilians suffered, how Christian missionaries who dedicated their lives to serving the people were mercilessly killed, and how Christian nuns were subjected to unspeakable atrocities? Have you told them about the doctor and his wife who cared for others at the missionary hospital who were killed? Have you told them how women were robbed of their earrings? Have you told them about Maqbool Sherwani, (a 19-year-old NC activist who deliberately misled the advancing tribal raiders, delaying their march towards Srinagar. For that act of bravery, he was captured, tortured, and brutally killed) His sacrifice was not in vain. Had he not laid down his life, Srinagar itself might have fallen. History owes him a debt, and future generations must never forget his sacrifice.”

Abdulllah further stated, “Our children must also be taught about the martyrs of July 13, 1931, whose struggle and sacrifice became milestones in Kashmir's political journey. The position we occupy today was not achieved easily; it was earned through countless sacrifices, immense suffering, and the resilience of our people through some of the most difficult chapters of our history”.

Criticising the decision to end the official commemoration, Abdullah said, 'This Lieutenant Governor (Manoj Sinha) cancelled the official holiday that honoured the sacrifices of those martyrs.”