PoK situation reinforces J&K’s decision to join India in 1947: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Independence Day said the condition of people living across the Line of Control (LoC) had reinforced his belief that the region’s decision to remain with India in 1947 was the right one, while reiterating his government’s commitment to seeking the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and full statehood.

Addressing an Independence Day gathering, Abdullah said that had Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional position not been altered in 2019, people in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK) might today have been protesting to reunite with the region.

“Looking at the situation in that part of Jammu and Kashmir, it is tragic and lamentable. We are concerned,” Abdullah said, adding that the people across the LoC were not strangers but part of the same community.

He asserted that the territory across the LoC continued to be regarded as part of Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to seats reserved in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly for representatives from the region, he said the vacancies were being maintained in the hope that one day the people living there would be able to occupy them.

Abdullah also paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and other leaders and residents who resisted the tribal invasion of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. Recalling the popular slogan, “Hamlawar Khabardar, Kashmiri Hai Taiyaar” (Beware, invaders; Kashmiris are ready), he said thousands of people sacrificed their lives while resisting the attackers.

The Chief Minister said Independence Day was not only a day of celebration but also an occasion to remember the sacrifices of freedom fighters and reflect on whether the country had fulfilled the vision for which they had fought.

Describing India as a diverse and vibrant “bouquet”, Abdullah said the country’s two greatest strengths were its democracy and federal structure. He called for both to be protected and strengthened, arguing that the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir should be part of a wider effort to reinforce the constitutional rights and powers of all states.

“India is a Union of States,” Abdullah said, stressing that federalism could not be strengthened merely by restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. He also opposed what he described as increasing interference by central agencies in matters falling within the states’ constitutional domain.

Referring to recent student protests over examination and admission procedures, Abdullah said national-level examinations were appropriate for national institutions, but state educational institutions should retain the authority to conduct their own examinations and admissions.

On his government’s performance, Abdullah said the administration had been working with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and remained committed to fulfilling their aspirations. He said the government’s objective was to ensure that young people, including those living in villages, could see a path towards a better future.

He also underlined the importance of three pillars of democracy—the government, the opposition and the media. According to Abdullah, the government must deliver, the opposition must hold it accountable, and the media must scrutinise both.

Concluding his address, Abdullah assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir that his government would continue to represent their interests and pursue its political commitments, including the demand for restoration of special constitutional guarantees and full statehood.