Showkat Ahmad
The first week of the nine day autumn session was by all means a colourful edition of the usually insipid state assembly. With the main opposition party boycotting the whole session except the inaugural hour or so, nobody expected any surprises during the nine days. The chief minister’s assertions that he was not a puppet remote controlled from New Delhi, started eliciting public interest. The plain speak just grew interesting. By empathizing with the families of the slain, killed in police action during the last three months of widespread unrest, he tried to reach out to people he claims to represent – democratically. But his ‘emotional’ appeals or assertions that he was not remote controlled failed to cut ice among the audience it was intended at.
CM Omar Abdullah may claim that he is in charge but the Government of India’s home secretary announcing the curfews and relaxation timings, New Delhi announcing opening of Valley’s schools are well remembered by the people here. He may empathise with the victim families now but people remember how he termed the killing of Safakadal youth as “suicide”. Omar, many a times, during the current unrest, justified police actions, by default one may say, the killing of teenagers and young children. In short Omar has a deep credibility crisis among the people he sought votes from. Ironically, he never felt the need to restore that. He always, at least during the last four months, looked towards New Delhi for their support, backing and blessings. Omar’s repeated visits to New Delhi as some critics put it, was a succinct pointer of his priorities of looking towards powers in Delhi and ignoring his own people.
Now his plain speak in the assembly about state’s accession not being a merger, has raised a ruckus in the assembly. Though the BJP and the National Panthers Party legislators sat through the session without raising any objections, when Omar made his remarks over accession, the next day they came in a combative mood and resorted to high pitch sloganeering. As they continued to disrupt the assembly, the speaker asked the marshals to remove the agitated legislators from the assembly hall. Still they refused to budge and in the scuffle to remove them from the well of the house at least four legislators received injuries.
The agitating members were accusing Omar of propagating separatist agenda. The unruly legislators shouted slogans such as “Hurriyat Agenda Nahi Chalay Ga, Ugerwadi Agenda Nahi Chalay Ga.” While the members shouted and stormed into the well as Omar kept watching the scene silently. Speakers pleas for calm went unheeded in the same way as were Omar Abdullah’s pleas to his electorate.
Apart from all the drama and high wire action in the august assembly, Omar’s statements reflect a historic reality with roots on ground. However, whether Omar’s statement in the assembly was acknowledgement of those realities or just a piece of well crafted attempt at playing to the gallery can only be gauged after a few months, when things will calm down and there will not be any pressure or any immediate need to prove his credentials to the people, he owes his high office to.
