Under the “shuttle diplomacy”, the US embassy cable says the Congress president Debakanta Barua had a five-day “holiday” in Srinagar in mid-October following which Abdullah travelled to New Delhi for three days of talks with Barua, Indira Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders.
“We understand that when Abdullah arrived in the capital (New Delhi), he was presented a ‘package deal’ on a take-it-or-leave-it basis,” the cable says.
Another US cable, which was filed the day when Indira Gandhi announced the signing of the 1975 agreement with Abdullah in Parliament says Sheikh Abdullah “failed to achieve” most of his demands and had to “settle for assurances that India would not remove what remains of Kashmir’s special status without the state’s concurrence.”
In post militancy era, NC and New Delhi shook hands in 1996. Both were in alliance but not practically because the second generation Abdullah (Dr Farooq) won an absolute majority. It was a strategic alliance at that time. New Delhi wanted to start a “political process” in J&K and so it did not consider its share in power. Dr Farooq took the reins and he wept while taking oath. He was cheered and “encouraged” by none other than the then PM, Vishva Pratap Singh, who had travelled to Srinagar only to take part in the oath ceremony, an instance first of its kind.
In 2002, New Delhi changed its loyalties and it gave Mufti Mohammad Syeed, its most trust worthy Kashmiri politician, a chance. But in 2008, Congress in New Delhi again switched to its old ally, though Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had more seats in its kitty than they had in 2002.
The third generation Abdullah (Omar) who is the chief minister now too is of the opinion that Congress easily switches its alliance partners. “That is the convenience they (Congress) have in J&K,” Omar said in an interview to a Delhi-based news magazine.
“This is perhaps the only state in the country where they (Congress) have a choice. It is almost as if they are perpetually the party in power and they merely have to choose who their partner will be. That’s an advantage they enjoy that others don’t have,” he said.
“After February 9 (the day Afzal Guru was hanged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail), I don’t know how the chips will fall. But who’s to say that the Congress too may be reassessing its options?” Omar said. When asked whether he saw the political dispensation in J&K vis-a-vis the coalition (NC-Congress) changing in 2014, Omar said in its last working committee meeting that NC has authorized the party president (Dr Farooq Abdullah) to take a view on this. “If it is in his assessment to fight elections in alliance with Congress, then we will have to enter into negotiations with them,” he said.
Meanwhile, according to a former minister and a senior Congress leader who does not want to be named, the All India Congress Committee leaders in Delhi realize that Kashmir-based party (NC) may not continue its alliance with Congress for long and could contest both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections on its own.
Quoting party high command leaders, he said that NC believes their association with Congress would not suit it after Afzal Guru’s execution and the Centre’s reluctance to agree to a phased revocation of AFSPA. Both the issues have deeply affected public sentiment especially in the Valley.
An NC leader told Kashmir Life that the eccentric postures of Congress prompted them to make it clear that the seat sharing agreement of 1977 over Parliament constituencies was no binding on the party and it was exploring ways and means to contest on all six seats in three regions of the state in 2014 Parliamentary Elections.
At present, NC represents three Parliament seats while Congress holds two in Jammu region. The Ladakh seat was won by Ghulam Hassan Khan, who had contested as an independent candidate in 2008.
According to sources the statement made by PCC chief Saif-ud-din Soz that Congress alone will form the government in future has unnerved the NC. “The party is fully aware of the serious inroads made in its constituencies by the Congress in Jammu and PDP in Kashmir. Directions have been passed to all NC leaders to start visiting their respective constituencies. This has been done with an aim to capture the mood of people on ground so that party could take future decisions accordingly,” they said.
