NC will continue to fight for protection of identity and rights of J&K people: Omar

JJ CORRESPONDENT

Jammu, Dec 1: Stating that only the National Conference can ensure equitable and balanced development of all the regions and sub-regions, National Conference president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that the party will continue to fight for protection of identity and rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He expressed disappointment over the “step-motherly treatment” being meted out to regions in erstwhile Doda district by the incumbent administration.
“Systematic efforts are being made to divide the people of Doda region on the basis of region and religion,” said Omar Abdullah while addressing a public meeting in Bhaderwah town of Doda district.
He said that the infrastructure development in Bhaderwah in their tenure unnerved such forces, adding, “it is our disunity that helped these anti-J&K forces to realize their goals. What happened is before us. The state stands bifurcated, downgraded and shorn of its special constitutional status.”
Omar said credit goes to NC for bringing neglected erstwhile district on the development radar and added, “the region remained neglected and marginalized for decades altogether due to the discriminatory policies propagated by the non-NC state governments. It was only during NC led governments that this region was brought on the developmental map and a comprehensive tourism, education, health, electricity infrastructure came up. During our tenure, we had formulated a complete plan for the overall growth of this region. But the successive governments and the current central rule liquidated all the gains made by NC in its stints in power,” he said.
Omar Abdullah further said that as and when the central rules end, NC will strive for a divisional status to the entire erstwhile region and added, “the tourism potential of the beautiful valley is immense and needs to be tapped to remove unemployment among the educated and skilled youth of the region.”
“National Conference, as and when central rule ends, is committed to bring big tourism projects to the region including Gondola cable car projects,” he said.
Referring to the decisions of August 5, 2019, he said that all the projected promises have deflated and the ground situation belies the claims of the central government.
He said that the soaring unemployment rate, high inflation, and administrative inertia disprove the claims of GOI.
“Far from bringing peace and development to the region, the days and months that followed the unilateral and unconstitutional decisions of August 5, 2019 saw the return of targeted killings, return of bunkers, political instability, insecurity and escalation of violence,” Omar Abdullah said adding, “today forces are being stationed in marriage halls, forces imprint has increased on ground. Pockets, which were declared militancy free are again witnessing a rise in militancy related incidents.”
“In our time nearly 40 bunkers were removed in Srinagar. Today Srinagar presents a garrison-like look,” he said.
Reiterating his party’s stand on the restoration of constitutional rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he said, “We are fighting for exclusive rights of our youth on jobs, we are fighting for our land rights, we are struggling for restoration of democracy, we are fighting for the future of our children and the forthcoming generations. There is no question of pulling out from this struggle. Our means are peaceful, democratic, and constitutional.” UNI