Now What, Omar? : The Young India

Kartikey Sehgal

I had predicted problems for Omar Abdullah in my earlier story on Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Chief Minister.
“Omar would be better because others would be worse. And that shall be the bane of being Omar Abdullah.”
[Read that story Here]

The Omar led government is now funding an organisation that aims to spread jihad; and cleanse non-Muslims from the state. Former J&K chief-minister and Omar’s grandfather Sheikh Abdullah had described the organisation as “the real source for spreading communal poison.” More on this later; let me talk about Omar first.

First things First
Omar first sought to placate the Muslims, telling them that the land to be transferred for the benefit of travellers to the Amarnath Yatra was Kashmiri land and “we will fight till we die” to ensure that the land was not given to the Hindus. In effect, he worked towards dividing the state into two parts; he implied that Kashmiri land was not a part of Jammu and Kashmir.

The people who supported him are now after his neck. They want him to be the same old Omar who had once espoused anti-India sentiments and who had successfully bartered nationality for power.
If he doesn’t listen, then they will implicate him in a sex scandal. Basically, they’ll make it tougher for him to be the boss.

Omar had threatened to resign over the scandal. His resignation was refused. He claims he is upset. Or maybe it is drama. In any case, he is not able to govern a state that requires ICU level treatment. So what’s the use, Omar?

Brace Yourself
From the article published in The Hindu.

“Back in 1945, Islamist ideologue Abul Ali Mawdudi called on his followers to “change the old tyrannical system and establish a just new order by the power of the sword.”…
Last week, the National Conference-Congress government quietly moved to help realise Mawdudi’s ugly dream. Hundreds of jobs, a Cabinet decision taken on July 14 mandates, will be handed out to schoolteachers linked to the Jammu Kashmir Jamaat-e-Islami, the party set up in Mawdudi’s name.”

At the end, the writer says,
“Chief Minister Omar Abdullah — whose secular credentials are impeccable — must act to prevent the poisoning of the State’s school education system.”

Perhaps it is right to say, “…whose secular credentials were impeccable”, secularism implying that no harm comes to any community. In addition, as the chief minister, he is responsible for the “poisoning” as the writer calls it. So he can only remove the poisoning; the task defines his role and it is not a favour.

I had also written in the earlier story that,
“Perhaps, in his private chambers, he will regret his religious tones and vow to never repeat them. Maybe he has sure ideas for economic and social prosperity of the state.”

Where? And,
Now what, Omar?

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Now What, Omar?

on August 8, 2009

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