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?

Kartikey Sehgal

Omar Abdullah could not become the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir through honest means. So Omar Abdullah went to the parliament and stated that he would fight for “every inch of Kashmir’s land” and “we will fight till we die.”

And Omar made the Muslims of the state feel that he is with them in fending off the ‘aggressive Hindus’.

Let us quickly relive that glorious period in Omar’s political career which redefined his status as protector of the Muslims.

It so happened that last year, some politician asked the J&K Governemnt for 39.88 hectares of land to make arrangements for pilgrims to the Amarnath cave. You see, every year we have lakhs of people going to Amarnath and praying to lord Shiva and Parvati among other Gods. The politician asked for the land so that some makeshift arrangements could be made for the pilgrims (both Hindus and Muslims).

Enter the educated and ‘suave’ Omar. Along with other politicians from other political parties, he told the people of Kashmir that valuable land was being snatched from them and made available to the Hindus. Muslims got angry and started protesting against ‘Hindu aggression’. Then some politicians told the Hindus that Muslims were hampering with the Amarnath pilgrimage. So the Hindus started protesting against Muslims.

Of course, Omar never told the people that the proposed land transfer was temporary in nature and required only till the duration of the pilgrimage. Instead, he entered the parliament and declared that he would fight for “every inch of Kashmir’s land” and “we will fight till we die.” Notice the ‘we’ in his speech. It implies ‘Muslims’. Omar told India that Muslims would fight till they died. And whom would they fight? The Hindus, of course.

[Detailed Explanation of the event]

Such a determined human being is the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Unfortunately he would also have to lead the Hindus of the state. The same Hindus he had vowed to “… fight till we die.”

The Early Omar

Till he burnt his imagination and integrity in the Amarnath land issue, Omar was considered wise and mature; a rising politician; an enigmatic youngster and etcetra. He attended the well-known Sydenham College in Mumbai. Sydenham is (was) proud of Omar. I have heard teachers and students of the college talk proudly about their former student. Never, never, never did they say that ‘Muslim Omar’ is a product of Sydenham or ‘Omar, who is a Muslim’ studied at Sydenham. And the people who told me about him were Hindus or Christians. I am sure his “we will fight till we die” must have disturbed his teachers and peers.

Omar has got elected. Not by a clear majority but still, he is looked upon as the most acceptable face in the sea of coalition politics.

His divisive politics have helped him become the chief minister of India’s probably most troubled state. He has Muslim support with him. And the Hindus may have voted for him for lack of a better candidate or because Omar’s father is still a popular political personality.

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. Vowing to kill a community that is considered very tolerant was perhaps just his plan to get ahead and later improve the political system.

Conclusion

The abysmal education level of the people from Jammu and Kashmir has also helped Omar’s ambition. People in the valley are guided by religious passions. These passions submerge the pain of living without enough food and security. Of course, religion will take a back seat when bullets pelt the brick houses and when the body is too weak to carry a blanket.

Whatever praise Omar earns from hereon would pale in face of the imagined ideal leader; an ideal Omar would never reach. It would also be in relation to the deficiencies of other politicians. Omar would be better because others would be worse. And that shall be the bane of being Omar Abdullah.

This is your work, Omar

Young children on the streets in Jammu asking the Governement to not go back in it’s decision to provide some land for Amarnath pilgrimage arrangements

Photograph: Jaipal Singh

And this too…

Women from Kashmir protesting against the Governemnt decision to temporarily provide land to the Amarnath pilgrims. They were not told by Omar and other politicians that this was a makeshift arrangement and that nobody was losing anything.

For this result

Photo Source