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| Despite centre's support Omar still under watch | | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, July 13: The one-month long turmoil in the Kashmir valley has been a month of losses, tensions, deaths and uncertainty. If anything positive that has come out of it is the narrowing of the gulf between the father and the son. I mean between Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, and his father, Dr Farooq Abdullah. Even as President of the ruling National Conference Farooq Abdullah did not cut short his foreign trip for coming to the assistance of beleaguered Omar Abdullah. During the past one month not only the National Conference but a section in the Congress too missed his absence because elder Abdullah has still the potential to reduce the level of violence and anger.
National Conference sources have revealed that during the last one year the relations between Omar and Farooq have not been as warm and cordial as they used to be over a year ago. The reason, according to party sources, was habit of Dr Farooq in interfering in the day to day functioning of Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah stopped meddling in the affairs of the Chief Minister when he found that his suggestions were being ignored by Omar Abdullah.
Party sources said that when Dr Farooq visualised bigger trouble for the National Conference led Government he returned to Delhi and after a brief meeting with the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and the Union Home Minister, P.C. Chidambaram, he airdashed to Srinagar to take control of the party affairs. And Omar Abdullah welcomed the return of his father to Srinagar.
During the last three days one finds Farooq in full command. And if not anything else Farooq Abdullah has succeeded in warding off an immediate threat to the Government headed by his son. It was Farooq who secured full assurance from the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister that the NC-Congress Government will be allowed to continue its term. And Omar is not the man who does not accept the contribution his father made in securing his Chief Ministerial post and this is evident from the reports suggesting that Omar Abdullah has started accepting and seeking suggestions and advice from his father.
If the distance between Farooq and Omar has been shortened it has been widened between the Congress led UPA Government and the PDP leadership. Till Saturday the centre had not closed the option of either placing the state under the Governor's rule, as was being demanded by the PDP, or for forging an alliance with the PDP for formation of the Government in Jammu and Kashmir. But both these options seem to have been dropped after the PDP Chief, Mehbooba Mufti, rejected Prime Minister's suggestion that she should attend the All Party meeting, convened by the Chief Minister, in Srinagar on Monday.
Well in politics there is nothing like permanent foes and friends. Equations keep on changing. And one may not feel surprised if the Congress high command opts for another political arrangement if the Omar led Government failed to carry out people-oriented welfare and development programmes. Even if the Congress high command has reiterated its support to Omar Abdullah it does not mean that it has stopped keeping Omar Abdullah's performance under watch. As of now Omar cannot afford to act as a monarch. He has to take his party leaders, those belonging to the Congress, his ministerial colleagues and legislators into confidence while framing some important policies.
Tackling the problem of unemployment and the issue pertaining to the release of pay arrears to the employees need to be tackled on a war footing. There are other problems too but if the state Government is able to ensure optimum utilisation of funds in the central and state sector schemes Omar can improve his performance image.
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