For J&K people Oct 31 not day of celebration: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Oct 31: National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Tuesday called October 31 as yet another dark patch in the history of J&K marking the illegal and unconstitutional infringement on the rights of its people saying the party will fight the battle for the restoration of people’s rights peacefully and legally.

According to a press release, he was addressing a one day workers’ convention at Tangdhar. Terming October 31 as the day of mourning, Omar said there is nothing to celebrate about the day. “What is there to celebrate about the day? Should we celebrate the downgrading of our state or snatching of our democratic rights? In reality, today is a day of mourning and sorrow for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, today is a black day for us. Nothing has been done except humiliating our state by bifurcating it and then downgrading it to UT,” he said.

On this occasion, party treasurer Shammi Oberoi, provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani, senior leaders Chaudhry Muhammad Ramzan, Shariefuddin Shariq, Nazir Ahmed Khan Gurezi, Mir Saifullah, Qaiser Jamshed Lone, Javed Ahmed Dar, Kafeel Ul Rahman, Zahid Mughal, Waqar Khan and party functionaries were also present.

In his address Omar said, “Until we have honour, recognition, identity and dignity, everything else is meaningless. Today, we have no honour, no recognition of our rights, nor are our interests protected. We cannot walk with our heads up. When a special session of the Parliament is called, people here get anxious thinking what the government is upto.”

On administrative disconnect with people in J&K, Omar said, “Common people are not heard in any government office, most of the officers are unable to understand our language. They do not understand our topography nor do they seem to be interested in it. At that time it was said that all our problems will be solved when we become a UT, but which problems were solved in 4 years; Which demand was granted?”

“LG claims that investment of Rs 90,000 crores has come to J&K. It should be summarised where the investments are being made, who is working on it? Here, our contracts are being given to outsiders. The sand is ours, the stones are ours, the land is ours but the outsiders are the beneficiaries,” he further added.

He said that the government is very well aware of the catastrophic drug addiction problem in J&K but someone is turning a blind eye so that this drug business goes on.

Omar said that former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had said that friends can be changed but not neighbours and “we have to develop relations with our neighbouring countries but when we talk about living in peace, we are mocked.”