‘Better Indo-Pak relations key to Kashmir peace’
National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah Tuesday called for restoration of pre-1953 position of the State.
“Our struggle is for the restoration of autonomy of the state, pre-1953 position, and Article 370 in its original form as agreed in the 1952 Delhi Agreement,” he said addressing several deputations of party MLAs, MLCs and workers from Sangrama, Beerwah, Pahalgam, Hazratbal and Khanyar at Nawai Subh headquarters here.
According to the pre-1953 position of the State, Jammu Kashmir was promised to have its own flag, its own prime minister instead of a chief minister and Sadr-e-Riyasat instead of the Governor as head of State, who was to be elected by the State assembly instead of being a nominee of the President of India.
Stressing that better relations between New Delhi and Islamabad were a key to peace in Kashmir, Farooq said NC founder, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah stood for friendly relations between the two countries and believed that the way to India-Pakistan peace passed through Kashmir.
“Sheikh sahab gave the land to the tiller, provided free education, gave voting rights to people at the age of 18 when people in India could vote only after turning 21, led a resistance movement to counter which political parties and political leaders were created in every home by pumping money and hatching conspiracies against NC,” he said. “Now an MLA of a political party has the cheek to tell his workers that they had no option but to vote for him as he had provided them Rs 500 per vote.”
Urging the NC workers to make the party strong at the grassroots level, the three-time chief minister said the party leadership would remain relevant only when the party would be strong.
“We need peoples’ support and we will get their support only if we solve the problems of the people and a popular government alone can solve these problems,” he said.
Referring to the implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Kashmir, Farooq said the party’s working president and former chief minister, Omar Abdullah had already termed it as an “anti-people” act and called for providing ration to the people on the previous pattern and as per the 2011 census.
On the occasion, NC General Secretary and senior leader, Ali Muhammad Sagar informed the NC President that the party had already completed the two phases of its three-phase membership drive while the third phase was in progress.
