Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 19: Hinting that ruling National Conference no longer stands on complete implementation of pre-1953 situation in the State, which had been a major demand of the party, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also happens to be working president of the party, has said that many institutions, which had no jurisdiction over the State prior to 1953, were beneficial for the State.
“I will be the first person to tell you that there are institutions that benefit the people of Jammu and Kashmir: the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. So why deprive the people of those institutions’’, Omar said in an interview published in today’s edition of New York Times.
Jim Yardley and Hari Kumar did the interview.
“The Supreme Court of India had no jurisdiction over Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission of India, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Indian Administrative Services, the India Police Services, none of these institutions had jurisdiction over Jammu and Kashmir before 1953.
“Now—this is our point of view—clearly a solution will lie somewhere between what we are asking for and what exists today, I will be the first persons to tell you that there are institutions that benefit the people of J&K—the CAG, the EC, the Supreme Court. So why deprive the people of these institutions’’? Omar Asked.
The National Conference had been demanding restoration of pre-1953 situation in the State as a solution to Kashmir problem.
Asserting that the Centre was interested in finding a lasting solution to Kashmir problem, the Chief Minister said: “different parties have taken different positions vis-à-vis where they see the solution to this problem lie”. He added that Pakistan was keeping the pot simmering as from time to time there were attempt to push people through. Infiltration is something we are continuing to deal with.
To a question on “who is the give and take with on Kashmir”? the Chief Minister said: “obviously between the State and the Centre”.
Referring to the killing of Panchayat members recently, Omar said there could be some vested interests also besides personal rivalry for the killings.
Asked by both the reporters whether the vested interest was political or bureaucratic, he quipped: “both”.
“Let’s understand that you have not had a functioning Panchayat system here for more than three decades. So an entire generation of political and administrative leadership has grown up without having to work with this group of elected representatives. Clearly, they would much rather not have to deal with them.
“So when you factor all that in, yes, there will be efforts made to sort of intimidate and scare and stuff like that. Now how much of that is genuine militancy and how much of it is down to a bested interest from this section of people—that remains to be seen”, Omar said.
On resignations of Panchayat members, the Chief Minister said only 52 elected representatives have actually submitted written resignations, in a formal manner, to the Block Development Officer. Everybody else has done it in a newspaper or standing up in a mosque. And let’s face it. That doesn’t count, he added.
Asked about total number of informal resignations, Omar said “900 plus”.
To another question of corruption that Panchayats had to pay bribe to BDO to get access to funds for development works, Omar said: “it’s unfortunate that this sort of corruption is built into the system. It will take a long time to weed it out. But I believe this is the model that has a maximum chance of success.
Asked whether the Congress Party was going to make it to 2014, Omar said: “I believe so. Because at this point I can only think of two political parties that would probably be interested in an early elections, the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress’’.
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