Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar July 6: Former Chief Minister and Vice President of the National Conference, Omar Abdullah, today criticized the Government for its lack of clarity and transparency in defining and counting the homeless population in Jammu and Kashmir.
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Omar made these remarks during his visit to inquire about the welfare of a party’s district president in Budgam. He expressed concern about the ambiguity surrounding the Government’s approach to counting the homeless population, which has caused doubt among the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Omar emphasized the need for the Government to provide clear guidelines on how they are defining and counting the homeless population. He raised questions about whether individuals who arrived within the past week and are claiming land should be considered homeless or if there is a cutoff date. “Those who arrived after 2019 should not be included in the count, as the Government should focus on addressing homelessness among those who were already residing in the region before that time,” he said.
He pointed out the efforts made to settle many people in the area and said that granting land to individuals who have been here for only a week raises doubts in people’s hearts and minds. “The Government must provide clarity on their method of counting the homeless population before any meaningful discussion can take place. We await the proposal so that we can evaluate it,” he said.
When asked about the discussions regarding the introduction of a Uniform Civil Code in the Country, he expressed concerns about the Government’s intentions, saying that efforts were being made for a majoritarian rule. “The government needs to help the people understand that when laws of the country were formulated after independence, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had wanted to implement a Uniform Civil Code but faced opposition from the Sangh Parivar. Why was it opposed then and what is the need now?” he said.
Regarding the Supreme Court’s hearing on Article 370, Omar said it was encouraging that a bench had been formed to address the issue. He acknowledged that the resolution of the matter would take time, as the government needs to be notified before the hearings can begin. “The National Conference has petitioned on this matter, and their two parliament members, Hasnain Masoodi and Akbar Lone, are among the petitioners,” he said.
He expressed the party’s commitment to actively participating in the process and fighting vigorously for justice.
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