Accession an agreement, not merger of JK with India: Omar

Srinagar: Stating that the lingering Kashmir issue required dialogue with Pakistan alongside separatists, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday underlined that accession with New Delhi was mere an agreement not merger of the Jammu and Kashmir with India.
In his 90 minute speech in State Assembly, Omar said the accession of Jammu and Kashmir has taken place with India but the State has not merged with the country.
“It cannot be placed at par with Hyderabad or Junagarh. The accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India has occurred under an agreement. We have not broken that agreement nor we have taken it back but you have gradually demolished it. We both (referring to BJP) were required to uphold and respect the agreement. Many say that much water has flown down the Jhelum since then. We also agree, but it is still a fact that Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India is under an agreement and it is not the merger. For this reason special provision has been made in the Constitution of India.”
Earlier, taking a dig on BJP’s approach towards the present situation, the Chief Minister said, “it is easy to say that Jammu and Kashmir is the integral part of India and it sounds nice to the ears but if there is no doubt in your minds and hearts on this account, why you are time and again shouting this slogan from the top your voices? Why there is any need of saying this again and again? Why same slogan is not being raised for Tamil Naidu or any other State? At one hand you are granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir on the other you voice for removing it from the constitution. You have doubt in your hearts”, he said.
He said that when National Conference talks of autonomy, it means granting it under the Indian Constitution.
“We are not braking Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of the country but demanding solution under the constitution of India. Sheikh-Indira accord, the accord between Rajiv-Farooq and the autonomy resolution passed by the State Assembly are all political discourses under the constitution to address K-issue. People say, if this is not carried forward where lies then seriousness towards this issue. This is the thinking of my party, my allies in the Government has not stamped this ideology. They have their own thinking about the issue”, he said.
Omar Abdullah said that Union Home Minister has rightly stated in the Parliament that accession to Jammu and Kashmir has been in unique circumstances and the settlement of K-issue requires unique action. He said the K-issue and the unrest in the Kashmir is not any issue of governance as being propagated and circulated by certain quarters.
“Those who think it the issue of good-governance, they are living in the work of ignorance. Had it been any such issue then entire State including Jammu, Ladakh, Kargil and rural areas of Kashmir would have been in turmoil during last three months. Don’t you listen or read the slogans of Quite Kashmir and Go India Go in the present law and order situation in the Valley. My being in the seat of Chief Minister has nothing to do with the agitation. It is regarding the political issue which is lingering on for a long time and which has been kept bleeding by the 20 years of militancy”, he said. “If the Kashmir issue is settled by my leaving the chair, I will take no time to get down from the power. I promise, I will leave even politics If the resolution lies in it”, he asserted.
Omar Abdullah warned the consequences of not addressing the political issue of the State politically and said, “Don’t blame me for future consequences on this count. He said either we have to work sincerely to stop this unrest and bloodshed once for all or we will be contributing to the unabated disturbances and killings”.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called for dialogue with Pakistan to settle the Kashmir issue while underlining that talks with separatists alone, can’t settle the problem.
“There is urgent need for internal dialogue between the Centre and the State, the dialogue with the neighbouring country on Kashmir issue,” Chief Minister told Legislative Assembly in his 90-minutes speech.
The settlement of the lingering issue, he said, was badly telling upon the peace and tranquility of the State.
“Only internal dialogue with separatists and other shades of the opinion is not sufficient unless a sustained dialogue is started with Pakistan in the connection with Kashmir,” he said, insisting that the Kashmir was not an issue of development or governance. “It is the issue between the two countries in which the people of Jammu and Kashmir are being crushed”, he said adding that this issue cannot be resolved by the development process or by providing employment to the people.
The Chief Minister said successive governments in centre have accepted that all outstanding issues including Jammu and Kashmir will be discussed. “The Agra, Lahore, Delhi and other Indo-Pak summits were steps in this direction. If anybody thinks that the issue will be settled by talking to separatists alone, he is in make belief world”, he said.
Referring to his party’s Autonomy proposal, the chief minister claimed that it (autonomy) was not only Kashmir Centric but it covers Jammu, Leh and Kargil areas equally. “We also seek regional autonomies for all these areas including upper parts of Jammu division like Poonch, Rajouri and Doda so that no body raises fingers against other areas for usurping its rights in the economic development. “We want a resolution of K-issue as would be acceptable to both the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir and also to the neighbouring country”, he said.
Calling for placing Kashmir issue on front burner, Omar said that it has been observed that when there is peace and tranquility in the State, the need for addressing political issues are placed at the back burner. “For God’s sake don’t repeat this kind of attitude at this juncture and don’t wait for deterioration of law and order situation again. Start the twin dialogue tracks and culminate these into befitting result for the larger interests of the people and the peace in the area. Keep the dialogues on till an amicable solution is worked out”.