Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Saturday asserted that the ensuing elections shall decide if the state of Jammu and Kashmir is able to be a part of the union with dignity.
“People of state are directly fighting BJP and theircronies here through ballot for the protection of their identity,” Farooqsaid addressing public gatherings at Babademb, Khanyar in Downtown here.
“People have to vote for preserving the country’ssecular disposition, integrity and unity. This election will decide, if we areable to live with our neighboring country in peace. The general elections arealso significant since it is a direct fight between falsehood and truth.However, no matter how much they try, falsehood is bound to perish. Presentelections will also decide if the people of the country irrespective of theircaste, creed are able to live with dignity. So it is imperative for all of usto make our choice correctly.”
Farooq said that the state is facing immense onslaught fromall sides. “Today forces as are inimical to our special status and identity arealso trying to distort our history. “The other day I visited the musicalfountain laser show organized on the waters of Dal, the first part of the showwas interesting; however the portrayal of history was erroneous and incorrect.The facts were distorted; the portrayal of the Mughal rule, the Pathan rule andthe Dogra rule was divorced from facts,” he said.
Elaborating he said “the fact remains, which is evenborne out by recorded history of ours that these three successive autocraticrulers were despotic and cruel. This is what our state is facing, it is notjust our special status, our history too is being distorted and fiddled with.Raja Lalityaditya Muktapida, and Sultan Zain Ul Abideen Budshah were the onlysons of soil who brought laurels to our land and were known for their peoplefriendly rule,” he said.
“I remember my father breaking into tears while readingKashmir history. We were treated like a chattel. Nonetheless a dying martyr,who was taking his last breath in the lap of Sher-e-Kashmir in 1931, madetestament to him that he should now carry forward the mission of freeing peopleof Kashmir from poverty, misrule, autocracy and tyranny,” he said.
“Our miseries knew no limits in the despotic rule. Ourrights were being denied to us, we were not against Maharaja, we just wanted tohave a say in government formation, a choice to be the master of our destinythrough universal adult franchise but the same were denied to us,” he said.
Dr Farooq while flaying what he termed as “glove-puppetregimes of Bakshi, Sadiq in destroying the special position” of the statesaid, “from time to time we have seen how some people within us sold theirconscience in leau of power and chair. The situation is no different today,today we see people coming forth in different hues, holding apples, ink potsand lotuses in their hands. I caution you against them. They are the modern dayBakshi’s and Sadiq’s.”
“These people can go to any extent to grind their ownaxe. However, whosoever has ditched the people of Kashmir have met with adisastrous consequence, all these cronies and henchmen will eventually fade ontheir own into oblivion.”
He further said that once in power, the new government underthe vanguard of Omar Abdullah will ensure that the problems faced by ourartisan community living in Srinagar and else are solved. “I too will leave nostone unturned to raise the woes of artisan community in the parliament. Ourparty has the road map for the economic emancipation of artisan community ofSrinagar. We will chalk out both long term and shot term strategies to lessenthe problems of artisans. We will ensure that the golden hands of our artisansare not in pain. We will undo the wrongs committed by previous government,” hesaid.