Srinagar: Former Chief Minister and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said Kashmir will continue to remain a part of India, even if this was at the cost of “him being killed”.
“We will have to fight these beasts. The formation of Pakistan here will never happen, remember it. We are a part of India and will continue to remain so. This is despite whatever happens and even if I am shot with a bullet” Abdullah said while speaking at a condolence meeting for Supinder Kaur, the slain Principal of a government school in Eidgah, who was shot dead by militants on October 7. Abdullah addressed people at the Gurdwara here and added that the “people of Kashmir have to be courageous and fight the killers together”.
Farooq expressed grief over Kaur’s killing and said the Sikh community did not leave the Kashmir valley in the 1990s when others left due to fear and appealed to them to not get scared now.
“We have to keep our morale high and be courageous,” Farooq said.
“We all have to fight them together with courage and not be afraid. You (Sikhs) were the only community which remained here when everyone left. I am proud of the fact that you did not leave from here. Killing a teacher who was teaching young students does not serve Islam. They were serving the devil,” Farooq said.
Speaking to media persons outside the Gurdwara, the NC president said: “They (militants) will never succeed and will fail in their plans. But, we all – Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians — have to stand together to fight them”. Abdullah said there is a “storm of hate” across India and communities – Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs – “are being divided”.
“This divisive politics has to be stopped, otherwise India will cease to exist. If we have to save India, then we all have to live together and only then will it move forward,” he said.
Asked about leader Devender Rana quitting the NC and joining the BJP, Abdullah said: “People come and go. It is not a big deal”.