WAJAHAT SHABIR
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday took up a range of issues concerning the Union Territory, backing the continued suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling for heightened security for Kashmiri migrants facing fresh threats, and signalling that he will raise the pending business proposal with the Union Home Minister during his upcoming visit to Delhi.
Referring to the earlier attack on Badal in Amritsar, Omar said assurances had been given that special attention would be paid to his security, yet he was attacked again and this time sustained injuries requiring hospitalisation.
“What kind of Z-plus security is this?” Omar asked, stressing that such incidents should not happen in a democracy. He said anyone having a grievance against a political leader should express it through the electoral process, warning that resorting to attacks is “extremely dangerous for democracy.”
‘Our blood was sucked dry’: Omar on Indus Waters Treaty
Omar also strongly defended India’s decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty suspended, saying the rivers should first serve the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to remarks about blood being “sucked dry,” he said, “Our blood was sucked dry,” and welcomed the fact that Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had finally “come to his senses.”
“These are our rivers, and the first right over them belongs to us,” Omar said. He questioned Pakistan’s claims of being a sympathiser of Kashmiris, saying such sympathy disappears when the issue of water arises.
“Where was this sympathy when we were not genuinely allowed to use our own rivers?” he asked. Omar explained that under the Indus Waters Treaty, India retained the three eastern rivers associated with Punjab, while the three western rivers—Indus, Jhelum and Chenab—were allocated to Pakistan, subject to the treaty’s provisions.
He said Jammu and Kashmir had suffered the consequences of the arrangement for decades, arguing that restrictions prevented the region from fully utilising its water resources.
Omar cited the inability to draw drinking water from the Chenab, construct the Tulbul Navigation Project on the Jhelum for irrigation and navigation, or build major storage dams on the rivers.
“Since then until today, we have been suffering the consequences of this Indus Waters Treaty,” he said. Omar said that, therefore, whatever had been said about the treaty and its impact on India’s water resources, “the right thing has happened” and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty should continue.
Reservation proposal: ‘We did our job’
On the reservation issue, Omar said the J&K government had responded to the queries and objections raised regarding its proposed changes and had also accommodated modifications.
“I remain hopeful,” he said, adding that the government had shown complete flexibility and had even shared the revised proposal. Omar said he was scheduled to travel to Delhi in the coming days to discuss various matters with the central leadership and would raise the issue there as well.
He said the reservation issue remained pending under the business rules, despite the Cabinet having responded to the questions raised regarding the reservation policy. According to Omar, the Cabinet’s response was submitted to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in accordance with established rules.
“Has our response been sent to Delhi? Has it received approval?” Omar asked, seeking clarity on what had happened to the government’s response after it was submitted. He warned that if the delay eventually triggered an agitation in J&K, his government should not be held responsible.
“Heaven forbid an agitation-like situation starts here as well,” Omar said, adding that the government had done its job, submitted its response and justified why the proposed changes in the reservation policy were warranted. He said it was not appropriate for Cabinet decisions to be “suppressed” in this manner.
Omar warns against taking threats lightly
Omar also questioned repeated claims that militancy had been wiped out in Jammu and Kashmir, asking where fresh threats were coming from against Kashmiri Migrants if that was indeed the case. “We repeatedly keep hearing that militancy has been wiped out and nobody is left, but then where do these threats come from?” he asked.
He urged those responsible for security arrangements not to take threats lightly and recalled the period of targeted killings several years ago, particularly attacks on members of the minority community.
Omar said the situation had reached a point where several employees were preparing to leave Jammu and Kashmir and some were effectively confined to their camps. He stressed that the latest threat should similarly be taken seriously, calling for action against those behind it and complete security arrangements for those facing threats.
‘Jantar Mantar was not the end’
Asked about reports that the National Conference was planning a long march, Omar said party leaders had not shared the details of their plans with him. “They have not shared their plans with me,” he said, adding that such matters would naturally be discussed within the party before being discussed publicly.
However, Omar acknowledged that he had heard his party was planning a long march and said, “It is not a bad thing.” He said the country needed to remember that Jammu and Kashmir had been given a promise by the Prime Minister and described it as no ordinary commitment.
“There are ordinary promises, and then there are superior promises; this was a super promise,” Omar said. He said there was still no answer as to why that promise had not been fulfilled.
Referring to the National Conference’s earlier protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Omar said the protest should not be viewed as the culmination of the party’s campaign. “Jantar Mantar was not the end; it was just the beginning,” he said, adding that the party would decide what steps needed to be taken going forward.
