An alliance with the BJP is not happening, says Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah . In an exclusive interview with The Hindu ’s Suhasini Haidar , he speaks about the controversy over Article 370 and the significance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the State. Here are the excerpts:
PM Modi is coming quite early in his tenure, just a month after being sworn in ... How significant do you think this visit will be?
Quite significant, given that it is so early in his tenure, also the fact that he is combining visits to Jammu with the Kashmir is also to be noted because in the past we have had either or visits. It is an opportunity created for him by the previous government, because both the projects he is inaugurating were actually ready for the previous government, but for reasons best known to them and in spite of our concerted efforts we couldn’t get anyone from the previous government to inaugurate these projects.
I ask because some months ago, you had openly challenged him to come to Kashmir ....
No, no ... that was because I had challenged him to come and campaign in Kashmir which obviously was not possible because the BJP does not have anything here. That was in light of the Article 370 debate, but that was then and this is now.
Mr. Modi is making only a short stopover at Srinagar to meet the troops and corps commanders. What are you expecting from that part of the visit?
I have no idea, because I am not a part of that meeting. I have no scheduled meeting with the PM during this visit. I met him in Delhi a few weeks ago and discussed issues regarding the State then.
Are you disappointed there isn’t a greater political component to his visit this time?
No, I am not, we are not on the same side politically. I have no doubt he will have political visits to the State in the run-up to the Assembly elections. This is about 2 Central projects, 1 rail, and 1 power, being dedicated to the nation, and just as well we are keeping politics out of it.
How important are the two projects for Jammu and Kashmir?
Well, they are important, but not so much to Jammu and Kashmir. The railway line will connect Katra to the rest of the country allowing pilgrims to reach the base for Mata Vaishno Devi, and Uri is one of the biggest NHPC projects, but J&K won’t get a large part of the power generated. We had appealed to the previous government for us to be able to buy the entire power generated, but the request wasn’t acceded to.
Will you push for a greater share of the power, given that your State has a massive power shortage?
We have major power deficit, we now have a joint venture with NHPC that is looking at undertaking some projects, and we want the Central government to help support us with that.
Are you worried that because of the differences between the Centre and State that Jammu and Kashmir will suffer?
I’d like to think not, I’d like to think that this government will rise above petty politics and realise that J&K is a State beset with problems, not all of its own creation. Our biggest problem is that we are at the forefront of a battle on terrorism that is not our creation. This is not Naxalism caused by inequality. This is a problem foisted on us by forces across the LoC and border. Prior to militancy my expenditure on policing was Rs. 50 crore, now my budget for policing is Rs. 2,500 cr. This is because of militancy, a burden we shouldn’t have to face on our own. We hope the government will not squeeze the State for petty politics.
From your side do you back the Modi government’s initiatives, when it comes to Pakistan, other moves?
Well, certainly we were quick to welcome the decision to invite SAARC leaders, particularly the PM of Pakistan. Also we welcome the Modi government’s decision to begin the process for the return of Kashmiri Pandits. That unfortunately had been kept in a cold storage by the previous government, and it has now been revived.
The criticism about that project from the Hurriyat is that you are bringing Pandits back to live in segregated colonies …
No, they are not colonies. This is the double speak from the separatist leadership. We are encouraging Kashmiri Pandits to return. We are saying you are welcome to consider group housing. 4-5-6 of you get together and get a plot of land. Why should we have a problem with a group housing project that blends in with the community in the place you choose to live in. I see no problem with that. The idea is not to put Pandits into ghettos. The idea is to get them to assimilate back into the community they left at one point of time.
Left or had to leave .... how confident are you of guaranteeing their security?
Well, we have been fairly successful so far with the 1,300-odd who have returned and giving them jobs. They’ve managed fairly well. We are trying to resolve their problems.
Let’s talk about the areas where you don’t agree with the government. Defence Minister Jaitley has been to Srinagar. Have you brought up your demands that AFSPA be removed from areas of J&K where the Army does not operate.
I have discussed it. I couldn’t have chaired a security review meeting with the Defence Minister and not have discussed it ... but I have received no commitment, I didn’t expect one.
The issue of Article 370 came up very early in this government with a Minister calling for a review process on 370. Did you discuss that as well?
No, because I have understood since then that the Minister was speaking out of turn, neither with the mandate of the government nor any facts. No process of consultations on 370 has started. So it was more exuberance from him, an aberration. I mean see the President’s speech to Parliament. They spoke about the neighbours, about the return of Pandits. But were silent on the Article 370 issue.
It’s in the BJP agenda, are you worried that Article 370 may be an issue up for review?
I am not worried because they cant do anything about Article 370. The have sought to mislead the country about 370. First they have mistakenly correlated the Article of the Constitution with our State subject laws, somehow giving the impression that if Article 370 goes, suddenly people of the country will be able to buy property here. Which is not true. Article 370 is about the relationship between the Centre and the State — so this emotional card that has been played in the country is wrong. Secondly, you cannot revoke Article 370 without recalling the Constituent Assembly. I don’t see how that is possible given there is only one member of that still alive. Or it means you want to reconstitute the Constitution, and reopening the whole debate over accession.
As you look ahead to elections, will you retain the Congress as electoral partner?
I think it is too early to say. There are voices in both parties that are not in favour of fighting elections. Some have been tempered by our experiences in the coalition and parliamentary elections. Some have been tempered by the recent developments of secretive meetings between the Congress leaders and the PDP leadership. None of this leaves a good taste.
In a recent interview, you described Mr. Modi’s initiatives as “positive.” If hypothetically the National Conference wins a significant number in one part of the State, and the BJP does well in the other, would you consider an alliance with the BJP?
An alliance with the BJP is not happening. We can work with them as a State government with the government at the Centre. To your question, in politics, you’re taught not to rule out anything, but I think the situation you are outlining, it would not be possible to form a government. I don’t foresee any situation where the National Conference in the State would come together with the BJP at the Centre. Our previous alliance was not with the BJP, but with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
