News Analysis India

Tag: Farooq Abdullah

  • Efforts should be made to protect linguistic diversity of Jammu and Kashmir: Farooq Abdullah

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Mother tongue is the underlying component of one’s culture and identity and every effort should be made to protect the linguistic diversity of Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said on Saturday.

    In his message on the eve of International Mother Language Day, Abdullah said the mother tongue must be the medium of instruction in schools, especially at the formative stages.

    “It lays a strong foundation for the expression of creativity and personality development. It also fosters creativity at the formative stages,” he said.

    Abdullah, the Member of Parliament from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, said as far as Kashmiri language is concerned, it is richly endowed with classical as well as folk literature watered over thousands of years by various poets, sages, rhetoricians and linguists.

    “Having a large number of speakers, Kashmiri enjoys the privilege of being one of 22 languages mentioned in the eighth schedule, yet that does not put the language out of risk of getting extinct. Therefore, the need of the hour calls for taking radical steps to protect it and propagate it.

    “Urdu, no doubt glues all the people of Jammu and Kashmir together, but languages like Kashmiri, Dogri, Pahari, Gojri, Punjabi should not be relegated to obscurity,” he said.

    Abdullah emphasised on having special grants for scholars pursuing research programmes in Kashmiri and other languages.

    “Incentivisation of publication of journals, magazines and papers in the local native languages like Kashmiri, Dogri, Gojri, Pahari, Punjabi will go a long way in protecting the linguistic heritage of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

  • Omar Abdullah claims he, his family including father Farooq put under house arrest, cops refute

    By Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah claimed he along with his father, and other family members were placed under house arrest without any order on Sunday.  Police, however, said VIP movement was restricted due to security reasons on the second anniversary of the Pulwama terror attack. An armoured vehicle was placed outside the main gate of Omar, his father Farooq and sister’s residence at Gupkar residence. Security personnel sealed the roads leading to the Gupkar residence.

    “This is the ‘naya/new J&K’ after Aug 2019. We get locked up in our homes with no explanation. It’s bad enough they’ve locked my father (a sitting MP) & me in our home, they’ve locked my sister & her kids in their home as well (sic),” Omar tweeted.

    “Chalo, your new model of democracy means that we are kept in our homes without explanation but on top of that the staff that works in the house aren’t being allowed in and then you are surprised that I’m still angry & bitter.” The police responded saying Sunday marked the second anniversary of the Pulwama attack. “There shall be NO ROP on ground. Due to adverse inputs, movement of VIPs/Protected Persons has been discouraged and all concerned were informed in advance NOT to plan a tour today.” 

  • Farm laws not religious scriptures that changes cannot be made: Farooq Abdullah

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: National Conference member Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said the new farm laws are not religious scriptures that changes cannot be made as he appealed to the Centre to hold a dialogue with the agitating farmers and come out with a solution.

    He was speaking during the discussion on Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.

    “I just want to make this request on the farmers’ issue. It is not a ‘Khudai kitaab’ (religious scripture) that we cannot make changes. But we have made law. If they (farmers) want it to be scrapped, why can’t you talk to them,” he said.

    “I would request you with folded hands that let us not stand on prestige…This is our nation. We belong to this nation and if we belong to this nation let us respect everybody in this nation,” Abdullah said, adding, “Come out with a solution.”

    He also urged the law minister to bring some law to stop such activities.

    Abdullah also asserted that Lord Ram belongs to the whole world.

    “Ram belongs to all of us. The way Muslims have held on to the Quran, the Quran is not just ours.”

    He also accused NDA MPs of questioning the stature of political visionaries such as Jawaharlal Nehru and said that he feels really bad when he see that fingers are being pointed at India’s first prime minister, Sardar Patel, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and other leaders.

    “It is not Indian parampara. Respect those who have gone,” he stressed.

    On the recently-concluded District Development Council (DDC) polls, he said, these happened peacefully but now elected members were being purchased to force the members to vote for others.

    Congratulating Indian scientists and the Serum Institute of India for developing a vaccine against coronavirus, he said that as of now very few people were being vaccinated and efforts should be made that more and more people get the jab.

    He also said that the virus has badly hit the tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir and he has no words to explain the poverty of the people in the Union territory.

  • NC to launch mass outreach campaign to galvanise party in J&K: Farooq Abdullah

    By PTI
    JAMMU: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said a mass outreach programme would be undertaken across Jammu and Kashmir to galvanise the party at the grassroots level.

    He exhorted the cadre across the union territory to remain steadfast in their resolve of serving people and strengthening bonds of inclusiveness.

    Addressing party functionaries and workers at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here, Abdullah said “All eyes are watching how National Conference has emerged as a big political force in Jammu and Kashmir in its own right.”

    He was referring to the recently held District Development Council elections, which saw the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) sweeping the polls by winning 110 seats.

    The NC is a constituent of the PAGD.

    The meeting reviewed the functioning of the party at district and block levels, especially in the wake of its performance in the recent elections, a party release said.

    Provincial President Devender Singh Rana and other senior party leaders were present on the occasion.

    Abdullah said the massive support despite numerous challenges is reflective of the deep faith of the people in the National Conference, which has met the challenges with courage and fortitude.

    “The strength of the party emanates from the people at ground zero and there is a need to channelise this support for the betterment of the people, irrespective of caste, creed, region or religion,” he said.

    “A big mass outreach would be undertaken across Jammu and Kashmir to galvanise the party at the grassroots level,” the NC chief said.

    Abdullah said the NC has all along cherished the great values of the pluralistic ethos that has actually been a binding force between the regions and religions.

    “This spirit has not only to be sustained but promoted in a big way to keep at bay the divisive forces,” he said.

    The former chief minister the people are the real fountain of power and the power is not to rule but to serve humanity.

    “This has been the core of our political philosophy,” he added.

    Abdullah complimented the people in general and the party cadre in particular for their commitment to the secular ethos and hoped that this glorious tradition will continue to inspire the generations.

    He said unity in diversity is the real strength of Jammu and Kashmir.

    “This is what has seen us overcome all the challenges.”

  • Farooq Abdullah says ‘can’t even kiss my wife’ because of pandemic, leaves audience in splits

    By PTI
    JAMMU: The audience at a book-release function here on Sunday burst into laughter when National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said he had not kissed his wife since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The octogenarian leader, who was candid and witty in his nearly-35-minute speech, said one is even afraid of a handshake or a hug in the current situation.

    “I can’t even kiss my wife. Who knows (what will happen). There is no question of a hug, though the heart wants it. I am sincere in my words,” he said, leaving the audience in splits.

    A short video clip of his remarks has gone viral on social media.

    Abdullah, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said that when his daughter sees photos of him not wearing a mask, she takes him to task on his return home.

    People today are afraid of handshakes and hugging each other as thousands are still dying on a daily basis in various parts of the world, Abdullah said.

    He said COVID-19 vaccines are now available and only time will tell about their efficacy, “but I am praying for their success so that the situation gets normal”.

    On Sunday, India had rolled out the world’s largest vaccination drive against COVID-19, which has so far infected 1,05,57,985 people in the country and killed 1,52,274 of them.

    Abdullah’s remarks that he is 25 per cent Gujjar also triggered a bout of laughter among the audience, mostly belonging to the nomadic community.

    Abdullah’s mother was from a Gujjar tribe.

    The well-attended function was organised by Gurjar Desh Charitable Trust to release the biography of its patron-in-chief Masud Ahmad Choudhary, a retired Additional Director General of Police and ex-vice chancellor of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (Rajouri).

    The book explores the life of Chaudhary, who is widely known as “Sir Syed” of Gujjar Community for his untiring efforts in areas of social and educational awakening, his contributions in the police department, in service of the Gujjar community and as an institution builder.

  • Farooq Abdullah requests PM Narendra Modi to restore 4G internet in Jammu & Kashmir

    By PTI
    JAMMU: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restore 4G mobile internet services in Jammu and Kashmir as he highlighted various problems due to lack of the facility and the harsh winter in the Union Territory.

    He prayed for the success of the COVID-19 vaccine and urged people to maintain communal harmony and brotherhood at all costs for overall prosperity and development.

    “The prime minister is saying 5G is coming in India while we are deprived of 4G (mobile internet service). May he come and live here after leaving the chair and see how we are living under 2G (service),” Abdullah, the former chief minister of the erstwhile state, said at a book release function here.

    The 4G mobile internet service was snapped across Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 following revocation of special status and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two union territories.

    While the service was restored in two districts, Udhampur in Jammu and Ganderbal in Kashmir, after over a year, it is still suspended in rest of the 18 districts.

    The well-attended function was organised by Gurjar Desh Charitable Trust to release the biography of its patron-in-chief Masud Ahmad Choudhary, a retired Additional Director General of Police and ex-vice chancellor of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (Rajouri).

    “Students are sitting in their homes and getting education through internet and the businessmen are also dependent on internet connectivity. My request to the prime minister is that if you are saying this place is on the path of development, give us 4G for the sake of god so that we too can benefit and our children move forward,” Abdullah said.

    He said attention is required to be given towards it.

    “There is a talk of Rs 28,000 crore package. First, let us know what happened to the earlier Rs 80,000 crore package and where the money had gone. See our condition and had there been no army, the Srinagar-Jammu national highway would have remained closed for one year,” the NC leader said referring to the restoration of the highway by Border Roads Organsiation (BRO), which constructed a bailey bridge near Kela Morh to restore traffic on the strategic highway after a portion of the road caved-in on January 10.

    Earlier this month, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had announced a new industrial development scheme (IDS) with a total outlay of Rs 28,400 crore to encourage new investment and to take industrial development to the block level.

    Abdullah said people in Kashmir are faced with a lot of problems amid sub-zero temperature.

    “What can I say about the problems we are facing in Kashmir where there is no electricity, petrol, diesel, kerosene oil and shortage of daily use food items. Jammu is the door to Kashmir and it is pathetic that former prime minister A B Vajpayee promised a rail link (between Kashmir and rest of the country) by 2007, which was revised to 2022 by this regime. Hope it would not extend to 2040 when I will be no more,” he said.

    Abdullah said he is advising his brother Mustafa Kamal not to travel by Jammu-Srinagar national highway in view of the lurking threat of shooting stones from the hillocks overlooking the highway from Udhampur onwards.

    “I am not doing any politics. This is the present day condition in J&K. Yesterday, I received the New Year greeting card from Delhi Chief Minister and five days back a friend’s letter from abroad dispatched in November last year. I telephoned him and requested him not to post any letter in future,” he said.

    He said the situation is no different in Jammu even as the present regime promised 24X7 electricity to consumers.

    “This is the condition of capital cities, god knows the condition of the people in village and far flung areas.”

    Referring to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the virus has brought the world to its knees and showed people power of the almighty.

    “People today are afraid of handshakes and hugging each other as thousands are still dying on a daily basis in various parts of the world. Vaccine has been found and only time will tell about its efficacy but I am praying for its success so that the situation gets normal,” he said.

    He, however, expressed surprise that some people were not adhering to the SOPs and moving around without masks, urging them not to lower their guard.

    Urging people to be courageous and never deviate from truth, Abdullah said education has the power to empower the people and make them distinguish between right and wrong.

    “Make yourself courageous which is possible when you receive education, both religious as well as worldly knowledge. Nothing will happen if you get only one of the two, innocents are being put inside jails and criminals are roaming freely. Why because we lack boldness?” he said.

    Abdullah said people must introspect and try to understand the religion that they practice.

    “No religion teaches hatred. The religion is not bad but it is the human who is bad,” he said, adding every religion teaches brotherhood and to live in harmony.

    “When we do not respect our religion, how will we respect the religion of others? He (god) is everywhere and in every shape. We are Muslims for namesake and are practically far away (from Islam). Till we become practical, we cannot change our destiny,” he said.

    Hailing the contribution of Choudhary for the upliftment of his community, he said Gujjars are still facing poverty and disease and need to be empowered economically and educationally.

    He urged the trust to translate the released Urdu biography of Choudhary into other languages, especially Hindi and said “they think Urdu is a language of Muslims but do not know this is not the Muslim’s language alone. This is one of the languages in the country.”

    “We will die but the language (Urdu) will remain. It is the identity of India,” Abdullah said.