Omar Abdullah, who is poised to take charge of Jammu and Kashmir, stated in an interview with the BBC that hoping for the return of Article 370 from those who stripped it away is “foolish.” He emphasized, “I have always said this over the past five years. It is naive to expect that the very people who took away Article 370 will return it to us.”
He expressed confidence that, “At some point, the government in the country will change. Eventually, a new government will come, one with which we can at least engage in dialogue.”
It is important to note that Prime Minister Modi’s government abrogated Article 370 in August 2019, which had granted Kashmir a semi-autonomous status along with special privileges. Following this abrogation, all central laws of India were enforced in Kashmir without the approval of the state assembly.
Referring to the Modi government, Abdullah stated, “They will not remain in power forever. Even the BJP acknowledges that they will not be in power indefinitely. Sooner or later, they will have to face defeat.” The BJP has secured 29 seats in the Jammu region, while the National Conference and Congress hold 48 seats in the 90-member assembly. However, Abdullah clarified, “This assembly is not what we deserve; it is a temporary assembly. Through this assembly, we will reach the assembly promised to us by the Prime Minister of this country.”
Abdullah asserted that Jammu and Kashmir would regain its status as a state, stating, “We are waiting for that.” He added, “The first resolution passed in the first cabinet meeting after the formation of the government should be to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.”
The National Conference has long supported dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve the Kashmir issue. This month, a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will take place in Pakistan, which Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar will attend. However, he has made it clear that relations between Pakistan and India will not be discussed during this visit.
In response to a related question during the BBC interview, Abdullah remarked, “There will be no dialogue, but the Indian Foreign Minister is going to Pakistan. It’s a small beginning; just yesterday, he wasn’t even ready to go. It may be a small step, but it is in the right direction.”
