PoK residents might have sought reunification with J&K if 2019 changes hadn't happened: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) might have protested to “reunite with us” if the constitutional structure of Jammu and Kashmir had not been changed in 2019.

Speaking at the 80th Independence Day celebrations in Srinagar, Omar called for the “returning of what has been snatched from us” and said the situation in the other part of Jammu and Kashmir had left people in the Union Territory “sad” and “perturbed”.

“We have a feeling that if our situation had not been changed in 2019, today the people of other Kashmir would have been protesting to get reunited with us,” he said.

Referring to protests in PoK, Omar said the decision taken by Jammu and Kashmir's leaders 80 years ago had been the right one.

“When I see the situation on the other side of the border, I feel that the decision our leaders took for us 80 years ago was the right one. The people, who raised slogans ‘Hamla awar khabardar, hum Kashmiri hain tayyar‘ (the invaders be informed that we Kashmiris are ready) were right. The people made sacrifices, those sacrifices were (for) the right (cause),” Omar said.

Omar also called democracy and federalism the two biggest strengths of India, saying federalism should be strengthened beginning with Jammu and Kashmir.

“We have to save democracy at any cost, we have to strengthen it, we have to keep it alive. It is our biggest responsibility. But together with it, we can’t step away from safeguarding and strengthening the federalism of this country,” he said. “Today, when we talk about strengthening federalism, we should start from Jammu and Kashmir. Whatever has been snatched from us should be returned so that they are no mere words”.

He said merely converting a Union Territory into a state would not amount to federalism and called for strengthening all states.

“When the central agencies begin interfering in the powers of states, federalism is undermined. When the powers of the states are eroded and hollowed out, federalism is undermined. When the central agencies are used to encroach on powers given to states, federalism is undermined. And we often see the consequences of this on the streets,” Omar said.

He also linked last month’s Gen Z protests to what he described as the Centre’s interference in state affairs.

“Just a few days ago, we saw protests by young people across the country, what we saw on the streets of Delhi, whatever happened at Jantar Mantar, it was the consequence of it. Under federal structure, education and health were responsibilities of the states but the system was changed. NEET and JEE exams were introduced and the rights of the state to decide admission to medical and engineering colleges were taken away from them”.

Omar began his speech with Iqbal’s couplet ‘saare jahan say achaa’ and questioned whether the country had been made great after 80 years of independence.

“If we are yet to make it (great), perhaps the 80th year of freedom is the right time that we think about it and do whatever is to be done,” he said.