Need for political unity in Kashmir

NEW DELHI, Sept 2: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah descended onto New Delhi’s streets , in July, with his Cabinet in tow to press for restoration of J&K’s federal guarantees �" he was denied permission to protest at the emblematic Jantar Mantar. 

The Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, and Srinagar MP Ruhullah Mehdi spearheaded separate programmes in Delhi in the following days.

If one had expected this line up of events in the capital to be a surreal moment of reclaiming Kashmir’s democratic space for dissent, one was not enthused. What was more prominently illustrated was the deep divisions within the Kashmiri leadership.

After Omar Abdullah came to power in October 2024, he prudently focused on repairing ties with New Delhi. He had hoped that a calibrated navigation would be helpful in negotiating a respectable arrangement for J&K. �"HT