Omar Abdullah: The Return of the Native

ON OCTOBER 17, Omar Abdullah began his second innings as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), 16 years after he was sworn-in for the first time. His second term is certain to be vastly different from his first one. For one, J&K is now a fully integrated part of India; the paraphernalia of the erstwhile state—a separate flag and a separate Constitution—are all gone. For another, J&K is no longer a state but a Union territory, much like Puducherry, where the Lieutenant Governor (LG) is not a mere figurehead but has real powers. In the case of J&K, the LG is the final authority on matters pertaining to the security apparatus in the Union territory (UT).

In many ways, Abdullah Jr has been given a clean state by the Centre. The level of insurgent violence in the Kashmir Valley is low to the point of being non-existent. What insurgency exists is in the thick forests of the Jammu Division, manned and controlled by Pakistan and the terrorists it dispatches. The recruitment of youth from the Valley into the insurgent meat-grinder is at its lowest in the longest time. It is for Abdullah Jr to use this opportunity and take J&K to its rightful place among Indian states.

There is plenty for him to do. For starters, there is acute unemployment in J&K. With an elected chief minister and an improving security situation, the possibilities for economic progress are immense. How about wooing the private sector to the state and setting up industries and services in J&K? One can be sure that the Centre will give the UT government all the support it wants in this respect.

Then there is the task of giving a respite to the people of J&K who have not seen peace in a long while. Once normalcy kicks in, all that people want is to be left alone to do their work and business. It is incumbent on Abdullah Jr that he aids this process of normalisation. There are early signs that the new chief minister has taken the right first steps. The UT has seen a voting pattern where Kashmir Valley has voted overwhelmingly for the National Conference while Jammu has placed its faith in BJP, the party with the maximum vote share in the UT. While taking his oath of office, the chief minister also inducted Surinder Kumar Choudhary as deputy chief minister. This, Abdullah Jr said, was to send a signal to Jammu that it is equally a part of the government. This is a good sign and the chief minister has acted well to do so: regional divisions, the bane of the erstwhile state of J&K, badly dented governance over time. It is time to make a new start.

If there is plenty that the new chief minister should do, there is an equally large menu of what he should not do. For starters, pushing the demand for an early restoration of statehood would be a bad move. The only thing it will lead to is for the political executive to gain control of the security apparatus. In a jurisdiction that is undergoing a healing process—a process that can reverse very quickly if political tactics that were used by elected governments earlier are used again—it is important not to disturb the new equilibrium. The Centre has promised restoration of statehood, a promise that is likely to be fulfilled in the fullness of time. There are, of course, many individuals who want to get statehood back fast: their intentions are suspect. That a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to judicially obtain statehood is an indicator of what is at play.

The second, equally important, matter that the new chief minister ought to stay away from is the management of security matters, or more accurately, interfere in them. This can only lead to unhelpful situations with the LG who has been specifically empowered for that purpose by the Centre.

Hopefully, the new experiment will work well and to the advantage of the long-harried people of J&K. They deserve peace as much as other citizens of India. If development and peace are attained, Abdullah Jr will be long remembered as the leader who led J&K to a bright future.

Article 370Assembly elections 2024chief ministerJammu and KashmirLieutenant GovernorOmar Abdullah