Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Sep 20: National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah raising the issue of restoration of 4G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir in the Parliament and speaking about other issues surprised many people in the Valley.
A Kashmir watcher while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “It’s strange that Dr Farooq Abdullah has spoken on every issue in the Parliament except change in J&K’s status-quo.”
He said, “There is no harm in raising the issues which touch the skin of a common man, like oxygen shortage in Jammu hospitals and suspension of high speed internet services in J&K, but it seems NC leaders are indecisive about whether to speak about Centre’s August 5, 2019 decision in the Parliament or not.”
It’s in place to mention here that soon after the Monsoon session of the Parliament commenced the NC parliamentarians had requested the Lok Sabha Speaker, to allow them to talk about revocation of J&K’s special status. “Since then NC leaders, especially Dr Farooq Abdullah, has got many chances to speak in the Lok Sabha but he has maintained silence over this issue,” the analyst added.
He said that last month when the leaders of regional parties met at Dr Farooq Abdullah’s Gupkar residence in Srinagar they had reiterated that they stand by the “Gupkar Declaration” which they had issued just one day before J&K’s special status was abrogated last year.
An analyst said, “From J&K’s special status, the National Conference has moved on to the restoration of 4G internet services in the newly carved out Union Territory. It’s a significant shift in party’s stand.”
Referring to the Oped which National Conference vice-president and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah had written in a national daily that he won’t contest the assembly elections till J&K’s statehood is restored, the analyst said, “Omar breaking his silence had stirred the Hornet’s Nest as many people had interpreted it as shift in NC’s stand. Following Omar’s Oped, party’s chief spokesman Aga Ruhullah had raised the banner of revolt and had tendered his resignation.”
He said that after Ruhullah’s resignation Omar had gone into damage control mode and had claimed that his Oped has been misinterpreted. “If NC leaders don’t talk about the abrogation of Article 370 during the ongoing Parliament session it will be proven beyond doubt that the party is in no mood to take cudgels with the Centre and wants things to move on.”
An observer said, “If the Centre restores 4G services after Dr Farooq Abdullah raking up the issue in Parliament, the NC can project it as party’s victory and tell the people that New Delhi still takes NC seriously. It appears that NC has felt the pulse of people and has realized that people are desperately waiting for 4G to return.”
It may be recalled that 4G internet services were snapped in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate J&K’s special status and divided it into two union territories. The 2G services were restored after 6 months in J&K, while 4G returned to Ganderbal district in Kashmir and Udhampur district in Jammu last month on trial basis after Supreme Court’s intervention.
