STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said the time has come for the Kashmiri Pandits living in various parts of the country to return to the Valley with dignity and honour.
“I had maintained that they (Kashmiri Pandits) have to come back home. Nobody is going to call them and ask them to return … time has come when they must return home with honour and dignity and the people here are waiting for them,” Abdullah said here.
“We discussed it during my tenure as Chief Minister in 1996 and at that time, we tried every method to bring the community back,” he said.
Abdullah, meanwhile, welcomed the Centre’s move to declassify the files related to Subhas Chandra Bose. “It is a very good step. Now, the doubt, which the people have, will go away. Many fingers were raised on several leaders, who have passed away, accusing them of being responsible for his death. The files will bring forth what is right and what is wrong,” he said.
On the issue of the prolonged impasse over the government formation in the State, Abdullah said that the coalition partners PDP and BJP are the ones to take a final call on it.
“As far as the government formation is concerned, I have already made it very clear that it is for the PDP and BJP to decide. They have got the mandate from the people. I think they should soon sit down and work it out quickly so that this impasse passes away,” he said.
On his meeting with the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti yesterday in Srinagar, he said that he went to offer his condolences to the bereaved family.
“I met her. Her father was very kind to me when I came back from England after my treatment. He met me and had a wonderful time for half an hour. So, I also felt as a human being it was my duty to pay the courtesy call.
“I conveyed my condolences on behalf of my family to her and other family members”, he said. He said he did not discuss any political issue during his meeting with Mehbooba Mufti.
“I only paid condolences and had no political discussion as it was not opportune to go for condolence and discuss politics, may be some other time I will go and meet her again and discuss politics,” he said.
On the alleged country wide crackdown on the ISIS sympathisers, he said that the “danger” has always been there and steps should be taken to curb the menace.
“I think we should always be aware that the danger is always there that is why I always say that India and Pakistan must come together so that together we can fight this menace,” he said.
He said that terrorism was a global menace which has to be fought by countries jointly.
“There are so many terrorist groups and these have to be fought because what you saw in Peshawar first they attacked a school then the university (which) shows the signs of terrorism are very active,” he said.
“Let us hope that 26th January passes peacefully and the president of France, who is coming to India, has a very good visit and all the other matters are discussed,” he said.
He said that the threat from ISIS is a global one.
“It is a world menace which has to be fought together with the other global partners,” he said.
He dismissed reports that Kashmir based militant outfits have declared allegiance to ISIS.
Sings ‘Hum Honge Kamyaab Ek Din’
JAMMU: In the absence of any major headway over the issue of government formation in Jammu and Kashmir National Conference patron Dr Abdullah on Saturday triggered fresh round of speculations over his party’s role in it by cheerfully singing a patriotic number “Hum Honge Kamyaab Ek Din”.
Dr Abdullah, interestingly sang this patriotic song a day after various separatist organisations and Hurriyat groups issued a complete shut down and boycott call of State functions marking celebrations of Republic Day.
Though Dr Abdullah sang this patriotic number while attending a school function in his neighbourhood on Saturday evening and there was nothing political about it yet the timing and the hidden message conveyed many things to those who witnessed spark in the eyes of Dr Abdullah when he was repeatedly singing the punch line.’ Hum Honge Kamyaab Ek Din’.
Even the video of Dr Abdullah’s presentation went viral on the social networking sites soon after it was released by a new Delhi based News agency.
Management of New Rainbow Public High School had invited him as Chief Guest and at the end of the programme when a group presentation was there Dr Abdullah was asked to sing along and he obliged the audience and the hosts gracefully. Standing tall in the middle of the group Dr Abdullah held hands of two staff members of the school and mesmerised the audience with his performance.
