By : Sheikh Mohammad Isa
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday defended National Conference leader and chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq over his remarks about poverty in Kashmir, while saying that singing the full version of Vande Mataram at government functions had now become a statutory obligation.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah also said he hoped the festival would encourage more filmmakers to shoot in the region and create employment opportunities for local youth. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Omar Abdullah backs film shoots in Kashmir
Abdullah said the government wanted the film festival to help attract film productions to Jammu and Kashmir, which could provide a boost to both tourism and employment.
“Hopefully, films will be shot here. It will certainly give a boost to tourism, but it can also start a new process of employment here,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the government was also focusing on training local young people so they could benefit from the growth of the film industry.
“I said on the very first day that our effort is that our local boys and girls should take courses in camera work, production and other such areas, so that when films are shot here, they get an opportunity to work in them,” he said.
‘Not a single Kashmiri Pandit employee is homeless’
Asked about a protest by Kashmiri Pandit employees over accommodation, Abdullah questioned the claim that employees were being left without housing.
“Which Kashmiri Pandit is without accommodation?” he asked, asserting that “not a single one of them is homeless”.
Abdullah said accommodation provided by the government had been allotted to employees and asked officials to identify anyone who still required housing.
“If there is even one or two people who need accommodation, tell us. Everyone else has been allotted accommodation,” he said.
Abdullah defends Vande Mataram singing
The Chief Minister was also asked about the controversy surrounding the singing of the complete version of Vande Mataram at the film festival, amid objections from some Congress leaders.
Abdullah said the government was required to follow the law.
“Either they should have stopped this in Parliament. But the law has been made,” he said.
He argued that the presence of the Lieutenant Governor, governors and the Acting Chief Justice at a government function meant that the national anthem would be played, while the legal framework now also covered the national song.
“This is not just for Jammu and Kashmir; it is across the country. Wherever there are Congress governments, this will also happen at government functions,” Abdullah said.
He further warned that those refusing to follow the requirement could face legal consequences.
“So what does Congress want? That Kashmiris should be put in jail on this pretext?” he asked.
However, Abdullah stressed that the National Conference’s position on Vande Mataram as a political party had not changed.
“As a party, we have never adopted Vande Mataram and we will not adopt it in the future either. But we have to fulfil our legal and statutory obligations,” he said.
He added that if the Congress disagreed with the law, it could seek to repeal it if it returned to power at the Centre.
‘Tanvir Sadiq has said nothing wrong’
Abdullah also strongly defended Tanvir Sadiq over his remarks concerning poverty in Kashmir in the past.
Rejecting calls for an apology or clarification, the Chief Minister said Sadiq’s comments were based on historical accounts.
“What did Tanvir say that was historically incorrect? Walter Lawrence wrote about it in his book,” Abdullah said.
He said historians had documented poverty and exploitation in Kashmir under the old agrarian system.
Abdullah also recalled accounts of the extreme poverty faced by Kashmiris in the past, saying senior National Conference leaders had spoken about a period when people were so poor that they sometimes had to borrow clothes to enter the city.
“This is not Tanvir’s own thinking. It is a historical fact,” he said.
According to Abdullah, Sadiq’s intention was to highlight how Kashmir had moved away from those conditions and progressed to a stage where families could educate their children and produce doctors and engineers.
The Chief Minister accused the BJP and PDP of joining hands over the controversy.
“So the BJP and PDP are playing the same game together. They take up one common issue and run with it. They have a common agenda,” he alleged.
Abdullah said Sadiq did not need to apologise or issue any clarification.
“Tanvir does not need to apologise for this. Nor does he need to give any clarification. There is no need for anyone in my party to apologise over this. Tanvir has said nothing wrong,” he said.
Abdullah on BRICS and Cabinet meeting
On the upcoming BRICS summit in Delhi, Abdullah said he would wait to see how the meeting develops, while noting the participation of countries including Russia, China, South Africa and Brazil.
Asked about the J&K Cabinet meeting, Abdullah said the government would continue with its regular business.“We hold at least one Cabinet meeting every month. The governance agenda cannot stop,” he said.He added that there would be “nothing earth-shattering” in the meeting.
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