Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in his Independence Day speech, reportedly threatened to launch a “signature campaign” — a theatrical flourish aimed at linking the recent Pahalgam terror incident with the question of statehood. He avoided naming the Supreme Court, but the subtext was clear, given that Chief Justice Gavai is overseeing petitions related to J&K’s constitutional status.
Mr. Abdullah, spare us the suspense. The rest of India hasn’t forgotten your family’s track record. Under whose watch did the Kashmiri Pandit exodus and targeted killings happen? What did your government do — beyond issuing statements? Pakistan’s “thousand cuts” doctrine isn’t a conspiracy theory; it’s a declared policy ever since it lost the first war over Jammu and Kashmir in 1947–48.
And yet, decade after decade, you and your father, Farooq Abdullah, have played the same tired record: “Talks with Pakistan will solve everything.” It’s almost touching, this faith in a neighbour that has rewarded India’s goodwill with Kargil, Parliament attacks, Mumbai 26/11, and countless ambushes in the Valley. Naïve? Or deliberate? You can decide which label fits.
Let’s also not forget how your political circle — joined at the hip with the Muftis — opposed the abrogation of Article 370. You knew it was a “temporary” provision from day one, inserted by your political idol Jawaharlal Nehru, who wrapped it in lofty rhetoric while leaving the door open for separatism to fester. And while you served as a minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Cabinet, you were happy to pose as a nationalist voice. Back then, you threatened Pakistan in speeches — but everyone knew they were more Bollywood than battlefield.
Now, a reality check: Kashmir is a Muslim-majority. Will you, with the same moral fervour you reserve for “minority rights,” recognise Kashmiri Hindus as a displaced minority? Will you rehabilitate those Pandits who were chased out of their homes during the genocide? Or will you continue treating them as inconvenient statistics? Today, Jammu and Kashmir is relatively secure, not because of your “political wisdom” but because the Indian armed forces have maintained relentless pressure on the terror networks that were nurtured under earlier dispensations.
Against this backdrop, your demands for immediate statehood ring hollow. The days when the Centre could be guilt-tripped or manipulated into concessions are over. This is not a Congress-led government eager to appease local satraps; this is a government with a clear national security doctrine — one that has restored J&K to a path of stability and economic recovery. The focus is on industrial investment, job creation, and infrastructure, not on pampering separatist sympathies.
Your latest outburst, Mr. Abdullah, sounds eerily like the bluster from across the border — threats without substance. Pakistan, even after being battered in the recent four-day conflict, still talks of “teaching India a lesson.” The Prime Minister has already made it clear: Operation Sindoor is ongoing, and any fresh misadventure will not end well for Islamabad — or, indeed, for its map.
Even the judiciary isn’t blind to the realities on the ground. The Chief Justice’s remarks reflected the obvious: incidents like Pahalgam, occurring so soon after leadership changes, raise questions. The Valley is still not free from Pakistan-funded terror elements, and the armed forces are in the middle of a systematic clean-up — a process that could take another six months.
You were elected to govern, Mr. Abdullah, not to issue ultimatums to the nation. Your mandate comes with responsibility — to work with the Centre, to root out terror, and to rebuild trust. That means no more romanticising “talks” with a rogue state that specialises in deceit.
Statehood is not an entitlement; it’s an earned trust. And right now, you haven’t earned it. Perhaps in six months — by which time Pakistan might have broken into two or three pieces under its weight — you can try again. Until then, less grandstanding, more governance. That’s the only “signature campaign” the people of India will sign up for.
