With Omar Abdullah reoccupying the office of chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, one of the most challenging states of the Indian Union, his father, Farooq Abdullah, chief of ruling National Conference, not only boldly announces, but also exhorts Kashmiri Pandits to return to their homes in the valley as well as in the other parts of the state.

It is estimated that about a million Hindus were made refugees in their own country during the regime of Vishwanath Pratap Singh, which was then supported by the BJP-led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani. During his tenure as the prime minister, he tried to please, if not bribe, the pro-Pakistani terrorists and perhaps, their political face, Mufti Mohammad Sareed, as his Home Minister. Earlier, Mufti had begun his political innings as a National Conference leader: later when his mentor G.M. Saeed migrated to the Congress Party, he also served as Minister for Tourism in the Rajiv Gandhi government.

Being quite an ambitious politician, he founded a family political outfit, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which is now being headed by his daughter, Mehbooba Mufti.

In a bid to find some support base, Mehaboob’a had launched her ‘healing touch’ drama with the support of the BJP Government in New Delhi. In 2016, her supporters in the ruling establishment were sidelined following the merciless killings of Hindus in the state.

During the period 2019-24, the PDP was further sidelined following the cleansing operation against the separatists in the valley. The Congress Party, which could have regained strength in the state, lost its opportunity by showing disrespect to the senior most and trusted leader from the state, Ghulam Nabi Azad.

With the final marginalization of the Congress Party, both Farooq Abdullah and his son, Omar, have emerged as the unquestioned leader of the state with secular credentials.

Warning to Pakistan

It is being stated that during his recent visit to Islamabad, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar, told both Pakistan and its close ally since 1962. China, that India is in no mood to return to the era of either to the Aman ki Asha or hope for peace, or to reenact the Hindi-Chini bhabhi slogans. Being a weather-beaten or one of the most admired , he did not state directly, but asked for implementing the SCO’s commitment to peace and prosperity by mustering strength to fight terrorism.

During the EAM’s visit to Islamabad, the Indian media was abuzz with details of India’s focus  in obtaining high-performing drones and the new generation of the missiles equipped with the state-of-the art technology in hitting the target with precision bombing in any mission.

With these communications, the Indian side has reasserted their commitment to the political elected government in Jammu and Kashmir. Any Hamas-type venture in the state might lead to a bigger flare-up than the Kargil invasion due to the illogical peace overtures of Vajpayee and his deputy Advani calling Jinnah a secular leader. Advani, perhaps, could not distinguish between being a non-conformist and a secular. The movement for making a state free from the influence of the church is called secularism. On the other hand, the meaning of the word, non-conformist is that the person does not follow the rituals or the protocol of a faith, but even not being a genuine believer, a person could be communal. Since Jinnah led the movement for Pakistan in the name of the faith could not be secular, only a confused person could anoint him as a secular leader.

With the end of the dilemma facing the Indian state, the peace has finally dawned in the valley.

Since 1980, the confusion had hit the state, it was under almost unending turmoil.

 The Revival of Confidence

With the announcement of the return of the Pandits in the valley, the BJP leadership, perhaps regained its confidence. During the past five years despite the end of the insurgency, New Delhi could not create any hope for their return causing dismay. However, the  recently held polls have not only established the secular credentials of the National Conference, it has also sealed the fate of the Congress Party. It has won only one seat in Jammu, because the predominantly Muslim constituency could not have voted for the BJP. The other seats were won with the help of the National Conference.

The BJP might not get any share in the state government, but by ushering in peace and Farooq’s request to Pandits return is expected to influence the political fortunes of the PM Narendra Modi and his Home Minister Amit Shah personally within the party as well as for the BJP to face the  forthcoming assembly polls in Maharashtra.

The recently held elections in the state might have adverse impact on the leadership of Rahul-Priyanka and also adversely impact the Congress Party’s immediate and long-term prospects. The party has bagged only six seats in the 90-member strong state assembly with only six seats. The Omar Abdullah led National Conference has emerged as the largest party with 42 seats. The BJP got 29 seats in the Jammu region.

The Tasks Ahead

Omar Abdullah will be managing the state with the tourism business reaching its pinnacle and exports all time high. The economy of Jammu and Kashmir, is much more optimistic despite the continuance of the regional imbalance, is much more robust than it ever was during the past four decades,most specifically since the 1980s . It has been contributing more than two thousand crores per year to the state’s economy from 2019. It is estimated that  in recent years the region’s gross domestic product has gone up significantly from 1.60 lakh crores in 2019 to 2.46 lakh crores in 2023. This unprecedented growth is expected to cross  in the current financial year by 9.9 per cent approximately.

Twin Challenges

For Omar as well as for his father, Farooq, governing the state has always been challenging. They could not resist the inflammable radical Sunni Islam of the Deobandi as well as Barelvi cults.

It may be recalled that during the pre-partition years the Sunnis of the Barelvi cult had supported the formation of Pakistan by joining hands with Shias, Ahmedias and the Bengali Muslims supported by the Nawab of Dacca. The Deobandis had opposed the creation of Pakistan.

 Apart from the Hindus, a large number of Muslims find it hard to seek refuge in many parts of the country. They were scared that the terrorists might not only violate their women, their young daughters were also being turned into sex slaves.

The return of the Abdullah’s to the center- stage of state politics reminds us of Omar’s grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah, who knew that the destiny of Jammu and Kashmir was safe with the new India being heralded under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. He had refused to meet the British stooge MA Jinnah to endorse the proposed Muslim homeland I e. Pakistan. Interestingly, the partition of India was supported by the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the All India Christian Association resolution of 1942. The famous plan of India’s fragmentation prepared by the then CPI General Secretary, Gangadhar Adhikari , had claimed that the fragmentation of India would be reinvigorating the Indian culture and traditions.The party had not only endorsed  the country’s partition, it also described Mohammad Ali Jinnah, a progressive leader and Muslim League, an outfit of the poor . On the other hand, Gandhi and Nehru were called bourgeois leaders and the Congress Party, an organization of the vested interests.

The Kashmiri Muslims also do not trust the Chinese. They still remember that the Chinese PM Zhou-enlai had telephoned during the China-India War  in 1962 to the army dictator, Ayub Khan to attack Jammu and Kashmir and occupy it. Fortunately, the then US President John F. Kennedy dissuaded Khan to keep off from the conflict.

The woes of the state were enhanced during the decades 1969-1979 as well as in later years, when Pakistan was liberally funded by the US and its western allies for training the Jihadists and also against the Taliban terrorists.

Meanwhile, reinvigorated with the latest weapons and funds, Pakistan introduced this low-key war against India,  more specifically the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

International Conspiracies

Omar as well as the people of the state are quite aware of the fact that the key to peace is still with Rawalpindi, the headquarters of the Pakistan army. The borders between the Pakistan occupied region of the state despite fencing could be violated.

Earlier, during the period of the much-discussed composite dialogue between India and Pakistan,  the Nawaz Sharif government in Islamabad, and later the period of the ‘aman ki asha’ or hope for the peace could not usher in between the twins, India and Pakistan. In spite of being born from the womb of the white mother i.e. the House of Commons  in 1947, they are indulging in fratricide.

The return of the democratic government in Srinagar despite its challenge has thwarted the Pakistani conspiracies at least for a while.The state government as well as the Union Government are aware of the terrorist attack of October 7 last year in Israel, and Pakistan can repeat the Hamas type mischief in the Kashmir Valley.

Gopal Misra has been associated with national and international media. His books on journalism and geo-politics have been well-appreciated. Views are personal.