Jammu and Kashmir never merged with India, says Omar Abdullah

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said on Wednesday that his state only acceded, and never merged with India. 

He was speaking to a European Union delegation here. 

Omar Abdullah said J&K’s accession with India was on four issues only—Currency, Communication, Foreign affairs and Defence. 

“While all the states acceded to Union of India and then merged with it, J&K only acceded and did not merge. That is why we have a special status, our own constitution and the state flag." 

Omar said he was only reiterating his party National Conference's stand that the accession of J&K was not a merger with the Indian Union in 1947.

The chief minister underlined the need for a sustained dialogue with Pakistan and separatists over the Kashmir issue. 

"There are divergent views on the (Kashmir) issue. While one extremist view is for secession, the other is total merger of the state with the Union of India", he said. 

He said, the Constitution provides for a framework for dialogue with separatists. 

The Chief Minister  replied to  various questions from members of the delegation which included Ambassador of Greece, I. E. Raptakis, Ambassador of Lithuania, L. Talat-Kelpsa, Ambassador of Austria, B. Wrabetz, Ambassador of Poland, P. Klodkowski, Ambassador of Ireland, F McLaughlin and others. The delegation was led by Joao Cravinho.

Omar referred to the setting up of  various teams of Interlocutors and Track-II diplomacy to ascertain the public perception in general and the opinion of various shades of political beliefs to resolve the complex issue.

He expressed dismay that these initiatives were not taken to the logical conclusion adding that the latest interlocutors team formulated a comprehensive report after meeting some 6,000 opinion groups in all parts of the State.

“No headway in this and in other reports formulated by others including Justice Sageer Working Group on State-Centre Relations, makes the people apprehensive. 

"The people subscribe to the idea that Government of India engages people of the State when there is trouble in the State and sleeps over the situation when it is more or less conducive,” Omar said.

“The J&K government has only a limited role of a facilitator to resolve the long pending Kashmir issue. 

"My government is vehemently convincing the Government of India to be in dialogue with separatists and also engage Pakistan in an external dialogue so that the long pending political issues of J&K are settled once for all. 

"The reluctance by the separatists to get engaged in dialogue is a stumbling block in finding the roadmap to the problem,” he said.

On withdrawal of Armed forces  from the valley, Omar said the presence of Armed forces is directly related to the graph of violence.
 
“When the degree of violence and militancy reduces there should be normal reduction in the footprints of Army. However, this has not been the case here so far,” he said.

“Same is the case with revocation of AFSPA(Armed Forces Special Powers Act) from some areas in a phased manner advocated by me repeatedly. While I am confident that there is need for its partial revocation, the Army have a different view on the subject.”