Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah’s son was unanimously elected as the President of the National Conference (NC) in
Srinagar
at a grand conference on 23 June 2002. It is essential to analyse the change of guard as it has implications for
Kashmir
politics in general and the forthcoming elections in particular.
Farooq has openly announced that Omar would be leading the National Conference in the forthcoming elections and would be its Chief Ministerial candidate. The unanimous election of Omar Abdullah clearly shows that the NC stands united, and there is no internal division in the party. It is very essential for the National Conference,
Kashmir
and
India
, for that matter, that the NC fights the forthcoming elections united. The NC is the only party that has representation in the present State Legislative Assembly from all the three major regions of the State –
Jammu
,
Kashmir
and Ladakh. In the forthcoming elections, only the NC would be in a position to win seats from the three regions. Given the attempts to mobilize society by the Hindu Right and the militants on a communal basis, it is necessary for
Jammu and Kashmir
to have a party acceptable to all three regions, or at least to have cadres at grassroots level. Other than the NC no other party can boast of this factor, which is why it is important for the NC to fight the elections united. It should be remembered that when Farooq succeeded the great Sheikh, there was a split within the NC, thanks to the Congress! And the NC split had its implications in the Abdullah family, as their opponent happened to be GM Shah, Sheik Abdullah’s son in law.
Secondly, the change in the NC leadership and the Chief Minister augurs well for both the NC and
Kashmir
politics, as Farooq Abdullah stands alienated today due to his inefficiency and bad governance. Both the Kashmiris and his party cadres have been looking for a change and the selection of Omar would win the support of the people and NC cadres who had lost faith in Farooq. Omar is considered a clean and honest politician; besides, he is young. This image would certainly be a positive factor in the forthcoming elections. Omar is also probably the only leader inside and outside the NC, who will be the most acceptable leader in all three regions of the state.
Thirdly, the election of Omar has also paved the way within the NC to project many young faces, who are the offspring of the old NC leadership. If this move materializes, there would be several young faces within the NC.
There is some criticism, however, against Omar Abdullah. Since he was brought up outside the state, he cannot speak Kashmiri. Critics argue that he will not be acceptable to the local population. Besides the language factor, he is also seen as an outsider. However, it is doubtful, if these factors would work against Omar. From the limited interactions that Omar has had with his people, it appears that he would be received well. His ascendancy has also been criticized in terms of “dynastic democracy” which would destroy the “grass-roots democracy.” What
Kashmir
needs is a fresh face that is acceptable to all the regions and it does not really matter whether he or she belongs to a dynasty. Some of the most corrupt and undemocratic leaders in
India
, have reached the top in a “democratic” way and do not belong to any dynasty; Laloo Prasad Yadav, Jayalalitha are examples but the list will extend endlessly!
When Omar was in Sanawar, he loved acting and took part in a number of plays. One hopes he fits the
Kashmir
stage.
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