SRINAGAR: For decades now, the separatists in Kashmir have been observing January 5, as the ‘right of self determination day’ to commemorate the UN resolution that gives J&K a right to plebiscite.
This year, Kashmir’s two main unionist parties – the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic party, chose the same day to put forward their way-out, the autonomy and the self rule.
And they managed getting their workers out after season’s coldest night.
It was an interesting scene in Polo Grounds and Sher-e-Kashmir Park located on either side of the Residency Road. Activists of the two parties would use the same road to reach the respective venues that were barely 30 ft apart.
“It was so easy,” said a traffic police man. “Vehicles with green flags were diverted to left and those with red with showed to move towards right.” Once the vehicles left the workers at their respective venues, they shared the same parking space.
As the leaders of the two parties started communicated with the audience, it turned out a different story. NC-Congress was celebrating its four years in power. The opposition had assembled a modest gathering to re-assert that the government has failed.
Police initially felt the members of the rival parties might clash but it did not took them much time to understand the two parties have agreed for a long term coexistence. But as the PDP rallyists were going home, police did push and pull a few.
Addressing Panchs and Sarpanchs, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Saturday said his government has cleared decks for absorbing 80000 educated youth in government services.
In the next fiscal’s budget, he said, provision will be introduced for stipend and insurance cover of sarpanches and panches irrespective of getting any financial support from the central government. This would cost state government Rs 100 crore a year.
Omar told the audience that they should get ready for the next assembly elections. “Our report card is before the people and they will judge us by our performance,” Omar said.
“We are not ones who will sign their own APRs. We will ask the people to go through our performance and give their verdict in next elections in 2014.”
Criticizing the opposition PDP for energy crisis, Omar said they did nothing during their tenure to launch even a single power project worth one MW. “We have launched projects worth 1000 MW,” he said.
(Economic Times)
