Reaffirms J&K's 1947 choice for India, laments communal polarization for electoral gains at NC convention.
Muhammad Suhail
JAMMU, January 19 (KNS) ; Dr. Farooq Abdullah, President of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) on Monday delivered a sharp critique of Pakistan while warning against rising communal polarisation within India, cautioning that a “fire of hatred” was being stoked for electoral gain.
Addressing a party convention of JKNC block presidents, the former Chief Minister as per news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) asserted that Pakistan “will never mend its ways” and reaffirmed the region’s historic decision to accede to India during Partition.
“We chose to live with India in 1947; we never intended to go to Pakistan,” Dr. Abdullah stated. “We chose to live with Mahatma Gandhi’s Bharat, but today it has been ruined by some people.”
“For the past few years in our country, a fire of hatred has been burning,” he said. “Hindus and Muslims are being divided in order to win elections. Now tell me, what should we do? This nation belongs to everyone; our strength is unity in diversity.
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The veteran leader endorsed recent statements by music composer A.R. Rahman, reiterating that “the fire of hatred has been ignited for the past few years.”
On the observance of ‘Exodus Day’ by Kashmiri Pandits, Dr. Farooq Abdullah challenged narratives of exclusion, stating, “Who is stopping them from coming here? Nobody. Many Pandits live here. When others left, they didn’t leave.”
The two-day convention was described as an internal effort to strengthen the party’s grassroots structure. “We have organised this conference to listen to the difficulties of our block functionaries and to resolve their issues,” he said.
JKNC chief furthe rejecting Pakistan while warning against majoritarian politics — highlights ongoing political tensions in the region and positions the National Conference as a pro-India yet critical voice in national debates on secularism and unity. (KNS)