 "As Omar Abdullah bows out, the Twitter-friendly CM has reasons for introspection")
At a summit two years ago, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was asked: “Why is Kashmir always whining? Why doesn’t the state reach out and grab the countless opportunities it is given? Why doesn’t the leadership of the state harness India’s strength and transfer it to the Kashmiri people?”
Abdullah’s face tightened. He looked incandescent. He said, as if explaining to a backward child: “Let me explain why Kashmiri people are always whining. When you leave home and prior to that, strap on your watch, do you ever wonder what time to set your watch to? Well, the Kashmiri people had to, at one stage. Because the militants told them that if their watches were adjusted to Indian Standard Time, they would be beaten up. And when they were stopped by army checkposts and the army saw that they were wearing a watch that showed Pakistan Standard Time (there’s a difference of 30 minutes), the Army beat them up. That should tell you why Kashmiris feel there is no justice.”
The follow up question should, of course, have been: “As Chief Minister, isn’t it your job to keep both the Army and the militants in check?”But that would have been unkind. As unkind as reminding him of the discussion he had with then Home Minister P Chidambaram in 2010 about relocating security forces from some cities and towns in Kashmir, releasing some political prisoners and announcing an employment package for the militants who had served their sentence. “Sources” said these discussions would be soon announced officially. The CCS discussed it. Nothing happened.
Abdullah is bowing out, it is clear. How will history judge his chief ministership ? His most memorable tweets are the ones that have nothing to do with politics. Like the one when he ruminated on Michael Schumacher. He tweeted: "Really sad to hear about #Schumacher. Hope he makes a quick recovery. Can't believe I've been skiing off-piste all these years sans helmet. I have always shrugged off advice to get a skiing helmet, but no longer. Am going to have to arrange one PDQ (pretty damn quick)." Another one, when his flight was delayed was: "I've stuck my head out of the window and imitated a siren but none of the planes ahead of me seem to get the message." When annoyed with the fog, he said: "I even called Air Traffic Control and said "tum ko nahin maloom main kaun hoon aur kis ko janta hoon" even that didn't work :-(( #fog".
One of the youngest Chief Ministers India has had also tweeted on issues most germane to public policy. "Why is it the order of things to sit on a chair draped with a towel in Govt offices? Are the chairs not clean? Do the towels hide stains?"
Tweets, no matter how cute, and even with 500,000 followers, cannot substitute for being Chief Minister.
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In Kashmir, both the Vigilance Commission and the Information Commission were headless for years. Abdullah would always hotly deny charges of corruption against the government. But neither these two posts, nor an Accountability Commission to probe charges of extortion and excesses by the police was ever set up.
The Congress, which was part of the government has to answer as well. The government was appointing teachers in government schools. Before their names were announced, successful candidates used to get a call. The person at the other end would say, “You’ve been selected. Come to such and such place.” The demand ranged from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000. If you didn’t pay, your name could vanish from the list. It is no coincidence that Peerzada Mohammed Syed’s ancestral home in Kokernag was attacked by a mob. He was the education minister from the Congress.
Are you surprised at this result ?
(Aditi Phadnis is Political Editor at Business Standard)