The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly resembled a microcosm of Parliament on Monday, with politicians of all persuasions championing a nationalist agenda and chief minister Omar Abdullah pledging not to use the Pahalgam tragedy to press the Centre for statehood.
Omar’s conciliatory gestures have coincided with Valley politicians climbing down from their longstanding demand for talks with Pakistan and asserting this was a time for justice and not dialogue.
Omar appeared to strike the right note with members of the country’s saffron ecosystem, who had been gunning for Kashmiris since the Pahalgam killings but lavished praise on him on Monday.
While Kashmiris have expressed grief at the killings, the mainstream Valley politicians’ stand seemed at odds with the dominant opinion on the street.
To the ordinary Kashmiri, the Centre’s abrogation of Article 370 provisions, downgrading of Jammu of Kashmir into a Union Territory and crackdown on dissent are matters too important and painful to dismiss.
The Assembly held a special session on Monday to discuss Pahalgam and passed a unanimous resolution condemning the terror strike.
Omar said it was the biggest attack on civilians in 21 years and had created a situation where one didn’t know when the next attack would come.
In an emotive address, he recalled his meeting with the families of the victims and said he had no words to apologise to them.
“Knowing (that) Jammu and Kashmir’s security is not the responsibility of an elected government, still, as chief minister of the place, as tourism minister, I had invited them to come to this place. As a host, it was my responsibility to ensure that they went back safely. I could not do that,”he said.
“One or two came to me and asked what their fault was. They said (they) had come to enjoy vacations but (had paid with) their lives for this vacation. Those who did it say they have done it for our good. But did we tell them… did it happen with our permission? None of us are with this attack.”
Omar said this was first time in 36 years that he had seen people coming out on the streets from Kathua to Kupwara to condemn such killings.
He, however, advised the authorities to tread cautiously and ensure that people were not alienated, apparently alluding to the explosions at the homes of militants’ families and the murders of the rebels’ family members since the Pahalgam massacre.
The chief minister added that he would not use this opportunity to ask for the restoration of statehood.
“With what face will I use the Pahalgam incident to tell the Centre to give me statehood? Is my politics so cheap? Do I have so little regard for the lives of the 26 men (killed)?” he said.
“We have spoken about statehood in the past and will do so in the future also. But curse be on me if I go to the Centre and tell them that 26 people have died and give it now. We will talk about it but not at this juncture.”
Omar said no other state or Parliament could understand the pain of these 26 innocent lives lost as deeply as “this House” did.
Members of the Rightwing ecosystem lapped up the speech, many of them calling it heartening and mature. Pro-BJP portal OpIndia lauded Omar for showing political maturity and for refusing to “exploit tragedy for statehood demands”.
PDP legislator Waheed Para told the House this was the first time that Kashmir and the country were mourning together.
“We are with the country, with the nation,” he said. “The objective of the attack was communal. Hindus have shown patience. Kashmiri Muslims called it aterrorist attack.”
Para, responding to a question outside the Assembly about possible talks with Pakistan, said justice for the Pahalgam victims was more important than anything else.
People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone said there used to be a social sanction for (anti-India) violence in Kashmiri society but when people came out on the streets, it was proof of the social stigmatisationof violence.
“People are (now) not willing to accept violence. This is the beginning of the end,” he said, while warning against the creation of a situation that facilitated the return of the pro-violence mindset.
Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah told reporters that he had always supported talks with Pakistan but, today, it was time to give justice tothe victims.
“Today, Bharat wants not Balakot but something that will ensure such things do not happen again,” he said. “We have regrets that our neighbour still does not understand that they havekilled humanity.”
Later, the House unanimously passed a resolution condemning the “inhuman terror attack on touristsat Pahalgam”.
The names of the 26 dead were read out and made part of the obituary reference by the Speaker. Two minutes’ silence was observed in their memory.
The resolution vowed to “resolutely defeat the nefarious designs of those who seek to disturb the communal harmony and progress of the nation and of J&K” and said it was a direct assault on the ethos of Kashmiriyat.