"Delhi Never Trusted Kashmir": Farooq Abdullah To NDTV Ahead Of J&K Polls

Jammu and Kashmir suffered because Delhi never trusted the people of Kashmir, former Chief Minister and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah told NDTV in an exclusive interview days ahead of the key polls in the Union Territory.

This would be the first election in Jammu and Kashmir after the Centre revoked its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories.

Mr Abdullah has watched the political developments in Kashmir for over seven decades now. His father Sheikh Abdullah was Jammu and Kashmir's first Prime Minister before he was arrested in August 1953. Over the years, Farooq Abdullah handled the job before his son Omar Abdullah took over. Asked how he sums up all he has watched over the years, the 87-year-old veteran replied, "Delhi has never trusted whoever is in power here, they have always tried to dominate, not thinking of the aspirations of the people, but aspirations of the leaders in Delhi. That's what the state has suffered.

Mr Abdullah blamed people who "spread misunderstandings for their good" for this trust deficit. Recalling what his father told him when he was elected an MP In 1980, he said, "When I went to Parliament in 80', my father said, 'Don't join politics'. I said, 'I need to go to Delhi because everything is done in Delhi, all conspiracies are manufactured in Delhi and there should be somebody who can tell you what is coming around'."

Mr Abdullah was 10 when Pakistani tribals raided Kashmir in October 1947. As Maharaja Hari Singh's forces collapsed, he fled from the Valley. It was the time when Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah rose to the occasion and called for a fight to defend against Pakistani raiders. Hundreds of Razakaras or volunteers of Sheikh Abdullah stood against Pakistani till the time Indian Army arrived in Kashmir on October 27, 1947. Several National Conference workers like Maqbool Sherwani were killed by the Pakistani raiders for helping the Army.

"When the Indian Army arrived, Pakistani raiders were surrounding Srinagar and would have taken over Srinagar. It was the 1st Sikh regiment, I hid behind my father and asked who they were. He said it was the Indian Army. And who guided them, the people did." Mr Abdullah regretted that "despite these sacrifices by the people of Kashmir, Delhi never trusted them".

On handing over the baton to his son Omar Abdullah, who became Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Minister in 2009, the senior Abdullah said, "The time had come when we had to have younger people. This state needs a younger man, it is mountainous, so difficult to get to some places, that was a good change I made." He also recalled a conversation with Akali Dal leader, late Parkash Singh Badal, in this connection. "I remember Badal saab's son was made Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, and a huge gathering was held in Amritsar. Badal Saab told me, 'You gave everything to Omar, what will u do.' I said, if he makes a mistake now, I am alive. I can correct him, it was not my luck, but If my father had lived longer, under his guidance I would have probably not made some mistakes that I have made."

To a question on the Gupkar alliance formed in the aftermath of the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, Mr Abdullah said the bloc was formed to fight forces of division. "Gradually people dropped out, old differences did not die," he said, describing the falling apart of the alliance as "unfortunate".

The seasoned politician accused the BJP of dividing the country. "Hindu-Muslim divide, Sikh divide, Christian divide, that is what hurts me, This is not the India I knew," he said.

Referring to the tie-up between the PDP and the BJP after the 2014 state polls, he said the National Conference begged the late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed -- PDP leader and father of Mehbooba Mufti -- to not join hands with the BJP.

"Omar went, Congress went, told him (Sayeed) that we would give total support, but don't join hands with BJP," he said. Mr Abdullah said the National Conference also extended support to Mehbooba Mufti when the BJP ended the alliance, "but time was lost".

On the subject of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits during the 90s, Mr Abdullah blamed then Governor, late Jagmohan. "I had told Prime Minister VP Singh to send any governor but not him," he said.

Asked if he still expects Jammu and Kashmir to get its statehood back, Mr Abdullah said, " There is hope that statehood will return, UT (status) will go, if not, the state will remain in turmoil, they will never win the hearts of people."