Omar's olive branch to Shopian

Two months ago Shopian was on the boil, much of the anger directed against J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. On Tuesday, Omar came here -- his first visit since the rape and murder of two women.

And the welcome he got showed Shopian might have accepted his healing touch for now.

"I promise on this land of Shopian, I will not rest till the murderers of Asiya and Nilofar are tried," Omar said during a thunderous applaud in his Shopian rally.

Omar had come prepared to deliver to the public mood.

Since the murders Shopian has virtually been a no-entry zone for the government. No minister has visited, fearing backlash from angry residents demanding justice.

After more than three months of hostility and agitation against the government over the killing and rape and of two women in Shopian, Omar, for the first time, has reached out to the people of this area and promised that he will deliver justice.

"There is no capital punishment in our state. But once we find the culprits, I will tell my colleagues to give them the most severe punishment. They should be hanged," he said.

Omar's promise seems to have taken the edge off their anger, at least somewhat.

"Whether the culprit is part of a political party or security forces, whether he is a jawan or a civilian, the CM has said he will punish the guilty," said Fayaz Ahmad, a resident of Shopian.

It was crucial for Omar to find acceptance in Shopian. Activist have thrown the case at his face, questioning the military-civilian equation in the Valley.

Separatists have turned it into an anti-India agitation. This rousing welcome, the young CM hopes, will be enough to silence his critics for a bit. But Shopian will continue to hold him to his promise.