A nationalist first

Sir, - Dr. Farooq Abdullah has proved that he is a nationalist first, and one of the few Muslim leaders to unambiguously condemn Pak-sponsored violence; he is on record to say that J&K is and will remain a part of India, that Pakistan can never annex J&K by force. Son of an illustrious father, yet a leader in his own right, with the most unenviable job as the CM of a terrorist prone State, his efforts to conduct panchayat elections, under very adverse circumstances, have drawn a good response from the people of his State! His hands must be strengthened, as he is the only democratically elected Kashmiri leader, representing not only the Muslims, but also the people of Jammu and Ladakh. Can any of the Hurriyat or the militant groups, claim to talk on behalf of the people of Jammu and Ladakh, or for that matter for the displaced ``pundits'', living as refugees in their own country?

When arm-twisted by the U.S. at the height of Kargil war, the leadership of Pakistan demonstrated beyond any doubt that the militants are fully amenable to their control, by making them withdraw immediately. It is absolutely clear that the Pakistan Chief Executive can stop these activities as they thrive on Pakistan support for their very survival; he should prove his sincerity for a lasting solution, without which ``talks'' will serve no other purpose than legitimising his regime without people's mandate!

Brig. (Retd) V.R.P. Sarathy,

Chennai

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