Is holding of polls, or talks real test for Prime Minister Modi?

By: Mudasir Khan
Srinagar: The latest tweet by Omar Abdullah to Prime Minister Modi is amounting to blackmail by him by claiming that it would be timely elections only which will prove that Modi has passed the test of Kashmir. Recently when Prime Minister broke silence after one week of thrashing of Kashmiris, Omar Abdullah thanked the Prime Minister while as it was too little and too late.
Omar Abdullah is trying to pave way for coming to power by holding of elections as soon as possible to take control of J&K State and it seems that he is not bothered about the present prevailing situation in Valley including the growing tension between India and Pakistan.
The PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti wants that elections should be delayed for her own reasons as she feels that it will take her time to get back support in South Kashmir, by playing soft separatist for some time. Both Mehbooba and Omar Abdullah refuse to side with people of Kashmir at the hour of crisis.
Sajjad Gani Lone was right when he said that if the Central Government will fiddle with Article 370 and Article 35(A), mainstream politics would be buried in Kashmir. He has also said that the mass arrests of separatists will prove counter-productive for the Central Government.
Omar Abdullah is trying to play smart by nudging the Central Government to hold early polls as he feels like BJP that it was the right time for him to get the votes by accusing one and all of being enemies of Kashmir and National Conference as only fort to hold Kashmir identity. He has added to the challenge by telling Modi that if the polls were delayed in Kashmir, it will amount to bowing before separatists.
Both Farooq Abdullah and his son are trying to play smart either by thanking Modi for a delayed response on thrashing of Kashmiri or for dialing Rajnath Singh directly. It would be only on the call of Election Commission of India (ECI) that the polls would be announced in J&K State after the assessment of situation on ground.
Omar Abdullah and other mainstream politics of J&K State instead of looking for the opportunities to grab power should in a united voice try to defend the special position of J&K State which they tout as their achievement in the elections. They should also in one voice try to defuse the tensions and nudge Government of India to hold talks with Hurriyat and Pakistan. It should not be like Mehbooba Mufti that when she is in power even the spraying of pellets is justified and when out of power BJP is doing drama by war cry.