Q. What do you think of the film The Kashmir Files and its impact?
Dr. Farooq Abdullah: This is a propaganda movie. It has raked up the 1990 tragedy, a tragedy that affected every soul in the state, not only the Hindu brethren who had to leave the Valley, but also the Muslim majority. It was a sad situation that was created only because of some elements who were interested in ethnic cleansing. Of course, they needed to be exposed. But is it necessary to create such hype in the country against Muslims? Leave aside the Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir, the rest of the Muslims in India too are facing the brunt of something they had nothing to do with. This propaganda will lead to the destruction of the nation itself because it will cause hatred between 80 per cent of the population and the remaining 20 per cent.
Q. The film seems to blame you partly for not taking any action as CM and, in fact, for being lax and allowing the situation to get out of hand
I don’t think it is true. There will be people who will tell you various stories, but to know the truth, which will be very bitter, you need to have an honest, honorable retired judge or committee and form a Truth Commission. Only then will people know who is responsible. If Farooq Abdullah is responsible, he is ready to be hanged anywhere in the nation. I am ready to stand trial, but don’t blame people who are not responsible. I want the commission to honestly investigate the killings of Sikhs and Muslims too in the Valley and the rape of Kashmiri women in Kupwara. The time has come for the nation to hear the truth and live with it.
Q. So, who is to blame?
Take the Rubaiya Sayeed kidnapping (in December 1989). I was chief minister then and the Government of India was led by VP Singh with support from the BJP. They wanted to release five of the people we had caught in exchange for her release, but I refused. I told them we shouldn’t give in to terrorists who believed that if the Russians could be thrown out of Afghanistan, they could throw India out of Kashmir. I told them not to do it as it would be a terrible tragedy for the nation and we will pay a heavy price in the future. They didn’t listen, so much so that I was told I would be dismissed if I didn’t do it. I told them to give me in writing that their cabinet had asked for this, because what will happen now would be the last nail in the coffin of India and you will be responsible for it.
Q. Was that the turning point in the Valley then?
The other was the appointment of the governor (Jagmohan) soon after in January 1990. I told all the senior leaders in the central government not to send him as he had a Partition mindset and could not be the one to heal things. I also told them they were fighting a war with Pakistan with me as the barrier, but if this goes in-between, they would be fighting directly with Pakistan. I said we would overcome, but for that, we needed all their help. And that I would leave if they appointed him. When they did, I resigned and left. On the third day of governor’s rule, 30 people were killed in downtown Srinagar. Then the Pandits were driven off in buses out of the Valley (under the orders) of the governor, who told them he would use force to eliminate these people. But then they might retaliate, so it was better to leave and he would get them back once everything was alright. It is 32 years now. Are the Pandits back? Now they say that Farooq Abdullah is responsible. Where was Farooq Abdullah? It was your government in Delhi, and your governor here.
(Photos: Bandeep Singh)
Q. Why do you think Yasin Malik and Bitta Karate have not been prosecuted so far despite the JKLF’s alleged involvement in attacks against Kashmiri Pandits?
Did the National Conference release Bitta Karate or was it the Government of India? And on what basis did they release him? Then, when IC 814 was hijacked to Kandahar (in December 1999), who took Maulana Masood Azhar (chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad) and two others to secure the release of passengers? I told them that they were giving in to their game. I begged them not to do it and said it would be a great threat to our nation and a tragedy, but they didn’t listen.
Q. Many say that the election held in the Valley after the 1987 Rajiv Gandhi-Farooq Abdullah accord was rigged and resulted in many Kashmiris losing faith in the democratic process and joining militancy…
If they say we rigged the election in 1987, I ask this nation why the people who made these charges did not go to the Election Commission or even the Supreme Court to protest. Didn’t the courts throw Mrs Indira Gandhi out of power in 1975 for an election malpractice? And how did my senior minister lose the election? There may have been some malpractices—as elsewhere in India—in three or four seats, but they could have been challenged.
Q. What did your party do for the Kashmiri Pandits when it ruled from 2008 to 2014?
Thanks to Manmohan Singhji, who was the PM then, our governments were able to give Kashmiri Pandits more than 3,000 jobs that were created for them. We thought of bringing back their families to the Valley by building transit accommodations so that the process of returning could begin. The second thing we did was to increase their stipends, their rations, and make them comfortable in every way, wherever they were. Has the Modi government done any of this so far in the almost eight years they have been in power? I will be the first person to admit that we didn’t do everything. The problem is far larger than that. But we didn’t make the situation worse.
Q. The Modi government can argue that they made the Valley more secure for the Pandits to return by abrogating Article 370…
The recent killing of the chemist (Makhan Lal) Bindroo led every Hindu employee who had come to run back to Jammu overnight. Is this what the abrogation of Article 370 has achieved? Why weren’t they able to stop them from fleeing with all the force that they have here? If the situation was normal, would they have fled? And imagine, in the budget that they presented, the budget for our state, they allocated 80 per cent to security and 20 per cent to development. How much development can you expect with 20 per cent and for people who stand with the nation?
Q. What do you think has been the impact of abrogating Article 370?
They said Article 370 was behind all the tragedies and that militancy would be wiped out once it was gone. I want to ask the Government of India and the home minister, who made the announcement: Has the militancy gone? Are people not dying anymore? Are there no bombs going off anywhere? These things are still happening and the militants are coming not only from Pakistan. They are also from here, from our people. What is making them do all this? Why are they feeling alienated enough to give up their lives? The time has come when we must try and find the cause and treat it, rather than allow it to drift till it becomes so dangerous that nobody knows what the end will be.
Q. Have things changed in the Valley since the prime minister met Kashmiri leaders, including you?
I had told the prime minister frankly then that we don’t trust you and you don’t trust us, let us try and create that trust which will build the future of our nation. He promised us in his speech that he will try to eliminate this ‘dil ki doori aur delhi ki doori, But nothing has happened in that direction. It is not development, it is not whether you send us gold or silver, it is how you heal hearts; hearts cannot be healed by making roads and bridges. There is something more than that: trust. We must build trust in each other so that we can survive together, live together, progress together and be happy together rather than create animosity among people.
Q. Does this include holding assembly elections and restoring statehood?
Yes. I think this is the first example, maybe in the world, where a state that is supposed to be the crown of a country is cut into two. Not only this, look at the way the Delimitation Commission has divided our seats. They want to impose BJP rule.
Q. Are you saying the BJP wants a Hindu chief minister to rule J&K?
They can do anything, let them try this experiment too. They are pushing J&K in such hands that god help you.
Q. Would you accept a Hindu CM?
If there is honest delimitation and elections, it won’t matter to me who becomes the chief minister because the people would have chosen him. He won’t be thrust on them. Recently, a Union minister came to Kathua to inaugurate Maharaja Gulab Singh’s statue. I wanted to ask the minister where that state of Maharaja Gulab Singh is. If it doesn’t exist, then why put his statue at the entry point of this state? Please explain it to the people of this state and the rest of the country.
Q. Finally, what kind of closure do you think Kashmiri Pandits need?
The way forward is to win people’s hearts. Not a single Kashmiri Muslim will tell you that they don’t want the Hindus to come back. But will this film promote their coming back? That is my question to them.
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