Serious implications

Interpreted as a show of brute power and a display of institutional dominance, the detention of the senior most leader of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah under Public Safety Act (PSA) also speaks of disregard for the mainstream politicos of the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir. The two sections of the 1978 Act are public order and threat to security of the state. Its provisions warrant that any person can be detained without trial for 3 to 6 months under public order and for two years for being a threat to national security. There is also a need for the administration to constitute a committee which confirms the action under PSA. The senior leader is said to have been booked under PSA to prevent him from participating in a rally planned by opposition leaders ahead of the UNGA session next month. The former CM had last addressed the media on August 6 in dismay over the Centre’s decision to scrap the special status of J&K accorded under Article 370 which was made inoperative on August 5. 81-year-old Farooq Abdullah was thrice the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, a Union Minister, and five times Member of Parliament. At present, an MP from Srinagar, his father and National Conference founder, Sheikh Abdullah, was instrumental in integrating Kashmir with India upon Independence from the colonial rule. He led Kashmir’s Muslim population to reject the two-nation theory that led to Partition and the formation of Pakistan in 1947. The third generation of this family, Omar Abdullah is also a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and a Union Minister. The role of Sheikh Abdullah at the time of Independence and was critical in winning the confidence of the local people in the state. It was established way back then the value of local leadership and how important that is for the Indian government. The government must acknowledge that respecting the regional leadership is only of gain to them and erratic decisions will have very serious long term ramifications.