Farooq for ‘give-and-take’ diplomacy

Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 19

Kashmir’s senior-most leader Farooq Abdullah today counselled India to engage with China diplomatically in a “give-and-take” spirit, for the confrontation would spell disaster in the region already convulsing under the impact of the Covid pandemic and tottering economy.

‘Avoid confrontation with China’

If we show fists to them, they will double their fists and the result would be confrontation and conflagration that a nation reeling under the pandemic and severely crippled economy cannot afford. — Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister

Ladakh, where the current crisis is playing out, was part of J&K, where Farooq Abdullah as Chief Minister ruled for a majority of years from 1982 to 2002.

In his first-ever interview after his release from his seven-month PSA detention, Farooq told The Tribune that Kashmir leadership could have played a role at this juncture , but asked sarcastically “Where is the leadership?” Under house arrest, he answered, adding that the leadership had been crippled politically.

“There is no leadership, there is only Lt-Governor and his advisers who know nothing about J&K.”

He recalled the role that he, as Chief Minister, “had played during the Kargil war of 1999”, becoming a bridge between people and the Centre, Armyand people.”

“Diplomacy of give-and-take is a necessity in the current situation. If we show fists to them, they will double their fists and the result would be confrontation and conflagration that a nation reeling under the pandemic and severely crippled economy cannot afford..”

Farooq, who heads premier political party of Kashmir, National Conference, was critical of the “boycott China callers”. “Do they know that our exports to China are only 3 per cent”, and mocked at those who asked for “boycotting Chinese food. “This is our food, not Chinese.”

He said the best course would be to resolve the issue of the disputed areas through talks.

The NC leader said Delhi should look at the situation in the country realistically and noted that people are dying, jobless, starving, and we are talking of war, which we can ill-afford.

On the restoration of the special status to J&K, Farooq said: “Our stand is clear: We are Indians but our relationship with the country is defined by some of the constitutional provisions. The August 5 decision of scrapping Article 370 was “unconstitutional and illegal, and it should be reversed forthwith”.

He was confident that the nation would come out of all these crises.