The Hindu : National : Omar hails autonomy proposal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 26, 2004

National

National

Omar hails autonomy proposal

By Our Staff Reporter

SRINAGAR, NOV. 25 . The National Conference president, Omar Abdullah, has welcomed the idea of granting autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir and said the pre-1953 status should be the starting point for any negotiations.

Mr. Omar Abdullah's statement comes in the wake of the proposal being mooted by the Central Government that it is willing to discuss the autonomy resolution passed by the State Assembly in 2002.

Talking to The Hindu , Mr. Omar Abdullah said: "We are happy that the Central Government is coming around to our idea that granting autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir is the only solution to the problem."

Mr. Abdullah said the pre-1953 status of the State should be the starting point for negotiations on autonomy. This means the Centre's jurisdiction will be limited to defence, currency and foreign affairs.

When his attention was drawn to the point that the jurisdiction of bodies such as the Election Commission and the Supreme Court were in the interest of the State, he said, "Our demand for restoring the pre-1953 status is meant to trigger a debate in Jammu and Kashmir and outside. Let us first start discussing."

Mr. Abdullah said that ultimately it was the people of the State who had to be satisfied. "If we start looking for a national consensus on issues like autonomy, we would never reach it. Ultimately it is the people of J&K who have to be satisfied."

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