— Photo: Nissar Ahmad

DOUBLE ATTACK: NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah at a rally in Srinagar on Saturday.

SRINAGAR: Virtually kicking off the election campaign by putting up a major show of strength here, the Opposition National Conference (NC) patron, Farooq Abdullah, asked separatists to get united and join the electoral process. His son and NC president, Omar Abdullah, however, lashed out at hard-line leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and held him responsible for unending bloodshed in Kashmir.

As thousands of people assembled at the Sher-e-Kashmir Park to attend the public rally, the demand for restoration of greater autonomy, considered the party's political doctrine, was missing in the speeches made by the leadership.

Dr. Farooq Abdullah announced that with this meeting the campaign for the Assembly elections (due next year) had begun. "Be ready for a big tempest," he told the cheering crowd. He said that Kashmir issue was not too easy to be resolved soon. "It is a complex problem." Calling for opening all routes between the two parts of Kashmir, the former Chief Minister said, "it should be like Europe." Asking separatists, particularly Mr. Geelani, to join electoral politics, he said, "He is ailing. I wish him recovery but he should make efforts to get all the separatists united and they should fight the elections, which is only democratic way to agitate. If we win the people's support we can dictate to Delhi and Islamabad." He ruled out supporting Pakistan. "I can never be a Pakistani but friendship between India and Pakistan is important for us." Kashmir, he said was key to peace in the region. "Kashmir on both sides is crown of India and Pakistan." Dr. Abdullah asserted that people were the power and not Mr. Geelani or Dr. Farooq.

He later told reporters that it was difficult to withdraw troops but "they should move out of orchards, land and schools." He said it remained to be seen when the recommendations of working groups were implemented.

Omar's charge

In contrast, Mr. Omar Abdullah accused Mr. Geelani of being responsible for the bloodshed in Kashmir and putting guns in the hands of innocent youth. "They gave their wards a good career and gun to the poor youth. They will be accounted for each drop of innocent blood shed in Kashmir in last 17 years," the junior Abdullah said referring to Geelani.

He claimed that his grand father Sheikh Abdullah was once invited to take to the gun to Kashmir by a world leader in Algeria when he was released after 11 years. "But he preferred facing miseries himself to forcing people into it.'' He accused Mr. Geelani and others that they by entering the Assembly weakened Sheikh's movement (for plebiscite).

Mr. Omar also came down on his arch rival, PDP, and said, "they will also be asked as to what they did for people in four years. Where is the employment for each house? Where is self rule, peace with dignity"?

He said when the PDP came to power it asked the "Mujahideen to lay down arms as they were their representatives. But have they talked about them since then. Now Mufti says Salahuddin, chief of the Hizb-ul Mujahideen can be involved in talks at a later stage."

The NC president said that when his party brought a resolution in the Assembly about return of youth from Pakistan, the PDP opposed it. He wondered how Delhi wanted to resolve the Kashmir issue. "They should open up a dialogue with militants on the pattern of Nagaland and Manipur." The way Delhi is advising Sri Lanka and the U.S. on fighting terror they should adopt the same in Kashmir first, he added.

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