All eyes on Farooq Abdullah’s next course of action

With the release of National Conference (NC) president and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah after seven months detention on Friday, all eyes are on his next course of action.

Though Abdullah, who was detained along with dozens of other high profile politicians of Kashmir, ahead of Center’s decision to revoke special status of the erstwhile state, refused to divulge his next plan before the media, he gave enough hints that the NC will abide by the ‘Gupkar Declaration’, which opposed revocation of Article 370.

Hours before the Center abrogated Article 370, heads of all regional political parties in Kashmir met at the residence of Abdullah on August 4 evening and came out with a declaration in which they declared a resolve to fight for the special status.

A senior NC leader, who wished anonymity, told DH that ‘Gupkar declaration’ will determine the future course of politics in Kashmir. “During the declaration, all the leaders resolved to remain together and stand united to safeguard the identity, autonomy, and special status of the State. However, since then the political space was choked and politicians battered,” he said.

The leader added that the political ecosystem of J&K will remain in a suspended mode till all the leaders, including Omar and Mehbooba, are released. “Farooq sahib gave enough indications that to revive political activity, the release of all the leaders was a must. Once all of us sit together again, then only the future course of action can be charted out,” he added.

Prof Rekha Chowdhary, former head of department, Political Science at Jammu University, says it will be interesting to watch Abdullah’s next steps. “Will he raise the issue of Article 370 or will he be quiet about it is to be seen?” she said.

However, the release of Abdullah is going to dent the prospects of Altaf Bukhari’s ‘Apni Party’, which many in Kashmir believe was launched just last week in Srinagar to counter the hegemony of regional parties – the NC and the PDP.

For now, Abdullah has made his politics clear. “My freedom will be complete when all leaders are released including (his son) Omar, (PDP president) Mehbooba Mufti and others who are either in prisons in the state or outside or are in the MLA Hostel or in various buildings where they have been put under house arrest,” he told reporters in Srinagar.