Former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah in an interview with Rajdeep Sardesai said, “Only interested parties benefit from Hindu-Muslim divide, majority of the population suffers.”
In an exclusive interview with India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai, Farooq Abdullah spoke on the sudden surge in violence against civilians in valley. On October 2, militants killed seven civilians, including three Hindus and a Sikh woman. Again on October 7, Supinder Kaur of Beerwah village in Budgam and Deepak Chand of Jammu were brutally shot dead inside the government boys’ higher secondary school in the Sangam area of Srinagar.
When asked upon if Mr. Abdullah is accusing the center of using Kashmir for its electoral ends in the rest of the country, he said, “I think it has always been done from the beginning and ever since. I remember as a child, not a new thing out now.”
Rajdeep Sardesai asked him if the only solution to end the spiral of violence is an unconditional dialogue between India and Pakistan.
The former chief minister said, “If you wait till the last gun stops firing. Then we’ll wait forever. You have to catch the bull by the horn and start talking now, not tomorrow, or day after tomorrow. But we must find a way out now. Otherwise, not only this, look at the divide between the religions that is taking place in our nation, between Hindus and the Muslims. This worries me, worries every single citizen of India, who thinks of India as a secular nation. And this is why it is growing, not getting smaller. The main tension increases between these two nations, further divided increases, and only interested parties benefit, majority of the population suffers.”
“I think it’s very important that in India, diversity has to be protected. Diversity has to be made, believable. That is what India is unity in diversity. Let us respect that diversity for unity of this nation,” Mr. Abdullah added.
When asked if he is willing to play a part in promoting the sense of dialogue and reconciliation, even with the Modi government, Dr. Farooq Abdullah said, “Anything. I will sacrifice even my life. If it can bring this nation on the rails back again, that we can live happily together and enjoy the benefits of a free nation.”
“We need prayers from all to save this nation. I want bright days nowadays, but now Rathra. If we pray to the Almighty. Maybe we might see peace in our lifetime,” he concluded.
