Omar quotes Iqbal to spur NC cadre

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday quoted revolutionary poet Allama Iqbal, who inspired the Pakistan Movement, to fire up National Conference (NC) cadre following the debacle of the party in the parliamentary polls.
“Surat-e-shamsheer hai dastey qaza main woh qoum, Karti hai jo har zaman apney amal ka hisaab (It is like a sword in the hand of destiny, that community; That in every age keeps an account of its deeds),” Omar quoted Allama Iqbal’s Urdu poem ‘Masjid-e-Cardoba’ written circa 1932 and published in his 1935-36 collection of Bal-e Jibril, to galvanize the party cadre ahead of the Legislative Assembly polls scheduled later this year.
Addressing the NC office bearers in separate meetings at Khag, Beerwah and Magam, Omar, who is also the Working President of NC, asked the NC rank and file to ascertain all aspects of its delink with people.
He said they needed to rebuild close rapport with the workers and general public at all levels and in every area of the State.
The chief minister said NC had witnessed many vicissitudes and faced different challenges during its long political span and struggle but always emerged victorious defeating all troubles and difficulties.
“History is witness to the conspiracies hatched against NC through false propaganda and machinations time and again,” Omar said. “You have witnessed flocking of all anti-NC forces in the past to dislodge its strong political base and popularity in the State but you have also witnessed the determination and bravery of the workers of this party to steer the ship out of all troubles defeating the disgruntled and vested interests.”
During his drive to strengthen the party’s rank and file and infuse new energy among the party cadre to counter the propaganda against NC and apprise people that NC was the only party in Jammu and Kashmir whose benchmark was public service, political stability, solidarity, brotherhood and equitable development of all the regions and sub-regions inclusively.
Reciting the famous couplet, “Girtay hain shah-sawar hi maidan-e-jung main, Woh tifal kya girain jo guthnu key bal chalain (only a fighter who rides the horse in a battle field has a chance of falling, But how will those cowards fall who opt to walk on their knees),” Omar said the loss of coalition partner candidates in the parliamentary polls had served as a food for thought for NC workers, office bearers and leaders at the top.
He said they needed to ponder upon the reason and make necessary corrective measures to rebound back with force and tell the detectors and enemies of NC their party symbolizing Kashmiriyat and peoples’ aspirations and lives among the hearts of the people would re-emerge victorious once again.
“Ascertain their anger and address it to their best expectations so that their enthusiasm and love for NC which lives in their blood re-surfaces with full spirit,” Omar told party office bearers urging them to travel all across and interact with basic workers and general masses giving them message of not getting mislead by the propagandist elements whose only aim was to defame NC and seek power.
“Make people recognize their friends and foes and not go astray by those who dance to the tunes of their masters outside the State and who owe their existence to the forces against Kashmiriyat,” he said.
“Since these elements could not succeed in their sinister design because they found NC the only stumbling block and hurdle, they hatched deep conspiracy to weaken NC and indirectly implement their ultimate objective of damaging NC and dividing the society for their vested interests through their local agents.”
Omar said NC had never compromised on its principles and held its high credentials of unity, brotherhood and amity above every political consideration.
He said NC’s agenda was to seek permanent peace in the State is a public document and whether in power or outside, “we have batted and vigorously advocated peaceful resolution of political issues of the State in a political atmosphere through the process of dialogue and our pursuit in this regard will continue.”
Omar said, he as the chief minister, had always highlighted the need of addressing political issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir politically across the table making it clear that K-issue has political genesis and could not be addressed through economic measures.
“Many do not digest it, as such are engaged in false propaganda against NC,” he said.
Omar said his government empowered people to the maximum by enacting legislations like Right to Information Act, Public Service Guarantee Act, Re-constitution of Accountability Commission, constitution of Vigilance Commission, introduction of third party monitoring and election and empowerment of Panchayats.
He said the list of development initiatives taken by his government and thousands of works launched, implemented and commissioned during the last five and a half years across the State itself speak of the government’s performance toward public good.
“Unfortunately, this has not been made fully public otherwise people would have known that this government has surpassed all previous governments in peace restoration and development process besides creating transparency and bringing the government under full public scan,” he said and asked the office bearers of NC to make workers and general public aware of the gigantic task undertaken by the government during the last five and a half years.
“Blunt the false propaganda of your detectors and agents of vested interests by presenting them the huge list of development works achieved in the State by this government as also the initiatives taken for public empowerment and transparency,” he said. “My government may not have fulfilled all the aspirations of the people but it has in no means lagged behind in delivering the best on the development and peace front.”
Omar said there was an urgent need that people were fully made aware of the stupendous and historic measures implemented by the government for the welfare and political stability of the State.
The chief minister said awareness was must to defeat the propagandist elements and foil their aim of creating misconception and confusion in the minds of people vis-à-vis NC.
NC Provincial President Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani also addressed the workers meetings and highlighted the need for strengthening and upgrading the rapport between office bearers and the grass root workers.
Wani said NC would re-emerge as the aspiration of the people of Jammu and Kashmir by defeating the conspirators and making public aware of the conspiracy being hatched against them by vested interests.