Valley of hope

Omar Abdullah’s views seem to match those of most Kashmiri youth. But the issue is,will New Delhi allow him to deliver what he wants? And I believe delivering is critical for Omar and his party,because if he fails,getting another opportunity would be almost impossible,leaving Kashmir in the throes of darkness,instability and vulnerability to separatist sentiments once again. Although the National Conference claims autonomy under the Indian constitution,convincing Kashmiris is a tough task. The level and number of educated yet unemployed Kashmiri youth is certainly provoking them to support non-conventional representatives of Kashmir,since the conventional,pro-India parties have at all levels failed to bring the private sector to Kashmir. Bringing employment to Kashmir can certainly cool off tempers but delivering something like autonomy would be equally necessary to reach a stable and sustainable solution. Dealing with militancy would not be a challenge for Omar. Recently,Kashmiris have started to raise their voices against it and learned to be united. So,Omar does not have to worry about militancy until he really invites trouble for himself and the Valley.

Qurat Sajad,medical student,BVP

I am optimistic about Omar being selected as the new CM of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). He can try to set a stage for dialogue between Indian and Pakistan and for this he requires the active support of the Kashmiri people. As a leader,Omar has the ability to explore and establish new resources for unemployed youth,so that we can look for a way to foster Kashmir’s progress. Kashmir is blessed with lots of natural resources but not even a single one is being used. Electricity has been a problem for the past 60 years. Omar’s aim should be to develop the infrastructure,which has been damaged in the past. He should promote free trade between Kashmir and PoK,which will help Kashmiris to gain economic benefits. Lastly,he must make Kashmir the number one tourist spot in Asia. Keeping all this in mind,we have trusted Omar and hope that soon we will be able to see a developed Kashmir.

Naseer Ahmed Shah, MBA student,BVP

It won’t be wrong to say that Omar is the Obama of Kashmir because of the expectations Kashmiris have from him. He has to deliver on his promises and soothe grievances by pushing for the autonomy of J&K. He needs to create job opportunities for the youth of Kashmir,set up some more educational institutions,preferably a Central University,so that students like me don’t have to go far and bring in the private sector. Omar has always maintained a mature opinion about the Hurriyat. I like his attitude while addressing the Hurriyat and his awareness that Hurriyat is an important part of Kashmir,unlike his father,who took everything for granted when he was in power. He is young,mature,intelligent and sincere and quite graciously mentioned that he made a mistake by being a part of the BJP regime during the Gujarat riots. I hope that the youngest CM in the history of India ushers in much-needed change in J&K. I am pretty sure he will deliver on his promises. Farooq Abdullah should learn something from Omar while addressing Kashmiri sentiments.

Ozaid Rasoolengineering student,D Y Patil College

The election of Omar Abdullah is both interesting and exciting. We are talking about someone who couldn’t make a speech in Kashmiri 10 years back. But at the same time,I think he’s the only person capable of addressing issues of all three regions of the state — Jammu,Kashmir and Ladakh. The three major issues facing Omar Abdullah are the resolution of the Kashmir issue,the ‘so-called’ neglect of the people of Jammu and the basic infrastructure needs of all regions. Omar’s party has retained all its 28 seats but its vote share has gone down,which means if he doesn’t perform,his party will lose its hold in the Valley. Omar Abdullah seems dedicated to solving the Kashmir issue without alienating the Hurriyat,as the separatists do have a strong hold throughout the valley. At the same time,Omar will have to work in Jammu as well,as the people there feel they have been ignored. The reason why people in the Valley voted him was because of the basic pani,bijli,sadak,naukri issues. Omar is a ray of hope for the youth and expectations from him are immense.

Danish Altaf Qureshiengineering student,BVP

Recently,there has been tension and chaos in J&K because of many issues,including the Amaranth land issue. Hence,what’s needed is a leader who can normalize relations and dissipate tensions. As a student,I expect more professional colleges to be set up in the state,so that the students don’t have to move out and stay away from their families for studies. Different strategies should be applied to reduce corruption,unemployment can be reduced to a great extent by letting private companies enter the state. Omar should look into all these matters and think of lasting solutions. Also,care must be taken to develop every part of the state,be it Jammu,Kashmir or Ladakh. This will help people unite.