Amid rising security concerns in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday appealed to tourists not to abandon their travel plans, asserting that their presence is a powerful message against fear and terrorism.
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00:00and as the country grapples with grief and anger over the dastardly massacre by terrorists in
00:08pehel gamm i'm joined by a very special guest the president of the jammu and kashmir national
00:14conference the ruling party of the of the union territory of jammu and kashmir and multiple times
00:19chief minister dr faruk abdullah joins me appreciate you're joining us dr faruk abdullah
00:24they're from jammu your first reactions to what happened yesterday this dastardly attack
00:35i think it's the greatest tragedy we have faced after what happened and we're martyred
00:46and i think this is a disaster
00:48we were thinking peace has returned and great slogans are made that we have uprooted
00:59all these elements i think those who said these things were completely unaware
01:07or uninformed that they still exist
01:10i i but the fact is you're saying that these elements still exist the truth of the matter
01:19therefore is and you've seen it in your times as well that pakistan sponsored terror continues to wreak
01:26havoc uh in jammu and kashmir over the years and what are you therefore squarely blaming pakistan
01:36for what happened in phil gum radeep we have faced this for past 40 years
01:46we have continuously said that is coming from there every time
01:55we have never stopped saying that we continue to say
01:59and we'll continue to say it till it's ended
02:06but who is accountable who is accountable what is the solution from the late 80s now to 2025 at various
02:14stages pakistan has bloodied the kashmir valley who how do you then tackle it what is the solution dr abdullah
02:23that is the solution that government of india has to find
02:29it is they who are responsible for the security
02:34and well-being of the people of this nation it is for them to take their decisive steps to end this
02:45nasty things that are happening and are complete
02:48it state state is suffering how long you think will continue to suffer
02:58but there was a sense dr abdullah after the revocation of article 370 that normalcy was returning
03:04to the kashmir valley uh major infrastructure projects were put in place there was development
03:09elections took place last year with a relatively high turnout are you saying that this one incident
03:15pushes us back uh yet again the government of india will say look we've actually made some tangible
03:22gains on the ground in the last few years please it is not this only palgam incident what about what
03:30happened in bilawar what happened in jammu regions in rajori in punch
03:36but but when you see it has been continuously happening
03:47yes dr abdullah but the truth of the matter is let's be clear you were chief minister of
03:52for several years at that stage nothing could be resolved now you've got the modi government
03:56earlier you've had vajpayee's government manmohansi's government no no government no individual government
04:02whether in srinagar or in delhi sir has been able to find a silver bullet magic solution to end
04:08cross-border terrorism faced with a country like pakistan that determined that seems determined
04:15to bleed us in in jammu and kashmir they have been bleeding us slowly and steadily there's nothing new
04:23about for 40 years they've been bleeding us and they will continue to bleed us unless we start thinking
04:33and think positively
04:36of how to get rid of this what do you mean by think positively in the past you've been among
04:42the advocates for a dialogue with pakistan uh there are others who believe the time for dialogue is long
04:48over now you need to have some very concrete action possibly even across the border there
04:54surgical strikes have taken place there was bala code what according to you is the positive action
04:58that needs to be taken let me tell you our team i am not in command and i'm not going to suggest
05:07anything to government of india they don't need my suggestion i think they are intelligent enough
05:15to decide themselves but i'll definitely like to tell them you can't have dual control in kashmir
05:22whereas lieutenant gunter government governor control security controls police he controls
05:30the unified command the state government does not have any say in these things imagine we are elected
05:39government and elected government is never brought into discussions when security matters are discussed
05:48how do you think you will resolve these problems unless you have the state government and the people
05:54to sit with you and decide how to get on i'm told today there was a security review meeting and
06:01omar abdullah was not invited for that meeting are you saying therefore
06:05that omar abdullah and the national conference government have no bear no responsibility
06:12last time when the home minister came only a week ago
06:18he had security meeting chief minister was not in it it's only this thing when this time this happened
06:26chief minister was called into the meeting let's be very straight about it
06:30but therefore are you saying the chief minister bears no accountability no responsibility
06:40it's not a question of responsibility you have taken him out of the responsibility
06:49it's not we we still are fighting we are still bleeding but the first person who died today in that act
06:57in that act was an ordinary horseman saeed hussein poor fellow he was the first man who jumped at this
07:07terrorist tried to grab his gun and lost his life he said this is not right what you are doing
07:16he had that courage and determination to fight these people
07:20but the truth of the matter is while uh the truth of the matter is these terrorists singled out
07:32hindus targeted them and thereby want to drive a wedge between hindus and muslims these were targeted
07:38killings dr abdullah rajdeep it's not today only they've always done before also the same thing
07:46they targeted hindus to create a wedge which has now been playing heavily in the country heavily
07:58we see how much division is taking place between hindus and muslims because of pakistan's actions
08:09are you going to put all the blame only on pakistan today what about kashmir itself the fact is
08:15that there is a belief that there was some local kashmiris possibly also involved in this operation
08:25who who says no who says no
08:32when it started in 89 there are people there will be people they have to be dealt with
08:40so you're saying there are elements within the valley who are who are patronized by pakistan there
08:49are elements across the border who have entered and and and bloodied the valley you are calling for stern
08:57action against all of them you will support any action that narendra modi government takes am i correct
09:02radeep we all want to live in peace and harmony and brotherhood
09:11take action which will try to bring that brotherhood back in our nation at all costs
09:22yes sir but you will understand the anger and frustration of people because 35 years have elapsed
09:27from the time when you were chief minister and kashmiri pundits were driven out to today what we've
09:32seen in palgam there have been repeated attempts made by pakistan to bloody the soil of kashmir and yet
09:39nothing seems to change that that anger and frustration surely you will share of the people of this country
09:46you know today for the first time after 35 years
09:50whole kashmir has risen up against this do you see this it's a major change
09:59major change they don't want anything to do with pakistan we are part of the nation
10:05called india and we will remain part of this nation called india
10:12do you see therefore anger and frustration building up in kashmir against pakistan and indeed
10:17all those who use the gun to resolve issues you believe that kashmir has reached a tipping point
10:25sir rajib haven't you seen the anger in the valley today have you ever seen this before
10:33have you ever seen this there's a complete ship
10:40and i'm proud of that ship
10:42will the will it last in your view will it last will it be able to sustain itself it will last so
10:52long as we live in brotherhood and don't commute create further communal tension this will last
11:01do you have a message for the pakistani army chief who only last week said hindus and muslims cannot live
11:07together and emphasize the two nation theory do you have a message for general mir today
11:13i would like to tell the general we never accepted two nation theory god is creator of everyone
11:22whether he's a hindu he's a muslim he's a sikh he's a christian or he's a buddhist or anything
11:28he's a creator you cannot divide people on the basis of religion if religion was to be a dividend factor
11:38then bangladesh would never have been created what what is your message to the tourists you will
11:46understand that tourists are fearful now they are leaving the valley in droves this was expected to be
11:51the big bumper tourist season in the kashpir valley what will you tell those victims as well as those
11:59who have yes go ahead tell them by not coming you are going to win the battle that pakistan is trying to
12:08win come come in larger numbers so that we can tell them that you cannot deter us this is our land
12:18and we are going to come in herds here don't be afraid we have to fight them and by not coming
12:27you're already given to pakistan acts sir there are those who are calling today for ministerial
12:33resignations that the home minister must be held accountable there were intelligence lapses what's your
12:38view should this not be should this be a moment to play politics or is this a moment to stand united in grief
12:45and anger i think we should stand united and not try to put fingers at each other not this is the moment
12:58when nation must stand together as they stood together when kargil war took place
13:04we need that unity today we need that understanding between each other hold each other's hand
13:10and show our enemy that we are not going to be defeated we are not going to accept your hedge money
13:21faruq abdullah those are very strong words in a moment i want to take you to our hindi network
13:25as well uh but i appreciate you joining me and speaking so uh plainly and firmly sending out a very
13:34i want to give you one thing you know i didn't give you to any media you i gave of this interview
13:42because you're one man in this country who stands for truth who stands a brotherhood who stands for
13:48unity of every man that is why i gave you this interview because i'm proud of you that you're not afraid
13:56to use your word so my my thoughts though today i'm very kind sir but my thoughts today are with the
14:02victims with the families and with the people who have lost their near and dear ones as i'm sure are
14:09your thoughts and prayers as well dr abdul i cannot tell you how much i i i i i didn't have the words i i
14:19can't even think that such a thing could happen to people who had gone for enjoyment and they have
14:27to meet that death it just shook me i'm still not normal i don't think i'll be normal ever what they
14:35have done dr abdullah i understand i i know that your your pain and anguish you told me this this
14:43morning also is genuine you haven't slept all night you said you you were shaken by what's happened as the
14:49nation has been but as you rightly said this is a moment also for collective resolve and to send
14:55out a firm message to those who try and divide us faruq abdullah for joining me here today we are
15:01not going to bow that they should understand yes sir dr faruq abdullah thank you very much for joining me