New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday accused the central government of betraying both Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir by failing to honour its promises and deepening mistrust through delays in restoring statehood.
Speaking at the launch of senior journalist and author Harinder Baweja’s latest book, “They Will Shoot You, Madam: My Life Through Conflict”, Abdullah said the government had abandoned its own roadmap—first for Jammu and Kashmir and now for Ladakh—alleging that the latter was misled with “impossible” assurances.
“When you wanted Ladakhis to participate in Hill Council elections, you promised them the Sixth Schedule. Everyone knew that granting the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh was nearly impossible. A region bordering China and Pakistan requires a significant defence presence, which the Sixth Schedule does not allow. Yet promises were made to secure electoral participation,” he explained.
Abdullah also criticised the government’s sudden shift in stance toward Ladakhi leaders, particularly climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.
“A gentleman who praised the Prime Minister as an environmental champion and thanked him in 2019 for granting UT status to Ladakh—nobody questioned him then. Today, suddenly, we are told there is a Pakistani connection. Two days ago, there was none. Where did it come from?” he asked.
Protests demanding statehood and inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule turned violent on September 24, leaving four dead and several injured. Wangchuk, a prominent protest leader, was later detained under the National Security Act (NSA).
On Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, Abdullah accused the Centre of failing to honour commitments.
“You said it would be a three-stage process—first delimitation, then elections, and finally statehood. The first two stages are complete, but the third has gone nowhere. And then you wonder why there is a trust deficit,” he said, cautioning that public faith is eroding despite high voter turnout in recent Parliament and Assembly polls.
He also referred to the Supreme Court’s remarks on statehood, where petitioners were told to consider “ground realities” such as the Pahalgam terror attack. Abdullah described it as “deeply distressing” that the issue seemed linked to events across the border.
“Does Pakistan now decide whether J&K should have statehood? Every time we come close, incidents like Pahalgam happen, and we are sent back. Statehood cannot be used as a ‘carrot’ for good behaviour,” he asserted.
Stressing that the issue is about the people of Kashmir, not just the land, Abdullah said, “They want to feel a genuine sense of ownership again. They want to be listened to and respected.”
The panel discussion also featured former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
Baweja’s book, “They Will Shoot You, Madam”, published by Roli Books, chronicles her journey through conflict zones, capturing stories from the turbulent streets of Punjab, the volatile battleground of Jammu and Kashmir, and further into Pakistan and war-torn Afghanistan.
