By IANS,
Jammu : In a political snub to Kashmiri separatists, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Friday asked them to see the reality and talk to the central government.
Addressing the people of the state on the eve of the Republic Day here, Abdullah asked separatist leaders to give up their double standards. He said separatist leaders had been holding talks with Pakistan but were making excuses against talking to the government of India.
Abdullah’s speech tempered with the theme of peace and the need for dialogue was crisp. He emphasised that guns and money would not be able to achieve anything.
“Dialogue is the only way forward to resolve all issues,” he said, and appealed to separatist leaders to discuss political issues and seek an amicable solution.
Referring to some separatists’ recent visit to Pakistan, Abdullah said: “When they can talk to the leadership of the neighbouring country, they should also talk to leaders of their own country and work for the settlement of basic political issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir for the larger interest of the people of the state.”
Crediting the people of Jammu and Kashmir for helping the government to maintain peace and carry forward development, the chief minister said that “peace could not have been possible without the active support of common people”.
Abdullah said the people are the fountainhead of power and their representatives at the grassroots are real agents of socio-economic transformation.
Stressing the role of village heads, Abdullah said that “a state like Jammu and Kashmir cannot be governed from Srinagar and Jammu secretariats”, and that the “security of panchayat members, their insurance cover and their demand for honorarium have been acknowledged and the state government has prepared an action plan in this regard”.