Omar Abdullah, Ruhullah Mehdi, and the National Conference’s Kashmir Strategy

Published : Feb 11, 2025 21:30 IST - 7 MINS READ When Omar Abdullah became the first elected Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, a restive region over which the Central government has extensive control, he realised that it would be a term filled with colossal challenges and confrontations. On January 9, in an interview, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, the Member of Parliament from Srinagar and senior leader of National Conference —the party that came to power in J&K after swaying the voters by its politics of recognition—said that Abdullah risked being seen as “Delhi’s representative in Kashmir” if he didn’t fight strongly for the rights that were snatched away from the people of J&K. “But, if it is done for certain advantages to have political supremacy, no party would be averse to such kind of dissidence.” Who it serves Ever since the Indian government stripped away J&K’s autonomy, cleaved it into two federally administered territories, and jailed most of the mainstream politicians in 2019, former Minister and three-time legislator, Ruhullah’s allegedly firebrand politics came into full swing. “He knows that a confrontation with the Centre would only mean that all the powers would eventually go back in all its dimensions to Delhi.” He added: “It wouldn’t be wrong to say that it’s a part of Abdullah’s broader strategy where he himself engages in keeping Delhi content while Ruhullah sticks up for larger anti-Delhi sentiment in Kashmir. It’s anyhow ending up balancing the situation for NC only.” Shrinking Opposition’s space While Ruhullah Mehdi’s “dissent” has undoubtedly resonated with the Kashmir constituency, it has also underlined the region’s frustration with the dichotomy of the National Conference’s political stand.