New Delhi, December 4
Perhaps Union Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah is the only politician who can say ‘bold things’ publicly, make people smile and applaud, even if some utterances may shock them.
Abdullah was in his full elements, speaking from his heart at a book release function here late Friday night.
After releasing the book - ‘Winning the Peace: A Quest’ - edited by a Muslim feminist Zeenat Shaukat Ali, he stole the show with his frank talk. His cabinet colleague, Salman Khurshid, former navy chief, L. Ramdas, and Ali were at the stage. The event was organised by Wisdom Foundation and an Urdu newspaper, Daily Siyasat Jadid.
If India and Pakistan were at peace, the 73-year-old Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy said he would love to go to Anarkali - Lahore’s oldest bazaar - to listen to ‘mujra’ and old classical songs of Noor Jehan while chewing a ‘paan.’
“But I know I can’t go…because separatist Hurriyat leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani won’t let peace to prevail…they say they will win
Kashmir… I don’t know how Geelani will get ‘fateh’ (victory), when his legs are already in the grave,” former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister wondered.
“Geelani feels happy entertaining diplomats from New Delhi, hearing their advice - keep doing what you are doing,” he said adding, “These people have made Kashmir a theatre of tragedies.”
In his opinion, if Mohammad Ali Jinnah would have been alive for long after the birth of Pakistan, our neighbour would have been a ‘secular nation’ but, unfortunately, the army began controlling the seat of power, and the men in uniform still continue to do so.
“How do we as a nation get peace?” asked Abdullah. He claimed, “Former Prime Minister Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee once told Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf that as far as occupied Kashmir is concerned, you keep your end and we will keep our end.”
“Let us be frank…the Pakistani army needs an enemy and no solution will ever suit them,” felt Abdullah.
While talking about the topic of the day - peace, Abdullah drifted from one issue to
another.
On one occasion, what he said stunned the audience. Stating that he was aghast on reading a news report about a north-eastern state girl being kidnapped and gang raped in the Capital, Abdullah said, “Why these sex-starved persons can’t go to G.B. Road (Delhi’s oldest red light area)? Why can’t the government legalise prostitution? This will stop large scale rapes.”
But Abdullah immediately realised what he had said. “Please don’t make my opinion public, otherwise, there will be a ‘fatwa’ against me!”
Commenting on America’s ‘narrow vision’, Abdullah said the USA armed Pakistan to the teeth to throw Russians out of Afghanistan. “But at what cost? It led to the birth of Taliban which has become a major threat to the whole world,” he observed.
“Long back,” said Abdullah, “the Americans used to see a Red Communist under every table. Now they suspect every Muslim. Islam is not a bad world. No child of any religion is born as a terrorist; he becomes one because of circumstances. Because of some Muslims indulging in terrorism, the USA and its allies can’t term Islam as a threat to the world.”
“If top five super powers, including American and China, want peace, this world can change overnight…but they don’t want peace,” said Abdullah commenting “because if there is peace on this planet, who will buy their weapons, aircraft carriers and missiles.”
Knowing that a senior US diplomat was sitting in the front row, Abdullah repeatedly criticised America for “playing with peace” and said, “The Americans are most ill-informed about the world. Only exception is people living in Washington and New York - a city of conspiracies.” Laughing, he said, “My U.S. visa is gone…but I would love to play golf over there.”
Taking a dig at politicians, he said, “All of them pay a lip service to Muslims’ welfare. We politicians are not frank in our deeds.”
“The politicians fool people as much as they can…Hindu parties demand votes in the name of Lord Ram and Muslim fundamentalist groups have begun asking for votes in Kashmir in the name of Allah,” Abdullah said adding, “If you believe them, both Ram and Allah are in danger.”
“We need a ‘jihad’ against illiteracy, poverty and unemployment, we should go for a crusade for good healthcare schemes and drinking water,” said Abdullah observing that “peace can come if you and I are at peace.”
