Omar%20Abdullah%20has%20been%20one%20of%20the%20most%20articulate%20and%20passionate%20voices%20emanating%20from%20the%20Valley%20in%20favour%20of%20the%20restoration%20of%20the%20erstwhile%20status%20of%20Jammu%20and%20Kashmir.%20He%20and%20his%20father%20Farooq%20Abdullah%20have%20always%20held%20the%20tricolour%20aloft%20even%20in%20the%20most%20trying%20of%20times.%20Jailed%20for%208%20months%20under%20the%20Public%20Safety%20Act%2C%20Omar%20Abdullah%20sounds%20hurt%2C%20bitter%20and%20let%20down%2C%20as%20he%20passionately%20argues%20for%20the%20restoration%20of%20the%20status%20in%20his%20wide%20ranging%20interview%20to%20Javed%20M%20Ansari%20for%20Opoyi.
%3Cstrong%3EQ1.%20The%20alliance%20has%20come%20together%20to%20fight%20for%20the%20restoration%20of%20the%20special%20status%2C%20which%20is%20a%20matter%20that%20is%20in%20the%20Supreme%20Court%2C%20so%20how%20else%20are%20you%20going%20to%20fight%20for%20this%20restoration%3F%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3EWe%20will%20fight%20it%20primarily%20in%20the%20Supreme%20Court%2C%20we%20believe%20we%20have%20a%20very%20strong%20case%20and%20when%20the%20issue%20comes%20up%20before%20the%20apex%20court%20we%20are%20more%20than%20confident%20that%20we%20will%20carry%20the%20day.%20Secondary%2C%20we%20will%20also%20keep%20it%20alive%20in%20the%20public%20domain%20and%20explain%20all%20aspects%20of%20it%20to%20the%20people%20of%20the%20state%2C%20specially%20to%20the%20people%20in%20Jammu%2C%20Leh%20and%20Kargil.%20We%20will%20continue%20to%20raise%20this%20issue%20in%20Parliament%2C%20talk%20to%20like-minded%20parties%20and%20disabuse%20some%20of%20them%20of%20the%20misgivings%20that%20they%20may%20have%20on%20the%20issue.
%3Cstrong%3EQ2.%20How%20do%20you%20react%20to%20the%20act%20that%20some%20of%20your%20allies%20like%20the%20Congress%20actually%20voted%20in%20favour%20of%20the%20abrogation%20in%20Parliament%3F%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3EThat%20is%20the%20surprising%20part%20and%20that%20is%20something%20for%20the%20Congress%20party%20to%20explain%20to%20its%20conscience.%20What%20was%20snatched%20away%20from%20us%20is%20the%20legacy%20of%20India%u2019s%20first%20prime%20minister%20Jawaharlal%20Nehru.%20What%20we%20are%20fighting%20for%20is%20what%20was%20given%20to%20us%20and%20created%20for%20us%20by%20Jawaharlal%20Nehru.%20The%20Congress%20strangely%20is%20disowning%20that%20legacy.%20Even%20yesterday%20the%20state%20Congress%20unit%20stayed%20away%20from%20the%20meeting%20though%20they%20were%20signatories%20to%20it%20initially.%20However%2C%20there%20are%20many%20people%20in%20the%20Congress%20leaders%20like%20Mr%20Chidambaram%2C%20who%20have%20been%20very%20vocal%20and%20strong%20in%20their%20support%20for%20us%2C%20as%20have%20the%20DMK%20Chief%20MK%20Stalin%20and%20West%20Bengal%20Chief%20Minister%20Mamata%20Banerjee.
%3Cstrong%3EQ3.%20The%20National%20Conference%20and%20Peoples%20Democratic%20Party%20have%20announced%20an%20alliance%20to%20seek%20the%20restoration%20of%20J%26amp%3BK%u2019s%20special%20status.%20In%20the%20end%2C%20isn%u2019t%20this%20just%20political%20posturing%20because%20who%20are%20you%20asking%3F%20The%20same%20Modi%20government%20that%20changed%20the%20special%20status%20in%20the%20first%20place%3F%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3EWe%20have%20no%20expectation%20of%20changing%20the%20BJP%u2019s%20thought%20process.%20That%u2019s%20not%20our%20intention%20at%20all.%20However%2C%20we%20do%20believe%20and%20history%20is%20a%20testimony%20to%20the%20fact%20that%20no%20government%20or%20party%20remains%20in%20power%20forever.%20We%20are%20in%20it%20for%20the%20long%20haul%2C%20and%20there%20is%20absolutely%20no%20question%20of%20ever%20giving%20up%20what%20was%20ours%20or%20accepting%20what%20was%20snatched%20away%20from%20us%20on%205th%20August%202019.
%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/bitter-rivals-for-decades-the-muftis-and-the-abdullahs-join-hands-for-a-united-cause%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%7C%20Bitter%20rivals%20for%20decades%2C%20the%20Muftis%20and%20the%20Abdullahs%20join%20hands%20for%20a%20%27united%27%20cause%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E
%3Cstrong%3EQ4.%20Farooq%20Abdullah%20has%20sought%20China%u2019s%20help%20for%20restoring%20Article%20370.%20Do%20you%20agree%20with%20him%3F%26nbsp%3B%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3EThat%20was%20not%20his%20formulation%2C%20these%20linkages%20were%20drawn%20up%20by%20others.%20He%20just%20sought%20to%20reflect%20what%20the%20people%20on%20the%20ground%20have%20been%20saying.%20Nobody%20here%20is%20advocating%20a%20role%20for%20China.
%3Cstrong%3EQ5.%20Both%20you%20and%20your%20father%20have%20been%20the%20loudest%20pro%20Indian%20voices%20in%20the%20state%2C%20yet%20you%20were%20held%20under%20the%20draconian%20Public%20Security%20Act%20%28PSA%29.%20Did%20you%20ever%20think%20you%20would%20be%20seen%20as%20the%20%u2018enemy%20of%20the%20state%u2019%3F%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3ENever%20did%20I%20ever%20imagine%20that%20I%20would%20be%20considered%20an%20enemy%20of%20my%20people%2C%20my%20state%20and%20my%20country.%20Just%20look%20at%20the%20grounds%20that%20were%20cited%20for%20booking%20me%20under%20PSA.%20My%20ability%20to%20get%20people%20out%20and%20participate%20in%20the%20electoral%20process%20was%20cited%20as%20grounds%20for%20my%20detention.%20How%20on%20earth%20can%20you%20expect%20anybody%20in%20the%20future%20to%20persuade%20people%20to%20participate%20in%20elections.%20They%20just%20didn%u2019t%20think%20this%20through%2C%20the%20idea%20was%20to%20make%20us%20feel%20humiliated.%20It%20hurt%2C%20not%20just%20for%20what%20happened%20to%20us%20but%20for%20what%20was%20done%20to%20the%20state%20to%20its%20people%20and%20leaders%20like%20Mehbooba%20Mufti%20Sahiba.%20It%20hurts%20that%20my%20country%20has%20gone%20back%20on%20the%20sovereign%20commitment%2C%20it%20hurts%20that%20the%20entire%20state%20was%20put%20in%20a%20lockdown%20and%20denied%20basic%20human%20rights.
%3Cstrong%3EQ6.%20Do%20you%20now%20feel%20more%20Kashmiri%20and%20less%20Indian%3F%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3EHave%20never%20seen%20the%20two%20as%20mutually%20exclusive.%20The%20fact%20is%20that%20I%20am%20a%20Kashmiri%20and%20an%20Indian.
%3Cstrong%3EQ7.%20The%20new%20alliance%20with%20Mehbooba%20Mufti%20has%20also%20sought%20a%20political%20dialogue%20with%20all%20stakeholders.%20Who%20are%20these%20stakeholders%20and%20do%20they%20include%20Pakistan%3F%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3EThe%20primary%20stakeholders%20are%20the%20people%20of%20Jammu%20%26amp%3B%20Kashmir.%20Let%27s%20begin%20with%20them%20first.%20As%20far%20as%20the%20part%20of%20the%20question%20is%20concerned%20it%27s%20in%20the%20domain%20of%20the%20government%20of%20India.
%3Cstrong%3EQ8.%20What%20are%20the%20political%20demands%20that%20the%20dialogue%20should%20address%3F%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3EWe%20are%20very%20clear%20that%20it%20has%20to%20be%20the%20restoration%20of%20our%20status.
%3Cstrong%3EQ9.%20Isn%u2019t%20it%20a%20plain%20fact%20that%20the%20change%20of%20status%20has%20left%20you%20with%20virtually%20no%20political%20space%3F%20Honestly%2C%20aren%u2019t%20you%20finding%20it%20difficult%20to%20find%20issues%20that%20will%20resonate%20with%20the%20people%20who%20think%20that%20the%20mainstream%20parties%20are%20responsible%20for%20what%20has%20been%20done%20to%20Jammu%20and%20Kashmir%3F%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3ENothing%20resonates%20with%20the%20people%20more%20than%20the%20restoration%20of%20what%20was%20taken%20away%20from%20them.%20This%20is%20by%20far%20the%20biggest%20issue%20before%20them.%20The%20people%20in%20Ladakh%20are%20agitating%20about%20the%20restoration%20of%20their%20rights%2C%20in%20Jammu%2C%20people%20want%20protection%20of%20their%20Dogra%20identity%2C%20there%20is%20no%20shortage%20of%20issues.
%3Cstrong%3EQ10.%20The%20mood%20on%20the%20street%20is%20a%20difficult%20one%20to%20navigate.%20When%20will%20you%20start%20reaching%20out%20to%20the%20people%3F%20So%20far%2C%20you%20have%20only%20had%20closed%20door%20meetings.%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%3C/strong%3E%20We%20have%20never%20stopped%20moving%20out.%20We%20have%20been%20holding%20meetings%20and%20have%20deliberately%20kept%20the%20gathering%20small%20because%20of%20security%20concerns%20and%20on%20account%20of%20the%20pandemic.%20It%20would%20be%20highly%20irresponsible%20on%20our%20part%20to%20put%20people%20at%20risk%20by%20asking%20them%20to%20gather%20in%20large%20numbers.
%3Cstrong%3EQ11.%20You%20and%20your%20father%20met%20PM%20Modi%20just%20before%20August%205%20last%20year%20when%20the%20state%u2019s%20fate%20was%20changed.%20Will%20you%20ever%20trust%20the%20PM%20again%3F%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3EWhat%20transpired%20at%20the%20meeting%20is%20a%20conversation%20for%20another%20day.%20I%20have%20never%20said%20that%20I%20do%20not%20trust%20him%2C%20what%20transpired%20is%20for%20a%20conversation%20in%20the%20future.%20It%27s%20not%20about%20a%20trust%20deficit.%20I%20know%20it%20is%20a%20political%20issue%2C%20that%20is%20why%20I%20am%20not%20trying%20to%20change%20the%20BJP%2C%20I%20know%20I%20cannot.
%3Cstrong%3EQ12.%20You%20were%20once%20a%20minister%20in%20the%20BJP-led%20NDA%20under%20%28Atal%20Bihari%29%20Vajpayee.%20Mehbooba%20too%20shared%20power%20with%20the%20BJP.%20Will%20you%20ever%20join%20hands%20with%20the%20BJP%20again%3F%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3EI%20never%20give%20a%20categorical%20answer%20to%20a%20hypothetical%20question.%20However%2C%20I%20would%20be%20very%20surprised%20if%20the%20NC%20is%20ever%20a%20part%20of%20an%20NDA%20alliance.
%3Cstrong%3EQ13.%20You%20have%20in%20earlier%20interviews%20said%20that%20you%20are%20hurt%20and%20have%20become%20less%20trusting.%20How%20deep%20is%20your%20personal%20wound%3F%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3EDeep%20enough%20to%20say%20that%20it%20hurts%20even%20to%20talk%20about%20it.%20Sure%20it%20wasn%u2019t%20pleasant%2C%20watching%20Mehbooba%20ji%20in%20jail%20for%2014%20months%2C%20watching%20so%20many%20of%20the%20political%20leaders%20and%20workers%20in%20jail%2C%20watching%20our%20people%20suffer.%20The%20hurt%20was%20not%20about%20me%20or%20my%20father%20but%20about%20all%20of%20us%2C%20it%20was%20about%20the%20entire%20state.
%3Cstrong%3EQ14.%20Will%20this%20alliance%20at%20some%20stage%20turn%20into%20an%20electoral%20alliance%20as%20well%3F%3C/strong%3E
%3Cstrong%3EOmar%3A%20%3C/strong%3EThere%20are%20no%20elections%20on%20the%20anvil.%20Hence%2C%20it%20is%20not%20even%20on%20the%20agenda.%20This%20is%20a%20political%20alliance%20for%20the%20restoration%20of%20our%20status%20and%20our%20rights.
%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23OmarAbdullah%22%20data-user-id%3D%22ldHgGh18qUH0%22%20href%3D%22/topic/omar-abdullah%22%3E%23OmarAbdullah%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Article370%22%20data-user-id%3D%22S5oxOQ9ANsIi%22%20href%3D%22/topic/article-370%22%3E%23Article370%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23JammuandKashmir%22%20data-user-id%3D%22JDgoc52QaiFQ%22%20href%3D%22/topic/jammu-and-kashmir%22%3E%23JammuandKashmir%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23People%22%20data-user-id%3D%22WKvnIJkiH0xN%22%20href%3D%22/topic/people%22%3E%23People%3C/a%3E%27s%20Alliance%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23NationalConference%22%20data-user-id%3D%22atjt6IrKxkKL%22%20href%3D%22/topic/nationalconference%22%3E%23NationalConference%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23MehboobaMufti%22%20data-user-id%3D%22ygo08d0Ov4u9%22%20href%3D%22/topic/mehbooba-mufti%22%3E%23MehboobaMufti%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23FarooqAbdullah%22%20data-user-id%3D%22yoCB0eFGFMfq%22%20href%3D%22/topic/farooq-abdullah%22%3E%23FarooqAbdullah%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B
