“What Could I Say To Those Children…”: Omar Abdullah’s Pahalgam Address

In a powerful speech in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said every part of the country, from north to south, and from east to west, came in the throes of this heinous act. The National Conference leader said that the whole of Kashmir is united against this attack and that this may mark the “beginning of the end of terror” in the Valley.

In a rare show of bonhomie between the Opposition and treasury benches, the BJP praised Mr Abdullah’s response after the April 22 attack, in which 25 tourists and a Kashmiri were killed in cold blood. Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma condemned the terror attack and praised the Chief Minister for calling an all-party meeting and the Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather for calling a special session.

Mr Abdullah read out the names and states of each of the 26 victims of the terror attack and said, “From north to south, east to west, Arunachal to Gujarat, Jammu to Kashmir to Kerala, the whole country has come in the throes of this attack.”

The Chief Minister said Jammu and Kashmir had started feeling that such attacks were behind it. “Unfortunately, Baisaran has created the same situation when we feel where the next attack will be. I was with the Leader of the Opposition in the police control room when we paid tribute to these people. I had no words to apologise to the victims’ families,” he said.

Mr Abdullah said the security in Jammu and Kashmir is not under the elected government. “But as Chief Minister, as tourism minister, I welcomed them here. As a host, it was my responsibility to ensure their safe return. I could not. I had no words to apologise. What could I say to those children who saw their fathers covered in blood, to that Navy officer’s widow who was married days ago?0 They asked us what their mistake was; they told us they came to Kashmir for the first time and would pay for that holiday lifelong,” he said.

Targeting the terrorists behind this attack, he said, “Those who did this claim they did it for us. But did we ask for this? Did we say that these 26 people should be sent back in coffins in our name? Did we agree to this? None of us is with this attack. This attack has hollowed us out.”

Stressing that one should look for hope in the worst of times, he said this is the first time in over two decades that people in Jammu and Kashmir have hit the streets to protest against an attack on such a scale. “From Kathua to Kupwara, there is no town or village where people did not protest against this. They said, ‘Not in my name’. And this is spontaneous,” he said.

Terror will end when people are with the administration and this is the beginning of an opportunity, the Chief Minister said. “We have to be cautious, we must not do anything that distances people from us. We should not take any action that hurts this spontaneous protest. We can control militancy with guns, but we cannot end it. It will end when the people are with us. Today, it seems people are reaching there,” he added. 

Referring to Syed Adil Hussain Shah, the brave pony ride operator who was killed by terrorists when he tried to protect a tourist, the Chief Minister said, “What can I say about him? Everyone fears for his life. But he sacrificed his life for tourists, our guests. Who would have questioned him if he had fled? But instead of fleeing, he went towards danger. We are hearing many such stories. People carried the injured on their shoulders. Locals tried to help tourists. A poor shikarawallah offered free fruit chaat, who probably makes 200-300 rupees daily. Cab operators offered free rides, hotel owners opened their rooms. I salute them. This is how we host.”

Mr Abdullah said some Kashmiri students did face some problems in other parts of the country after the attack. “But I also want to thank those state governments who controlled the situation.”