Won't be intimidated by terror, says Omar Abdullah after special cabinet meeting in Pahalgam
Pahalgam, May 27 (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday convened a special cabinet meeting in Pahalgam, a symbolic gesture aimed at projecting defiance against terror and a steadfast commitment to the region's development.
In his first press conference since the April 22 terror attack in Baisaran meadows, Abdullah said that tourism should be "conflict-neutral" and not serve as a gauge for normalcy.
The choice of Pahalgam for holding a special cabinet meeting aims to show solidarity with the residents of the tourist town, which has experienced a sharp decline in tourist footfall since the devastating April 22 terror attack.
Abdullah also focused on the complex governance structure in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the context of security and tourism revival and said that "there is a strange system in JK as tourism is my responsibility, but security is not my responsibility.
"Three governments will have to work together here – the elected government of JK (Omar Abdullah's government), the un-elected government (Lt Governor's administration) in JK, and the Centre."
This statement sheds light on the unique political dynamics of the region, where the directly elected state government operates alongside centrally appointed administrative structures. Abdullah has been critical of the dual power system of governance.
Abdullah highlighted the crucial role of the Centre in supporting JK's tourism sector, noting recent high-level discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, "How can you revive tourism without giving a sense of security to the people?"
Asked whether the prime minister will be helping in the revival of tourism, Abdullah said, "The Prime Minister has made some strides as well. The Prime Minister chaired a meeting on how to revive tourism in JK a few days back.
"Two days back, there was a meeting of the NITI Aayog in Delhi and I got an opportunity to talk to him and we discussed the way to restore tourism in JK. While I cannot share the details here, some concrete steps will be taken by the Centre on that," he said.
The chief minister opened by expressing profound gratitude to the people of Kashmir, particularly those in Pahalgam, for their unified condemnation of the recent terror strike.
"I want to thank the people of Kashmir, especially those of Pahalgam, who condemned and stood in one voice against the April 22 terror strike on tourists. For this, I thank them and salute them," he stated.
Responding to concerns about the closure of tourist destinations post-attack, the chief minister indicated a cautious, phased reopening.
"The last five to six weeks have been a difficult time for the country, especially for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. So I would suggest we will conduct a security audit of various tourist destinations and gradually start opening them."
He specifically mentioned closed sites like Aru and Betaab valleys in Pahalgam, Thajwas glacier in Sonamarg, and even Badamwari and Tulip Garden in Srinagar.
"If we have to close Tulip Garden, then we have to shut the whole Kashmir. I think we have to show some courage and reopen these destinations slowly. The time has come to review the list."
Abdullah also detailed the ongoing discussions with the Centre regarding financial relief for tourism stakeholders burdened by loans.
He said that his concern extends from large hotel owners to small businesses like homestay operators and taxi drivers who have invested significantly.
"My concern stretches across the various facets of our tourism industry and this conversation has already started with the Centre," he said, indicating active engagement at the central level.
The chief minister also stressed the importance of proactive outreach in promoting Jammu and Kashmir as a safe destination.
"We are exploring actively how best we can participate in the upcoming travel fairs like the TTF in Kolkata and Hyderabad," he said, aiming to "take our message that JK wants to be open for business again to these markets".
The Amarnath Yatra, which will begin in July, was also discussed during the press briefing with Abdullah expressing the government's commitment to its safe and successful conclusion.
While acknowledging potential impacts on some destinations, he emphasised that other areas like Srinagar, Gulmarg and Yousmarg remain "open for business," asserting that "the yatra and tourism revival can go hand in hand".
After the special cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the chief minister's office posted on X pictures of the meeting held at the Pahalgam Club.
In a message on 'X', his office posted that it was not just a routine administrative exercise, but a clear message - "we are not intimidated by cowardly acts of terror".
"The enemies of peace will never dictate our resolve. Jammu & Kashmir stands firm, strong, and unafraid," it said.
This is the first time the cabinet meeting took place outside the usual summer capital, Srinagar, or winter capital, Jammu, during Abdullah's government's tenure.
Abdullah, during his first stint as the chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir from 2009-14, had held cabinet meetings in remote areas like Gurez, Machil, Tangdhar areas of north Kashmir and Rajouri and Poonch areas of Jammu region.
Last week, Abdullah made this appeal at the Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister.
The chief minister believes that these concerted efforts by the government will significantly alleviate public fears, foster a renewed sense of security and trust, and ultimately pave the way for the revival of tourism in the Kashmir valley, bringing much-needed economic relief and a return to normalcy.
A special day-long assembly session was also held in Jammu on April 28 which unanimously passed a resolution against the Pahalgam terrorist attack and resolved to fight resolutely to defeat the nefarious designs to disturb communal harmony and hinder progress.
During the assembly session, Abdullah, in his 26-minute emotional speech, had said he would not use the terror attack as an opportunity to press for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that he does not believe in "cheap politics".
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MP cruise boat tragedy: Search ops expanded to trace four missing passengers
Jabalpur (PTI): Army divers and disaster response teams on Saturday expanded their search at Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh to locate a man and three children still missing after the cruise boat tragedy that claimed nine lives two days ago, officials said.
With 28 of the 41 identified passengers onboard the ill-fated cruise boat rescued safely, police are preparing to register an FIR in connection with the accident that occurred at the reservoir in Jabalpur district on Thursday evening, they said.
The search radius has been expanded to 5 km in the backwaters of the Bargi Dam, located downstream of the Narmada River, area sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP) Anjul Ayank Mishra told PTI.
Nine people drowned in the incident, while 28 were rescued, and efforts are ongoing to trace the missing persons, he said.
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According to the police, more than 200 rescuers, including around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra, began the search operation at 5 am on Saturday to trace Kamraj, an employee of the Ordnance Factory in Khamaria, his son Tamil (5), Vijay Soni (6) and Mayuram (5).
Mishra said that an inquest case has been registered and the post-mortem of nine deceased persons has been completed.
"Our priority is to search for the missing persons. We will soon register an FIR," he said.
Investigators have said that CCTV footage near the boarding point showed 43 people heading towards the ill-fated boat, and the names of 41 persons, who boarded the vessel, have been ascertained so far.
Collector Raghvendra Singh confirmed that a search is underway for four missing persons.
The rescue operation, being carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local divers, was briefly affected around 9 am due to strong winds.
The state government on Friday ordered a probe into the incident and dismissed three crew members after survivors alleged negligence and safety lapses, including failure to provide life jackets.
The government also banned the operation of similar vessels in the state.
The boat, operated by the state tourism department, sank during a sudden storm around 6 pm on Thursday, and the wreckage was retrieved from the dam water on Friday, after the rescuers confirmed that there were no more bodies inside.
Eyewitnesses have said that strong winds made the water choppy, prompting passengers to raise an alarm and ask the crew to steer the vessel towards the riverbank.
A survivor alleged negligence by the crew and described a last-minute scramble for life jackets.
