Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 15 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said the developments in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) made him realise that the leaders who took decisions 80 years ago were right.
Addressing an Independence Day event in Srinagar after hoisting the National Flag, Omar Abdullah said the situation across the Line of Control (LoC) brings "pain, regret, and deep distress".
This comes after residents of PoJK have been facing continued action by Pakistani security forces, with several people reportedly killed or injured during firing on protesters in recent months.
"...When I look across the border and across the Line of Control (LoC) today at their prevailing conditions, I realise that the decision taken by our leaders for us 80 years ago was indeed the right decision. Those who raised that call, 'Hamlawar Khabardar', were right, and the sacrifices they rendered were fully justified," he said.
The chief minister said the people living in that part of Jammu and Kashmir are considered their own and noted that seats have been reserved for them in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
He also stressed the importance of democracy and federalism, saying safeguarding democracy and strengthening it under all circumstances is the country's foremost responsibility.
"Today, when we look at the state of affairs in that part of Jammu and Kashmir across the Line of Control (LoC), it brings pain, regret, and deep distress. Personally, I realise that perhaps if our circumstances had not been altered in 2019, the people of Jammu and Kashmir from that region might today be protesting to rejoin us. That part of Jammu and Kashmir belongs to us. We consider those people our very own--none of them is strangers; none are outsiders," he said.
"Even today, seats are reserved for them in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in the hope that, one day or another, they will be able to occupy and utilise those vacant seats. The two greatest strengths of our nation are our Democracy and our Federalism. Safeguarding democracy at all costs, strengthening democracy under every circumstance, and keeping democracy alive is our foremost responsibility. Alongside this, protecting and reinforcing federalism in this country is a duty from which we cannot step back," the Chief Minister said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, along with the Director General of Police (DGP), Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir and other senior civil and police officers, also paid tribute to martyrs at the Balidan Stambh in Srinagar.
The tribute ceremony was held as part of the Independence Day celebrations in Srinagar.
Senior officers and officials remembered the courage and sacrifice of the martyrs and reaffirmed their commitment to peace, security and the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The 80th Independence Day celebrations are being held under the broader theme of 'Yuva Shakti for Viksit Bharat@2047', placing India's youth at the centre of the country's development journey.
The celebrations also marked PM Modi's 13th consecutive Independence Day address from the Red Fort, a milestone in the country's political history.