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Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah connected Tuesday (February 17, 2026) warned that India is facing a large situation marked by rising fascism, centralisation of power, erosion of information successful nationalist sermon and increasing communal divisions, arsenic helium called for unity to support secularism and democracy.
Addressing a seminar connected ‘Secularism, Democracy and Consultative Government’ astatine the decision of the three-day ‘Vision 2031: An International Conference connected Development and Democracy’ successful Thiruvananthapuram, Dr. Abdullah praised Kerala for upholding spiritual harmony and inclusive improvement by “respecting each religion and each quality being” and for achieving near-elimination of poorness contempt the purported constraints from the Centre.
He expressed interest implicit the alleged weakening of India’s national structure. “This is expected to beryllium a national state wherever States person their powers and the Centre has its powers. But contiguous the Centre controls everything, adjacent stepping into areas meant for States,” helium said.
Referring to the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir and the abrogation of Article 370, the National Conference person questioned the assertion that the proviso was the basal origin of terrorism. “Has coercion disappeared?” helium asked, citing attacks specified arsenic those that occurred successful Pulwama.
Dr. Abdullah said Jammu and Kashmir’s conversion into a Union Territory has reduced the powers of its elected Assembly. Key decisions remained pending support from the Lieutenant Governor.
In an affectional appeal, the 88-year-old person said radical successful the North continued to endure favoritism and fear. “Majority of Hindus are not communal, but fearfulness has driven america to the corner. We deduce spot from you, the South. We look astatine you and commune for the time erstwhile we tin besides locomotion freely, speech freely and deliberation freely,” helium lamented.
Farooq Abdullah connected India-U.S. commercialized deal
He besides expressed heavy interest implicit the implications of the United States (U.S.)-India commercialized deal. While the specifics of the woody inactive remains ambiguous, the statement has created anxiousness among cultivation producers and economically weaker states, the National Conference president said.
“We are frightened. We don’t person oil. We don’t person gas. We person the earthy quality that God has fixed us. We are horticultural producers. What volition hap to our apples, our walnuts, our almonds,” helium asked.
He besides warned that the statement mightiness impact states specified arsenic Himachal Pradesh and different regions babelike connected agriculture and horticulture, with tiny producers becoming susceptible if commercialized presumption are unfavourable to them.
He besides criticised the planetary unit exerted from Washington connected countries to halt purchasing Russian oil, saying specified dictates undermine sovereign decision-making. “The U.S. are dictating that you volition not bargain Russian oil, and that we volition springiness you what we privation to springiness you and you person to instrumentality it. India indispensable cautiously safeguard its economical interests,” helium pointed out.
In a broader reflection connected India’s governmental trajectory, Dr. Abdullah defended the bequest of leaders specified arsenic Jawaharlal Nehru, portion crediting him with laying the instauration for large nationalist institutions including ISRO, IITs, IIMs and different technological establishments. He besides lamented the stagnation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) arsenic helium recalled that erstwhile Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had envisioned it arsenic a level for neighbouring countries to jointly resoluteness their problems.
